An Activist History of Ventura County
As stewards to our region’s organizations and activists, we’re committed to hosting, assisting and participating in events throughout Ventura County that align with our support for justice and equality. And when we have a chance, we even snap photos at these events! Take a look at some of the exciting advocacy we’ve done over the years…
18 January 2025: VC Women’s Rally
(48 photos)
With women’s rights and reproductive freedoms under graver threat than ever, we as neighbors, friends and allies united and showed we won’t back down — especially against politicians who sneer at the idea that women are people. Here are 48 photos from the rally we held right before Ventura County Women’s March 2025!
18 January 2025: VC Women’s March
(24 photos)
After a rousing rally powered by several inspiring speakers, the Ventura County community marched in solidarity with Women’s Marches across the country to push back against politicians who want us to stay silent and give up our voice. If you missed this year’s march, then checkout the 24 photos we snapped during the march.
7 July 2024: Pink Week Kickoff
(16 photos)
Thank you to everyone who joined us at Planned Parenthood Central Coast’s Pink Week Kick-Off event at Municipal Winemakers! Everyone had a fun time, making new friends and showing their support for Central Coast businesses that pledge to support choice during Pink Week. We showed our own support by snapping these 16 photos.
24 June 2024: Women’s Strike
(24 photos)
Justice for all Ventura County and Indivisible Ventura co-hosted “Women’s Strike 2024: We Will Not Go Back”, a rally outside the Ventura County Government Center. The rally marked the second anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. Here are 24 photos capturing the activism of the 50 women and men participating in the rally.
22 June 2024: Project 2025 Seminar
(32 photos)
Project 2025 is the Heritage Foundation’s plan for a second Trump administration. For those who believe in a progressive, inclusive, tolerant and fair society, these plans are frightening. So we partnered with Indivisible Ventura to let everyone know what’s included in this nearly thousand-page document… and snap 32 photos of the seminar along the way!
But if you missed the seminar, you’re in luck: Max MacIver videotaped the entire presentation, which we’ve embedded above! Here are timestamps for all our speakers and the topics they tackle…
00:00:00 – Moderator Carl Morehouse introduces the speakers
00:05:55 – Speaker Adriene Coulter presents “Fascism Inherent in Project 2025”
00:29:20 – Speaker Vanessa Frank presents “Impact on Immigration”
00:49:05 – Speaker Dr. Leslie-Lynn Pawson presents “Privatization of Medicare and ACA”
01:06:55 – Speaker Maria Navarro presents “Economic & Housing Insecurity for Marginalized Communities”
01:23:45 – Speaker James Forsythe presents “Impact on Education”
01:36:55 – Moderator Carl Morehouse moderates Q&A for the speakers
1 June 2024: LWVVC Annual Meeting
(32 photos)
The League of Women Voters of Ventura County hosted its annual luncheon, featuring an enlightening presentation by Dr. Kathleen Bruhn, a Professor of Political Science and Department Chair at UCSB, who tackled the topic of “Democratic Backsliding and How to Fight It”. As supporters of LWVVC, we attended and snapped 32 photos for posterity!
30 May 2024: JFAVC Essay Contest
The topic of Justice for All Ventura County’s annual youth essay contest, for which several outstanding students were recognized, was Election 2024: What actions can you and others take to support democracy? Honorable Mention Marian Castro and Third Place winner Larissa Barralaga attend Hueneme High School, and are pictured above with our Board President, Shane Meserve.
Both the Second Place winner Camilo Garcia and First Place winner Chantel Tapiahail hail from Oxnard Middle College High School. Chantel submitted a video essay, which ultimately took First Place! Take a look at her video, which we’ve embedded above.
27 April 2024: April Raiz Platica
(20 photos)
Justice for All VC cosponsored Planned Parenthood’s April Raiz Platicia, which explored the intersectionality between reproductive justice and female farm worker health. We snapped 20 pictures of the speakers and the resulting discussion they inspired.
13 February 2024: Climate Change Forum
(24 photos)
Nearly 75 attendees joined JFAVC and the Ventura County Community Foundation in Camarillo for our first-ever Climate Change Summit. We thank VCCF for its support and thank our speakers for the constructive, challenging conversations they brought to the community.
Those who attended came away with valuable insights for starting conversations in their own neighborhoods. But if you missed the seminar, you’re in luck: Max MacIver videotaped the entire presentation, which we’ve embedded above! Here are timestamps for all our speakers and the topics they tackle (as well as a bonus video of the Q&A that followed their presentations)…
00:00:00 – Moderators Carl Morehouse and Calleen Pardinas
00:15:40 – John Krist, former CEO of the Ventura County Farm Bureau
00:34:10 – Sofi Magallon, Policy Advocate at Central Coast Alliance United for A Sustainable Economy
00:52:45 – Giles Pettifor, Environmental Manager for the Port of Hueneme
01:16:30 – Richard Elsley, PhD, founder of Ventura County Citizens’ Climate Lobby
10 February 2024: Palentine’s Day!
(20 photos)
We joined PPCCC’s Young Advocates at Santa Barbara’s Municipal Winemakers for an inspiring Palentine’s Day, where pro-choice supporters arranged floral bouquets and wrote letters of appreciation to the staff at Planned Parenthood’s health centers! In addition to connecting with other feminist advocates in the community, we snapped 20 photos of the festivities.
20 January 2024: Ventura Women’s Rally
(40 photos)
Thank you to everyone who made Ventura County’s 2024 Women’s Rally & March a success! Two hundred people braved sprinkles, drizzle and — for a short time — even rain, because they felt a duty to stand strong against the forces that seek to set back women’s autonomy by 200 years. As for us, we took 40 photos to document everyone’s participation. 🙂
20 January 2024: Ventura Women’s March!
(24 photos)
After an inspiring rally by Justice for All Ventura County and Planned Parenthood Central Coast, 200 members of the community marched proudly through Downtown Ventura, demonstrating solidarity in the fight for women’s equality. Along the way, we snapped 24 more photos. 😉
15 November 2023: Pints for Justice
(32 photos)
Thank you to all who attended Justice for All VC’s Pints for Justice event! We were so thrilled that everyone was able to meet new friends, connect with other social justice partners, and help support JFAVC’s Youth Activist Scholarship fund. We even snapped 32 photos of how much everyone enjoyed everything. 🙂
28 October 2023: AIDS Walk Ventura
(40 photos)
Did you know Diversity Collective VC works with the county to fill service gaps and make a local impact on HIV-AIDS? AIDS Walk Ventura is just one way Diversity Collective raises funds and awareness – and we were there to document the festivities. 🙂
19 August 2023: Ventura County Pride
(36 photos)
Diversity Collective VC held its annual VC Pride in celebration of the county’s LGBTQ community! Funny story about the first picture: The activist on the left looks disgusted because she just learned that protesters accused her fellow activists of teaching… sexual witchcraft. 😛
27 June 2023: Latinx Pride Picnic
(40 photos)
To mark the close of Pride Month, Planned Parenthood California Central Coast held its first Latinx Pride Picnic… and the turnout was outstanding, based off these 32 pictures! Bonus: Afterward we attended PPCCC’s Book Club and took 8 more pictures there too. 😉
5 June 2023: Senior Awards & Scholarship Night
It was a great pleasure to attend the Senior Awards and Scholarship Night ceremony at Ventura High School on Monday, June 5, 2023 to present our first ever JFAVC Activist Essay Contest awards to three qualified students! Ava, Brooke and Abby, who wrote essays about their personal activism and advocacy in their community, are shown with JFAVC board president Shane Meserve at Ventura High School. All three are off to fantastic futures and we were happy to contribute to their efforts. Cheers to these young activists!!
5 March 2023: Power of Love
(48 photos)
With abortion access under assault across America, Sunday’s Power of Love fundraiser was a chance to recognize the vital work of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast’s supporters in Ventura County. We’re proud to stand by our pro-choice brothers in arms and sisters of battle.
21 January 2023: #BiggerThanRoe Event
(64 photos)
On Saturday in Plaza Park, Justice For All Ventura County, Planned Parenthood Central Coast Action Fund and more local orgs gathered and marched in solidarity with the national Women’s March!
21 January 2023: #BiggerThanRoe March
(24 photos)
Here are 24 more photos from the actual #BiggerThanRoe march itself, in solidarity with the national Women’s March!
14 May 2022: Bans Off Our Bodies
(48 photos)
Thank you to all who joined us for Saturday’s march! And for anyone who couldn’t attend, here are photos so you can enjoy the solidarity vicariously! Photos of the march itself shall come tomorrow, we promise.
14 May 2022: March For Our Bodies
(24 photos)
Thank you to all who joined us for Saturday’s march! And for anyone who couldn’t attend, here are photos so you can enjoy the solidarity vicariously! Here are photos from the Bans Off Our Bodies march itself. 😉
3 May 2022: Save Your Right To Decide
Supporters gathered on May 3rd to show support for Roe v. Wade to protest the supreme courts leaked draft opinion that would overturn this vital case for reproductive rights at Ventura County Gov’t Center.
30 April 2022: Simi Valley Street Fair
Justice For All helped register voters at the Simi Valley Street Fair!
2 October 2021: Ventura Women’s March
(48 photos)
On Saturday, we joined neighbors, friends and allies to support all people’s reproductive rights. We joined in solidarity with Women’s Marches across the country to express our support for these inalienable rights of all people!
28 August 2021: March On For Voting Rights
About 100 people showed up at the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura. This mirrored the myriad of similar events throughout the U.S. that day. The local demonstration was filled with positive messages, music and lots of encouragement from the hundreds of cars that drove by during the two hour event.
28 October 2020: Ana Marie Enke interviews George J. Sandoval
Check out JFAVC’s interview with George J. Sandoval with Veterans For Peace Ventura County. Mr. Sandoval, a veteran and filmmaker, is currently working on a documentary about deported veterans. You can see the powerful trailer during the interview.
17 October 2020: WALL OF JUSTICE, Downtown Ventura
This video is about the Wall of Justice Installation on California Street, Ventura CA sponsored by Justice for All, Indivisible Ventura and the Veterans for Peace Ventura County Chapter.
8 November 2019: Clothesline Project
(44 photos)
On Friday, Ventura College was awash in feminist t-shirts protesting rape culture on campus. Student activists at Ventura College’s Psychology Club organized their annual Clothesline Project against sexual assault.