Eyes slightly gazing over the steering wheel, 11-year-old Cynthia Altamirano drove around her family farm in southern Illinois. She started the day around 3:30 a.m. checking on the well-being of the animals. It was not a for-profit farm. It was a farm to help her poor household survive. By the time the sun was rising, Altamirano had been up for several hours, but it was time for her to rush back home and start getting ready for her school day….
Our approach to solving domestic violence has been to arrest, jail, then release. This is not a long-term solution. Domestic violence is an epidemic that should be treated as more of a cultural and mental health problem. We have to try a new approach to solving this crisis. If we treat domestic violence as a mental health issue, we can find the resources to treat it. If the perpetrators of the domestic violence crime are treated in a heath institution,…
The city of Richmond declared October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Rebeca Garcia-Gonzalez, a local painter, paints portraits of Latinos living or working in Richmond as a way to fight against discrimination in her community. This fall, the Richmond Art Center is exhibiting a selection of Garcia-Gonzalez’ portraits as part of Califas: Art of the US-Mexico Borderlands.
A poet from Richmond
A health and benefits broker by trade, Cesar Zepeda is passionate about helping his community. Zepeda, 37, ran unsuccessfully for the Richmond City Council in 2016 and is trying again this year. After immigrating from Mexico when he was 8 years old, Zepeda grew up in Richmond and San Pablo, attending Helms Elementary School, Richmond High School and Contra Costa College. Over the past few years, Zepeda has helped start several local organizations and initiatives. Zepeda co-founded Richmond’s first LGBTQ…
Eduardo Martinez surprised everyone by winning a seat on Richmond’s City Council in 2014. His successful campaign was fueled by small donations and grassroots door knocking. It was his third time running for the Richmond City Council after having lost in 2010 and 2012. This year, Martinez hopes to repeat his victory as he runs for re-election. Martinez, 69, is originally from Dumas, Texas and moved to the Bay Area in the 1970s. He was an elementary school teacher…
Eleanor Thompson brings over 50 years of experience working for the city of Richmond to her campaign election to the Richmond City Council. Originally from Arizona, Thompson, 70, has lived in Richmond since 1967. She is the founder and executive director of Social Progress, Inc., a nonprofit organization where youth of the Iron Triangle neighborhood gather after school for tutoring and mentoring. Thompson began her career as a substitute teacher with the Contra Costa Unified School District. She also served…