Community
To commemorate Black History Month, the news teams from Oakland North and our sibling site, Richmond Confidential, spent a morning observing some of the spaces in our two cities that have been important to the East Bay’s black community—past and present.
Tobacco products like Swisher Sweets and Backwoods are mainstays in corner stores across the country. Some say that the bright wrapping and flavors like peach and fruit punch make these products attractive to the kids who encounter them while buying snacks. That’s why the city of Richmond bans menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco products.
With President Trump recently ramping up restrictions on immigration, Stand Together Contra Costa, an effort by local organizations and agencies to assist people who may be deported, is training legal observers in how to deal with ICE raids.
Richmond’s lawsuit against 29 oil and coal companies, including Chevron, aims to hold the fossil fuel industry responsible for future costs related to climate change. Richmond is the ninth city to sue fossil fuel companies, following on the heels of San Francisco, Oakland and Santa Cruz.
Recent data on homelessness in Richmond shows a dramatic decrease in the number of unsheltered people over the last few years. However, county and city officials are worried about the increase in homeless seniors and youth, and signs the homeless population is moving east.
A $4 billion bond measure that will determine funding for California’s local and state parks will appear on ballots during the June statewide direct primary election.
After sitting vacant and neglected for almost a decade, 662 Fourth St., a home in the Iron Triangle, burst into flames. The blaze, which neighbors say was started by trespassers, lead to the destruction of three homes. According to public records and interviews with city officials, Richmond doesn’t have the budget or staffing to fully mitigate the risks posed by vacant homes.
A look into America’s high maternal mortality rates and maternal health.
Najari Smith, Josue Hernandez, and Roshni “Tay” McGee have opened a worker-owned cooperative in Richmond called Rich City Rides. The bike repair shop opened in 2015, but the organization responsible for community rides and outdoor activities, has been around for five years. The goal is to have a space where people can come in and buy a bike, get a bike fixed, or learn more about bike repairs. The three put on free Friday bike repair workshops, weekly community rides,…