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Richmond Police Sgt. Florencio Rivera lifts a thick leather belt from the trunk of his police cruiser. He points to several objects dangling from it — pepper spray, handcuffs, riot baton, pistol, Taser — and explains: These are just stand-ins. The baton is made of foam, the Taser is unloaded, and the pistol fires Airsoft pellets. Together, they represent a pretend version of the “duty kit” carried by Richmond officers. Rivera is supervising a mock scenario as part of the…
Jazmine Wilson describes herself as a “hairstylist, but as a braider first.” Customers often sit in her chair for four or more hours. She has spent years perfecting her craft and sees it as something that brings women in the community together. To hear more about the art of braiding, check out Jazmine’s story on Tracks/Borders episode of our Tales of Two Cities podcast, in collaboration with Oakland North.
As part of the Richmond Chess Initiative, the West Coast Chess Alliance hosted the first annual chess festival in Richmond. Their aim is to bring the game into the community and help bridge the enrichment and academic gap in the city’s youth.
In this episode of “Tale of Two Cities”, we explore how everyday people are transforming their lives and communities in creative ways. From reporter Caron Creighton, we hear about how Phat Beets Produce is improving access to fresh produce in low income communities in North Oakland. Next, reporter Alondra De La Cruz takes us to Starline Social Club, a bar in downtown Oakland where the owner organizes rent parties to help homeless people. Then, Sarah El Safty reports from a…
Bay Area residents celebrate the Shoreline Festival organized every first Saturday of October by dozens of volunteers at Point Pinole Regional Park. This year, attendees enjoyed nature walks, birdwatching and local art.
West Contra Costa district schools failed to improve in California’s annual test. District leaders and education expert said the standardized test is not the only way to measure student performance.
Opponents – and even supporters – of Tom Butt say Richmond’s mayor is guilty of what one critic described as a “flagrant abuse of power” and a council member called “highly inappropriate” actions. Emails between the mayor and residents indicate that many in the community were alarmed when the mayor used his regular “e-forum” to doxx political adversaries, sharing their home addresses and accusing them of violating Richmond’s rent control ordinance.
Organizing for Action (OFA), a Bay Area advocacy group and others gathered on November 8 at Richmond City Hall for a rally in support of a Clean Dream Act. The action was part of a National Day of Action spearheaded by United We Dream.
A federal judge signed a final judgment last month, prohibiting Valero Energy Corporation from buying oil storage and distribution terminals in Martinez and Richmond for the next 10 years.