Berkeley

Protesters Disrupt Board of Supervisors Meeting, Demanding Services for Formerly Incarcerated

Published

10 years ago

March 5, 2015

After months of rallying the community in the Jobs Not Jails campaign, organizers with the Ella Baker Center in Oakland and nearly 100 community members peacefully disrupted the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, March 3.

Chanting “jobs not jails” and “sign the pledge,” the group asked supervisors to sign a promise to support a “Jobs Not Jails” budget, which would redirect half of the county’s public safety funding in this year’s budget to community services and programs for people returning home from jail.

Protesters included leaders from the faith and labor communities, local community organizations and activists from Black Lives Matter and Asians for Black Lives.

During the meeting, five individuals – risking arrest – engaged in civil disobedience, crossing the barrier that separates supervisors from meeting attendees and shutting down the meeting for over an hour.

“We’re starting to see more evidence to why less funding should go to law enforcement,” said María Domínguez, local organizer with the Ella Baker Center.

Supporters of the Jobs Not Jails campaign hold a sign outside the Alameda County Administration building in Oakland on Tuesday, March 3.

Since the passing of Proposition 47 – which reduced penalties for nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors – the jail population has decreased across the state, according to reports.

“This is the best time to start shifting how they’re spending money,” she said.

The Jobs Not Jails campaign calls for the county to invest more dollars into community-based programs that prioritize job training and job creation, education, housing, mental health and substance programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.

At present, the majority of public safety funds are allocated to the sheriff, which organizers say only serves to expand the system of incarceration that negatively impacts low-income and minority communities.

Supervisor Richard Valle expressed his support for the Jobs Not Jails budget. Supervisor Keith Carson also supported allocating funds to programs and services but not until next year’s budget.

There is a need to “invest in giving more programs and services to people who are now on probation and need more re-entry services,” said Darris Young, a local organizer with the Ella Baker Center.

“There are programs out there in need of funding that are ready to serve the needs of this population,” Young said.

The Board of Supervisors will vote on this year’s budget March 24. Organizers plan to meet with the supervisors individually before then.

For more information, visit www.ellabakercenter.org or follow the hashtag #JobsNotJails.

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Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

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April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

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Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

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March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.

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Lawsuit Accuses UC Schools of Giving Preference to Black and Hispanic Students

The lawsuit also alleges UC is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars racial discrimination by federally funded institutions. In response, UC stated that race is not a factor in admissions, as per state law, and that student demographic data is collected only for statistical purposes.

Published

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February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

A lawsuit filed in federal court accuses the University of California (UC) of racial discrimination in undergraduate admissions, alleging that Black and Latino students are favored over Asian American and white applicants. The lawsuit, filed by the group Students Against Racial Discrimination, claims UC’s admissions policies violate Proposition 209, a state law passed in 1996 that prohibits the consideration of race in public education.

In response, UC stated that race is not a factor in admissions, as per state law, and that student demographic data is collected only for statistical purposes.

Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the UC system, said the entity had not been served with the lawsuit.

“If served, we will vigorously defend our admission practices,” said Holbrook.

“We believe this to be a meritless suit that seeks to distract us from our mission to provide California students with a world-class education,” he said.

The complaint criticizes UC’s use of a “holistic” admissions process, arguing it replaces objective academic criteria with subjective considerations that disadvantage certain racial groups. It cites admission rate disparities at UC Berkeley, noting a decrease in Black student admissions from 13% in 2010 to 10% in 2023, compared to an overall drop from 21% to 12%.

The lawsuit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions, which has prompted challenges to race-conscious policies nationwide. The plaintiffs seek a court order preventing UC from collecting racial data in applications and request a federal monitor to oversee admissions decisions.