Bay Area

Celebrate Earth Day All Around the East Bay

Happy Earth Month! Whether you’re interested in learning how to get started with worm composting, how to electrify your home, reduce wasted food, or build healthy soil, there’s a way to celebrate for everyone! Try a StopWaste tip any day throughout the month, or join your neighbors in community for an Earth Month workshop or event.

Published

2 years ago

April 21, 2023

Oakland Post

Who are the action heroes for the environment? You can be one of them! Illustration via Stopwaste.org

By StopWaste.org

Explore all the events and resources, and be sure to check back frequently as we continue to add to the full calendar. Curious about what activities your city is hosting? Check out links to your city’s website below for more. For more information, go to https://www.stopwaste.org/earth-month-2023

Ways to Celebrate Earth Month

Make Every Carrot Count

Reducing wasted food is one of the leading solutions to climate change. Taking care and making the most of our food are important acts of environmental stewardship, honoring all of the resources and labor that went into getting it to us. Learn more ways to plan, store, and prepare food to save money and benefit our planet

Build Healthy Soil

Use compost to feed your garden and build healthy soil! Applying just 1-2 inches of compost to your soil will help your soil retain moisture, improve its structure, and help your plants access nutrients. Compost also helps healthy gardens sequester carbon in your soil and plants, reducing your climate impact.

Celebrate with the Entire Family

4Rs Action Heroes, assemble! Join youth and families across Alameda County in sharing your stories of action and community that represent how you are part of the (Re)Generation – an intergenerational collective identity for people committed to building a regenerative earth.

Calendar of Events

Saturday, April 22

9 am – 1 pm: Oakland Earth Day — Get outside to celebrate Earth Day with neighborhood clean-ups of streets, sidewalks, schools, parks, and along creeks and other waterways. Volunteer registration opens on April 1st; individuals and small groups are encouraged, but not required, to RSVP. To register, go to: https://oakland-volunteer-community-oakgis.hub.arcgis.com/feedback/surveys/c9a5c976287542c19372807dd2c3da6c/explore

8 am – 12 pm: P iedmont Free Compost Giveaway — Pick up one cubic yard of compost while supplies last. Bring your own shovel, gloves, and container(s), to pick up compost. Volunteers will be on deck to help you bag and load the compost into your vehicle. Held at the City’s Corporation Yard, 898 Red Rock Road. * Piedmont residents only.

8:30 am – 1 pm: City of Hayward Annual Earth Day Citywide Clean-Up and Community Fair — Come together to collect litter and abandoned debris in various neighborhoods throughout the City of Hayward. After the Clean-Up, visit the Earth Day themed Community Fair at the park for fun activities. Free lunch will be provided to volunteers who register via Eventbrite. The festival will be held at Weekes Park 27182 Patrick Ave Hayward, CA 94544

2 pm – 5 pm: Home Electrification Fair — Are you thinking about switching from gas to electric? There are plenty of good reasons to make the switch: healthy, safety, long-term saving, and of course climate. Attend the fair to get any and all questions answered about the benefits, energy-saving tips, where to find trusted contractors, available rebates and tax credits, and more! Held at the The Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, Berkeley

12 pm – 2 pm: Composting 101 — Join Farm2Market and guest speaker, CompostGal, Lori Cadwell, to learn all about composting, including how to compost, the benefits, and trouble shooting of composting. Great for all levels of experience. Held at APC Farm2Market, 2600 Barbers Point Road Alameda, CA 94501.

8 am – 12 pm: Compost Giveaway — Dublin residents can take home one bag of FREE compost at the annual Compost Giveaway event at Emerald Glen hosted by Amador Valley Industries. The compost is made from Dublin residents’ yard trimmings and foods scraps. This is a great way to see how Dublin’s food waste journey is circular and directly benefits the community! This is a drive-through event in the parking lot of Emerald Glen Park, off of Gleason Drive. Dublin residents only*

9 am – 12 pm: C VSan Earth Day — Join your friends and neighbors to beautify and clean up Castro Valley. Volunteer to pick up litter, plant trees and native plants, spread mulch, pulled weeds, and more. The community clean-up sites include Castro Valley Creek, downtown Castro Valley and the Center Street Overpass Park and Ride. To sign u to volunteer, go to https://www.cvsan.org/zero_waste/community_and_education/earth_day.php

11 am – 3 pm: F remont Earth Day — Join for a day to celebrate Earth Day and increase environmental awareness in the community. Activities will include a Bicycle Fix-a-Flat Workshop, Earth Day art, medication take-back, free confidential document shredding, learning about gardening and composting, and more! Held at the downtown event center at 3500 Capitol Avenue in Fremont.

Sunday, April 23 —

9 am – 12 pm: E arth Day Shoreline Cleanup — Have fun with family, friends and neighbors, cleaning up the beach! Come to the Earth Day Shoreline Clean Up at Shorebird Park in Emeryville any time from 9 a.m. to noon. If you have them, bring collection buckets and/or bags, garden claw, reusable water bottle, and coffee mug. Wear layers, sunscreen, hat, and work gloves. Additional tools will be available for use until supplies run out.

Saturday, April 29

1 pm – 3 pm: Gardening for Renters — This class can help you navigate small spaces so you can garden! Topics will include: container and indoor gardening, working with your landlord, free/low cost resources, reuse options, and maintaining your garden. It will be held at Ploughshares Nursery 2701 Main Street Alameda, CA 94501.

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Activism

Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

Published

24 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Corey Jackson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.

“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.

The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.

Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.

However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.

“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

Oakland Post

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Activism

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.

Published

1 day ago

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.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Barbara Lee Accepts Victory With “Responsibility, Humility and Love”

“I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility, and love. Oakland is a deeply divided City,” Lee said in an April 19 statement. “I answered the call to run to unite our community, so that I can represent every voter, and we can all work together as One Oakland to solve our most pressing problems.”

Published

1 day ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌,
California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

As a candidate for mayor, former U.S. Representative Barbara Lee released a “10-point plan” last week to reassure residents that she will tackle Oakland’s most pressing challenges.

Now that she has edged out her competitors in the ranked-choice special election with 50% or more of the vote, the former Congresswoman, who represented parts of the Bay Area in the U.S. House of Representatives, can put her vision in motion as the city’s first Black woman mayor.

On Saturday evening, Taylor conceded to Lee. There are still about 300 Vote-by-Mail ballots left to be verified, according to county election officials. The ballots will be processed on April 21 and April 22.

“This morning, I called Congresswoman Barbara Lee to congratulate her on becoming the next Mayor of Oakland,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I pray that Mayor-Elect Lee fulfills her commitment to unify Oakland by authentically engaging the 47% of Oaklanders who voted for me and who want pragmatic, results-driven leadership.”

The influential Oakland Post endorsed Lee’s campaign, commending her leadership on the local, state, and federal levels.

Paul Cobb, The Post’s publisher, told California Black Media that Lee will bring back “respect and accountability” to the mayor’s office.

“She is going to be a collegial leader drawing on the advice of community nonprofit organizations and those who have experience in dealing with various issues,” Cobb said. “She’s going to try to do a consensus-building thing among those who know the present problems that face the city.”

Born in El Paso, Texas, Lee’s family moved to California while she was in high school. At 20 years old, Lee divorced her husband after the birth of her first child. After the split, Lee went through a tough period, becoming homeless and having to apply for public assistance to make ends meet.

But destitution did not deter the young woman.

Lee groomed herself to become an activist and advocate in Oakland and committed to standing up for the most vulnerable citizens in her community.

Lee traveled to Washington, D.C. to work for then U.S. Congressman Ron Dellums after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland in 1973. Lee later won a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fellowship to attend the School of Social Welfare, and she earned a Master of Social Work from the University of California-Berkeley in 1975.

Lee later served in the California State Assembly and State Senate before she was elected to Congress in 1998.

After serving in the U.S. Congress for more than 25 years, Lee ran unsuccessfully for California’s U.S. Senate in the 2024 primary election.

Lee joins current Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and former San Francisco Mayor London Breed as Black women serving as chief executives of major cities in California over the last few years.