Community
Grant Aims to Boost Financial Aid Completion Rates This Summer
A $72,000 grant from the Education Credit Management Corporation Foundation (ECMC) aims to remove barriers in the financial aid application process for West Contra Costa families this summer. With the goal of boosting financial aid completion rates from the current 63% to 73% of 1,837 enrolled graduating seniors in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), the grant will fund weekly office hours with college counselors in person and via Zoom, as well as a Financial Aid Completion event in partnership with Contra Costa College where students and families can complete their financial aid documents in a group format.

The Richmond Standard
A $72,000 grant from the Education Credit Management Corporation Foundation (ECMC) aims to remove barriers in the financial aid application process for West Contra Costa families this summer.
With the goal of boosting financial aid completion rates from the current 63% to 73% of 1,837 enrolled graduating seniors in the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), the grant will fund weekly office hours with college counselors in person and via Zoom, as well as a Financial Aid Completion event in partnership with Contra Costa College where students and families can complete their financial aid documents in a group format.
The West Contra Costa Public Education Fund (Ed Fund) will oversee administration of the grant while Richmond Promise and the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) will provide programmatic support and data sharing.
WCCUSD college counselors as well as Richmond Promise near-peer ambassadors will assist. The program partners are spreading the word about these services so that graduating seniors can be prepared.
The efforts are critical due to changes in the student financial aid process for the 2024-2025 cycle, according to local education experts. A new application form and criteria, new parent requirements and shorter application deadline are creating new barriers to families aiming to apply.
Christopher Whitmore, executive director of Richmond Promise, said his team has always believed financial aid completion rates are a key indicator of a student’s intent to pursue postsecondary education.
The Promise provides college scholarships and guidance to hundreds of graduating seniors annually from Richmond and North Richmond, courtesy of a $35 million, 10-year investment by Chevron Richmond in 2014.
To be eligible for the $1,500 in annual scholarship funds, students must complete their FAFSA or Dream Act application, a requirement that aims to make postsecondary education even more affordable.
“A large part of our college access work in local schools focuses on helping students and families navigate [the financial aid application] process,” Whitmore said. “We have seen firsthand the additional obstacles created by changes at the federal level this year, and we are excited to come together with two great partners of ours, Ed Fund and WCCUSD, as we continue our work on behalf of Richmond students.”
Robert Bunce, Ed Fund executive director, said that when the community works together, “we can create real possibilities for our kids.”
“We are thrilled to bring together the school district, Richmond Promise, and the Ed Fund to make college affordability a reality for more families this summer,” Bunce said.
Karina Soriano-Ponce, district lead counselor for the WCCUSD, said collaborating with community partners “is a crucial part in providing support to our students.”
“This partnership will focus on providing comprehensive financial aid application support to students and their families that will empower them in navigating the financial aid process with confidence, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to pursue higher education without the burden of financial uncertainty,” Soriano-Ponce said.
Families and students interested in taking advantage of these services can reach out to Maddie Orenstein at Maddie@edfundwest.org, Soriano-Ponce at kponce@wccusd.net, or Miguel Molina at mmolina@richmondpromise.org.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

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#NNPA BlackPress
EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.”

By Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
46th President of the United States: 2021—2025
The people of Galveston, Texas, have been commemorating Juneteenth since the Civil War ended. Yesterday, in honor of the 160th anniversary, I went there to join them.
You can read about the events of Juneteenth, but there’s nothing quite like going to Galveston and seeing where it all happened.
After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Union troops marched across the South for two months, freeing enslaved people along the way. Their final stop was Galveston, an island off the Gulf coast of Texas. There, on June 19, 1865, Union troops went to Reedy Chapel, a church founded in 1848 by enslaved people, and posted a document titled simply “General Order #3.”
“The people of Texas are informed,” it said, “that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”
We can only imagine the joy that spread through Galveston – and across the state and nation – on that day and those that followed.
Yesterday, there was once again joy in Galveston, with a parade, picnic, and fireworks. There was also great solemnity, because Juneteenth is a sacred day – a day of weight and power.
The Book of Psalms tells us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of that joyful morning to come.
As President, I had the great honor of signing the law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was our nation’s first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created in 1983.
Our federal holidays say a lot about who we are as a nation. We have holidays celebrating our independence… the laborers who build this nation… the servicemembers who served and died in its defense.
And now, we also have a national holiday dedicated to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.
Signing that law was one of my proudest acts as President.
Yet for 156 years, Juneteenth was not written about in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Still today, there are those who say it does not deserve a holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery and the terrible harm it did to our country.
I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.
I also believe that it’s not enough to commemorate the past. We must also embrace the obligation we have to the future. As Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” And right now, we Americans need to keep the faith and do the work.
In honor of Juneteenth, let’s help people register to vote.
For decades, we fought to expand voting rights in America. Now we’re living in an era when relentless obstacles are being thrown in the way of people trying to vote. We can’t let those tactics defeat us. In America, the power belongs with the people. And the way we show that power is by voting.
So let’s reach out to family, friends and neighbors – especially those who have never voted before. Remind them that with voting, anything is possible. And without it, nothing is possible.
Yesterday in Galveston, we gathered in Reedy Chapel to commemorate Juneteenth, just like people have done for 160 years and counting. We prayed, sang, and read General Order #3 again. The pews were full of families. How many people must have prayed for freedom inside those walls. How many must have sent fervent thanks to God when slavery finally ended.
I remembered the words of my late friend John Lewis. He said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an act.”
Juneteenth did not mark the end of America’s work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue to work toward that promise. For our freedom. For our democracy. And for America itself.
#NNPA BlackPress
Cities Across the U.S. Shrink or Cancel Juneteenth Events as DEI Support Wanes
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship. In many communities, the once-growing recognition of the holiday is facing sharp resistance tied to the unraveling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In Denver, Colorado, the annual Juneteenth Music Festival, one of the largest in the nation—was cut from two days to one. Organizers said more than a dozen corporate sponsors walked away from commitments, leaving them with a financial gap that almost canceled the event. Norman Harris, the festival’s executive director, said several companies “pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year.” Harris credited grassroots donors and small businesses for stepping in when larger backers stepped aside.
In Colorado Springs, the local celebration was relocated to the Citadel Mall parking lot after support from previous sponsors disappeared. Organizers noted that where there were once dozens of corporate partners, only five remained. The downsized event was pieced together with limited resources, but community leaders said they refused to let the holiday go unacknowledged.
Scottsdale, Arizona, canceled its Juneteenth observance after the city council voted to dissolve its diversity, equity, and inclusion office in February. Without the office in place, the city offered no support for planning or funding, leaving residents without an official celebration.
In San Diego, the Cooper Family Foundation lost a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that had been earmarked for Juneteenth programming. Organizers said the decision forced them to personally finance key elements of the event, including cultural exhibits, performances, and youth engagement activities.
Bend, Oregon, called off its Juneteenth event entirely. Organizers cited political tensions and safety concerns, saying they could not secure the partnerships needed to proceed. A public statement from the planning committee described the current climate as “increasingly volatile,” making it difficult to host a safe and inclusive event.
West Virginia, which has recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday since 2017, will not sponsor any official events this year. State leaders pointed to budget constraints and recent decisions to eliminate DEI programming across agencies as the reasons for stepping away from public observance.
Austin, Texas, has also reduced its Juneteenth programming. While the city has not canceled events outright, organizers said diminished city support and fewer private contributions forced them to focus only on core activities.
“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,” said Harris. “But it shows how fragile that support has become.”
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