Bay Area
U.S. Secretary of Energy Granholm Visits “Green the Church” in Oakland
On June 7, Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, made a visit to Green the Church (GTC) in Oakland. GTC is a Bay Area faith-based environmental advocacy organization.

By Y’Anad Burrell
On June 7, Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, made a visit to Green the Church (GTC) in Oakland.
GTC is a Bay Area faith-based environmental advocacy organization.
Ambrose Carroll, Pastor of Renewal Worship Center in Oakland, led Granholm on a tour of one of GTC’s energy sustainability infrastructure sites at McGee Baptist Church in Berkeley. Granholm said she was interested in seeing firsthand and hearing directly from the GTC team about the community’s needs regarding energy efficiency that go beyond the funding GTC has received.
GTC was one of the recipients of the Clean Energy Coalition Prize, a national program that aims to develop partnerships with community-based organizations addressing energy and sustainability challenges.
The prize’s goal is to incentivize the creation of community coalitions — made up of nonprofits, city governments, school systems, and other community organizations — to develop strategies addressing inequities and leverage local clean energy opportunities. The Office of State and Community Energy Programs at the Department of Energy facilitates funding for these initiatives, which partners with state, local, and tribal governments and community organizations. The office manages $16 billion in formula grants, competitive grants, consumer rebate grants and technical assistance.
There is a need for churches and other houses of worship to become organized to take full advantage of these federal programs, say Department of Energy officials. Green The Church is leading that effort on a national level. Faith communities are morally obligated to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage climate justice toward marginalized communities. This process takes education, collaboration and engagement.
GTC’s Climate Revival, Justice Symposium and Voter Registration Rally on July 20, 2024, will address all of these issues and provide resources on how the faith community can further steward their resources through an energy sustainability lens.
During Secretary Granholm’s visit, she stated, “I want to partner with Green The Church to advise on additional resources that may be available for this community and those nearby.”
For more information visit www.greenthechurch.org
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 25 – July 1, 2025

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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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Activism
Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces
It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans
Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.
It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.
At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.
Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.
Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.
Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.
This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.
Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.
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