Contra Costa Pulse Summer 2025

Experts Discuss Potential Rise of Authoritarianism, Demise of Democracy in the U.S. See Pg. 7

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Summer 2025

ICE Arrests at Concord Courthouse Spark Protests and Canceled Hearings

DENIS PEREZ-BRAVO

Luis Arturo Medina Garcia, standing outside the Concord immigration court on Jan. 10, displays the scars left behind after he was shot by Mexican drug cartel members. An asylum seeker, he had driven from Washington state for a hearing that was canceled when the courthouse closed in response to protests.

BY DENIS PEREZ-BRAVO

I

mmigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested four asylum seekers at a Concord courthouse on June 10, prompting protests and a shutdown of court proceedings — a move advocates say threatens due process and discourages court participation.

The arrests at the Concord immigration courthouse prompted hundreds of demonstrators to gather outside, shutting down the building and forcing the cancellation of scheduled hearings, including one for Luis Arturo Medina Garcia, an asylum seeker who had waited more than a year for his master calendar hearing.

Sergio Lopez, defense coordinator for the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance, said agents began arresting people inside courthouse corridors last month — a departure from previous practices of following them to an alternate location.

Lopez said arrests did happen before "but outside, not in the actual courtroom" and called the shift "really terrible

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because [it violates] due process."

Garcia fled cartel violence after being shot three times by members of Los Caballeros Templarios, a.k.a. The Knights Templar cartel, at a family party in Apatzingan, Michoacán, Mexico.

"One person was targeted, but they shot everywhere," Garcia said, lifting his shirt to reveal scars from gunshot wounds.

"My organs were ripped apart, and I was left for dead."

Garcia legally entered the United States two years ago seeking asylum.

With his hearing cancelled, he faced a 16-hour drive back to Seattle, where he now lives, though his immigration case remains tied to the Bay Area court.

He said he feels "disappointed" by how ICE operations have disrupted his efforts to build a new life.

Sean Lai McMahon, senior attorney at the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, said the arrests represent "a big show of force" that could deter other immigrants from attending required court hearings.

"If people take it the wrong way, then you end up with 100 people out there with deportation orders for non-

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appearance," McMahon said.

The Concord immigration court began hearing deportation cases in 2024, serving 11 counties including Contra Costa, Solano, Fresno and parts of Alameda. With no guaranteed right to legal representation, many defendants navigate the complex system without attorneys.

The local advocacy groups CCIJ and CCIRA created the Legal Empowerment Initiative to provide volunteer attorneys and resources for unrepresented immigrants.

Despite the intimidation tactics, McMahon said his organization maintains daily volunteers at the courthouse.

"We don't know if ICE will be here next week or next month, but we know that we are here," he said. "And so if they show up, we're here already. Ready to help people."

Video captured by KPIX Bay Area showed federal agents scuffling with protesters outside the building. Protesters blocked an unmarked ICE vehicle and followed agents trying to re-enter the building before the courthouse closed

In Pictures: Richmond Marks 11th Annual Pride Celebration with Theme of Love and Resistance See Pg. 4

around 1 p.m.

ICE agents also arrested multiple individuals the same day outside San Francisco’s federal immigration court at 100 Montgomery St., sparking major protests, according to reports by El Tecolote.

Plainclothes agents detained at least two people and placed them into unmarked vans.

Hundreds of protesters gathered, blocking ICE vehicles and chanting in support of immigrants. In response to safety concerns, immigration court judges suspended afternoon hearings, according to the article.

The arrests in San Francisco and Concord are part of a broader nationwide surge in immigration enforcement at courthouses under the Trump administration, which itself has followed orders from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to make at least 3,000 immigration arrests per day. The Associated Press reports this has forced many to decide “whether to show up and possibly be detained and deported, or skip their hearings and forfeit their bids See ICE, pg. 6

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Summer 2025

Bay Area Teams Step Up to Strike Out Hate

BY JOE PORRELLO

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he San Francisco Giants and Oakland Roots are teaming up with the California Civil Rights Department’s CA vs Hate initiative to help curb hate and discrimination across the state.

The partnership, announced May 13, marks the first time the state’s anti-hate initiative has formally collaborated with professional sports teams.

Launched in May 2023, ​​CA vs Hate is the state’s first multilingual hotline and online portal offering safe and anonymous options for reporting hate incidents and connecting victims to resources.

By joining forces with the Giants and Roots, CA vs Hate aims to reach new audiences and promote unity among diverse communities through sports.

“Sports have the power to unite people across all backgrounds,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish in a May 13 press release. “By teaming up with the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Roots, we are underscoring our commitment to building a more inclusive California where everyone can feel safe and thrive.

Engaging fans in conversations about what we can all do to combat hate allows us to make our communities stronger, safer, and more welcoming for all.”

Stadiums will showcase graphics and information about the anti-hate initiative, along with resource tables that include photo booths as well as games with prizes before and during games. Fans are provided with help on how to report hate acts, support victims and curb bigotry in their community and raise awareness.

CA vs Hate will be present at specific matchups on special themed nights that celebrate different cultures and groups.

The Oakland Roots will host CA vs Hate on: June 28 for African Roots Night Aug. 30 for Back to School Night Sept. 7 for Pride Night Sept. 20 for Conoce Tus Raíces, part of Hispanic Heritage Month “Oakland Roots believe in the power of sport as a force for social good,” said Nelda Kerr, director of community engagement for the Roots, in the release. “We are proud to partner with California vs Hate because we all need to work together to combat hate in our community. We hope our matches can be a space to promote unity and dialogue with our fans and increase awareness of the CA vs Hate hotline as a powerful resource.”

The Giants will include the campaign at six games through Sept. 23, including nights recognizing Black, Native American, Filipino and Jewish heritage, as well as: Sept. 14 for Fiesta Gigantes, honoring Hispanic culture “Baseball has long been a unifying force in our country, and we are excited to leverage a number of our heritage nights as an opportunity to spread awareness and ensure that all fans feel safe and welcome at Oracle Park and beyond,” said Tess Oliphant, director of community relations for the Giants, in the release.

The Giants have additional special

events this season including Autism Acceptance Night and Law Enforcement Appreciation Night, but their connection to the LGBTQ+ community goes back furthest.

Years before any MLB team hosted a Pride Night, the Giants — in a sort of precursor — introduced Until There’s a Cure Day to bring attention to the fight against AIDS. Over 30 years later, the game is still taking place — this season on July 31.

According to Beyond Sport, the Los Angeles Dodgers held “Gay Night” in 2000 shortly after a pair of security guards ejected two female fans for kissing each other in the Dodger Stadium stands during a game. Though, according to the New York Times, the Chicago Cubs are credited with hosting the first official Pride Night — originally “Gay Day” and now “Out at Wrigley” — one year later.

The Texas Rangers are the only MLB team yet to hold an LGBTQ+ event, according to NBC News, while the Giants became the first MLB team to wear Pride colors on their uniforms in 2021, according to CNN. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NOHATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time. Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline. For individuals who are in imminent danger, please call 911. For more information on California vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate. org. •

Antioch Advances Homekey+ Application for Supportive Housing

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

I

n an effort to support the city’s unhoused population, Antioch council members on May 22 approved the submission of a Homekey+ application for a permanent housing project that could cost up to $18.75 million over the next 15 years.

The city would pay up to $1.2 million annually for the project for at least five years, in addition to a $750,000 operating subsidy, all while it looks to address a multiyear deficit.

“This is probably the worst time to come forward to the city,” City Council member Don Freitas said during the special meeting. “We are compounding that problem by moving forward, but if we don’t do something, the problem (here) is going to get greater and greater, and the demand is going to get louder and louder.”

The Homekey+ program is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. If it approves Antioch’s application, California Supportive Housing, a nonprofit that has helped build other affordable housing in the Bay Area, would turn a current Comfort Inn on Mahogany Way into a permanent housing site with up to 85 units for homeless families and individuals who have experienced behavioral health issues. The project can be extended twice, each for a period of five years.

Mayor Ron Bernal was the only vote against the application because of, he

said, the increased financial burden the city would face without any “good alternative to trim it down.”

“This is adding a lot of cost,” he said.

“It is not a one- or two-year commitment we are making. It’s really an $18 million commitment, plus the $750,000, so it’s really a $19 million commitment.”

Advocates — namely, Andrew Becker, who co-presented the application — have for years called on the city to pursue Homekey project funding, which helps agencies expand housing for those atrisk of or experiencing homelessness.

Homekey+ is an expansion of the project that specifically serves veterans and those with behavioral health issues.

Antioch is home to Contra Costa County’s largest unhoused population, according to Point-In-Time data from 2024. Of the respondents to last year’s survey, 61% reported having at least one household member with a mental health condition.

Council members have OK’d more funding for county services and a citydedicated Coordinated Outreach Referral Engagement team and convened two bodies to tackle homelessness over the last year in response to the increased need for shelter and services. Council members also extended the lease for Opportunity Village, a transitional housing site, at a former hotel at the beginning of the month for another 18 months.

Some previous solutions brought forward by the last council majority were “temporary fixes,” said resident Melissa

Case, who also said the city needed “transformative change.”

Approving the project “is not just a compassionate thing to do; it’s also strategic to the vitality of Antioch,” said Case, who rejected the perception by some that the city cannot attract business or features because it doesn’t “have the right demographics.”

Case is, in part, referring to the decision by the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority to close the Pittsburg-Antioch Amtrak station due to blight and safety concerns with residents in the area who are homeless.

Council member Tamisha TorresWalker said she understood the financial impact the project would have but said the cost of sweeping homeless encampments was even higher.

The city has “a contractor go out to the encampments with APD (police), Public Works, the CORE team, all showing up on the scene at the same time,” she said.

“You spend more money that way trying to address the issue, rather than in the future spending less on a permanent solution.”

Months before Freitas, Bernal and Louie Rocha were elected to City Council, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling in June 2024 that allowed cities to ban people from sleeping in public places even if no other shelter is available. Gov. Gavin Newsom soon after directed state agencies to clear homeless encampments or risk losing state funding.

Then-Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe called for a stricter camping ordinance to See Antioch, pg. 6

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Pittsburg Police Union Calls on City to Support Officers

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

P

ittsburg police officers say they are struggling — with poor officer retention, some of the lowest pay in the county, almost a dozen vacancies — and the Pittsburg Police Officers Association wants the city to do more.

The union, which represents police officers, sergeants and corporals in the Pittsburg Police Department, at the May 19 City Council meeting, called on the city to increase pay and support for officers in an effort to boost officer retention.

Nearly two dozen officers have left the Pittsburg Police Department in the last 10 years for higher-paying agencies.

Many have left for departments in Antioch, El Cerrito, Oakley, Concord, Martinez, San Ramon and Richmond.

Others have gone to various local and federal agencies.

“They (officers) are not just going anywhere. These are allied agencies that officers are lateraling to. They are seeing more value in them for monetary and (other) benefits to their family,” said Jonathan Elmore, PPOA member and detective in the department.“I can’t blame them when they look at what we have to offer.”

Of the 11 law enforcement agencies within Contra Costa that Elmore provided data for, Pittsburg provided the lowest compensation for officers with five years of experience at $11,001 per month.

Elmore said low pay is largely the reason why officers say they leave the department and why the department is struggling to retain officers The city’s budget allows for 88 sworn positions, but 11 are vacant and four are on leave. Ten officers are in the pipeline to fill those vacancies, said POA president Jerry Sanchez, who is also an officer with the department, but that takes time.

“There’s a lot of hats that officers have to wear, and I don’t think the public understands a lot of it, but this is part of the training that we have to go into,” said Sanchez, who said 53 officers and sergeants are currently staffing the department. Of those, 34 are responding to daily calls.

The 10 officers set to fill some of the vacancies still have to undergo training before they can serve as solo officers, according to Elmore and Sanchez.

In total, it can take officers around 18 months from the start of their

Summer 2025

A Legacy of Service: Federal Glover, Contra Costa’s First Black Supervisor, Dies at 69

BY MICHAEL J. FITZGERALD

F Pittsburg Police Officers Association member Detective Jonathan Elmore, at lectern, addresses City Council with PPOA President and Police Officer Jerry Sanchez. (Screenshot captured

by Samantha Kennedy)

application before they’re finished with training.

And when officers decide to leave shortly after completing training, POA leaders say that leaves the department with around $201,334 in costs dedicated to that officer’s hiring process.

The department saw an increase in officers between 2016 and 2018, before having some of the lowest officer staffing levels in 2024 in over 10 years, according to data provided by the POA. As officer staffing has trended down, the city has also seen a decrease in crime since 2023. Nearly every category in property and violent crimes declined in 2024. The department said in February that violent crime had been declining since 2022.

Wolfgang Croskey, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, said the recent decline in crime doesn’t necessarily mean crime is actually down. Instead, he said residents have “given up on reporting” crimes to the police.

“Because they feel nothing is going to happen, so why report?” said Croskey.

“So the data shows crime is down, but I don’t personally think it is, and a lot of our businesses know that it’s not.”

At an October 2024 meeting, the department said calls for service had declined by about 3% compared to 2023.

The report came about a month before former council member and thencandidate for the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors Shanelle Scales-Preston was the target of claims that she was responsible for the alleged increase in

crime in the city.

Then-Mayor Juan Banales and -Vice Mayor Jelani Killings pushed back against the claims that crime had climbed. The claims were sponsored by a website from the Contra Costa County Deputy Sheriff ’s Association, which endorsed Scales-Preston’s opponent, Antioch City Council member Mike Barbanica.

Elmore and Sanchez, both of whom have roots in the city, acknowledged that crime in Pittsburg is not what it historically has been.

“I knew what it once was. It wasn’t what it is now. It used to be a very dangerous city in [the] ’80s, ’90s and the early 2000s,” said Sanchez.

But both said that was largely because of the work that officers had put in.

“The people that have made this police … that you now have is on the backs of the officers because it’s the backbone of any city to prosper and better serve its people,” said Sanchez.

The POA’s plea comes about a month after a report from the Contra Costa County Civil Grand Jury found that the Richmond Police Department had seen a “significant drop” in the force since officials reallocated $3 million from RPD to alternative policing strategies.

Pittsburg and Richmond are two of the several Bay Area cities struggling with police staffing, which many law enforcement agencies say is partly due to low compensation and public perception of police. •

ormer Contra Costa Supervisor Federal D. Glover died May 18 at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, four days after having been hospitalized. He was 69.

Glover was the county’s first Black supervisor and served six terms. He was born in Pittsburg at a community hospital, where an error on his birth certificate resulted in his unique first name as his sister-in-law Merl Craft told the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, on which Glover had served.

He graduated from Pittsburg High, where he was student body president and homecoming king, according to the county. He then earned a degree in business administration at San Francisco State University as the first of 12 children in his family to go to college.

He returned to his hometown to serve as mayor and on the City Council before his county election. He retired from the Board of Supervisors in 2024.

His successor, Shanelle Scales-Preston, is the first Black woman on the board.

In a statement following his death, Scales-Preston called him “a force for thoughtful leadership and quiet perseverance” who “embodied the best of what Pittsburg stands for: resilience, humility, and a commitment to lifting others as he climbed” and “worked not just to change policy, but to change lives.”

She spoke of growing up in Pittsburg knowing of “Federal Glover” as a household name before he became a mentor to her when she entered public service. “His guidance, patience, and belief in the power of local leadership helped shape who I am today.”

Before entering politics, he had a 22-year career at Dow Chemical and POSCO Steel.

As a supervisor, Glover, along with Supervisor John Gioia, helped lead the creation of the county Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, which he told the Pulse in 2024 he considered one of their most successful achievements together. The Mercury News said that “he spearheaded initiatives to improve education and community wellness,” citing a Gang Task Force, AIDS/HIV Task Force and Industrial Training Institute as examples.

“We are deeply saddened to learn today of the passing of former Supervisor Federal Glover, who served our community with distinction and dedication during his time on the Board of Supervisors,” the county board said in a prepared statement. “Federal’s leadership and tireless commitment to improving the lives of residents left a lasting legacy that continues to benefit our County today.”

Glover’s wife, Janis, described her late husband as a “devoted husband, father, grandfather, and public servant.

“For over two decades, he served the people of Contra Costa County with distinction, becoming the first African American elected to the Board of See Glover, pg. 6

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Summer 2025

Richmond Marks 11th Annual Pride Celebration with Theme of Love and Resistance

Richmond Rainbow Pride’s annual event June 1 at Civic Center Plaza was titled “Forged in Resistance, Shaped by Love,” which is meant to symbolize standing up for LGBTQ+ rights and identity at a time in which they are being threatened.

STORY AND PHOTOS • DENIS PEREZ-BRAVO

F

or more than a decade, Richmond has stood as a beacon of LGBTQ+ pride in the Bay Area. On June 1, that commitment was on full display as hundreds of residents gathered at Civic Center Plaza to celebrate the city’s 11th annual Richmond Rainbow Pride.

Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed DJ music, speakers, performers, vendors, food trucks, and community interaction at this year’s event, titled “Forged in Resistance, Shaped by Love.”

The theme reflects the current political climate, in which LGBTQ+ rights face renewed challenges nationwide, making local celebrations of identity vital to self-expression.

Among the many vendors was Joceline Suhaimi, a 27-year-old roller derby skater who rolled around the plaza handing out leaflets with information for the Bay Area Derby 2025 season.

“We’re primarily a queer- and woman-led sports organization,” Suhaimi said. “It is important for sports like roller derby, that are explicitly trans athlete-friendly, to be really visible.”

Suhaimi’s team, the Oakland Outlaws, plays its home games at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium, where it will host the San Francisco Rolling Dead at 6 p.m. June 28 for the Bay Area Derby Pride Game. (Some tickets are

on sale now at tinyurl.com/BADpridegame2025.)

Angelica Rendon, a 20-year-old Richmond resident, said Richmond’s pride event is important during these “trying times.”

“I think more than ever, we deserve community,” Rendon said. “Joy is resistance.”

Rendon helped work a table for the RYSE Center alongside friend and fellow Richmond resident Jude Guzman, who echoed the sentiment about selfexpression and community.

“This event is important to me because it’s a celebration to really express your inner self and not let that wither away,” Guzman said.

For Guzman, the festivities began earlier in the day at Nicholl Park, where he joined others in a pride parade to Civic Center Plaza. Along the way, participants showed off special outfits. The night before, as he prepared his outfit, his anticipation heightened.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I wanted to do an outfit that I am not used to doing.”

The city of Richmond, Richmond Community Fund, and Republic Services sponsored this year’s event. Many different LGBTQ-friendly organizations and businesses also participated, including East Bay Regional Parks District, East Bay FrontRunners, Yes! Neighborhoods to Nature, ShopTheBFF, House Rabbit Society, Moving Forward, East Brother Beer Co., Pickles N’ Smoke,

Urban Tilth, Contra Costa College, and Richmond Art Center.

The robust community support is a stark contrast to the challenges that sparked Richmond’s first pride event.

Speaking at the event, Richmond City Council member Cesar Zepeda recalled the homophobia that prompted the community to act.

“We came together after a dark cloud of homophobia was hitting Richmond back in 2014,” Zepeda said.

He referred to the verbal attacks and harassment directed at Jovanka Beckles, the first openly gay person elected to the Richmond City Council. The targeted hostility Beckles faced galvanized the community, transforming anger and hurt into organized action and ultimately leading to the inaugural Richmond Pride event that same year.

Nearly a decade later, Zepeda, the council’s first openly gay male member, acknowledged that the “dark cloud” of homophobia and transphobia remains rampant across the nation, but Richmond’s response has been to double down on its commitment to inclusion.

To show solidarity with the LGBTQ community, he said this year he hopes to have a pride flag put up on every city-owned flagpole.

“Every place that we have a pole, we’re going to put a pride flag on it, because we want to make sure that we bring hope and pride to every corner of our city.” •

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Summer 2025

Joceline Suhaimi, center, is known as Dumpling Truck when she’s skating in a roller derby, a sport she calls “explicitly trans athlete-friendly.” Her team, the Oakland Outlaws, plays at Richmond Memorial Auditorium.

A couple gazes at each other lovingly during Richmond City Council member Cesar Zepeda’s speech at the June 1 pride celebration.

A group of youth attending the 11th annual Richmond Rainbow Pride event huddle together during the celebrations.

Jude Guzman flashes the peace sign to passersby as he and friend Angelica Rendon, center, help work the RYSE booth at the Richmond pride celebration.

Dee Thompson stacks produce at the Urban Tilth food stand at the Richmond Rainbow Pride event at Civic Center Plaza on June 1.

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Summer 2025

Farmworker Advocacy and Legacy Take Center Stage at Pittsburg Celebration

BY FINN ATKIN

A

s a high school student and farmworker in the 1970s, Paul Ramirez saw his fellow workers standing up to their foreman because they weren’t being paid what they had been promised. Other times, the growers would call immigration services once the job was done instead of paying their workers. These experiences ultimately led Ramirez to become an investigator for the U.S Department of Labor, focusing on the Farmworker Protection Act. He took part in a celebration March 29 in Pittsburg honoring farmworkers and the legacies of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Following a rally at City Hall, participants marched to the Dolores Huerta Community Center.

Ramirez told the Pulse he and his nine siblings all started working in the fields to help the family out.

“It was 10 kids in the family — we all stepped up because the cost for school clothes was [a lot],” he said.

“We picked cucumbers, onions, cherries, apricots, peaches and prunes out there.”

He recalled seeing farmworkers and a foreman arguing. When the laborers had gone to collect their paychecks, they were lower than expected. They were supposed to be paid according to how much produce they picked, so, Ramirez said, it was common for those in charge to undercount the items to pay them less than they had earned.

When they had complaints about what the foreman was doing, the workers would also go to Ramirez’s parents because they were both bilingual.“My mom was my teacher,” he said. “She taught me everything about organizing and activism. I learned everything from her.”

Her lessons stuck with him.

“I’ve always been an activist for farmworkers, that’s my

(

FINN ATKIN

People marched in Pittsburg on March 29 to honor farmworkers and Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and their legacies.

roots,” Ramirez said.

During his time with Department of Labor, Ramirez, now retired, said he witnessed many human rights violations, including violations of child labor laws, a problem he said continues today, referencing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent efforts to weaken such laws to make it easier to put children to work, particularly in the fields.

With his state losing many workers to deportation, DeSantis has said teens and college students should step in and take those jobs. He backed a bill earlier this year that would have allowed longer working hours without breaks for underage workers. But the bill was withdrawn from consideration in the Florida state Senate on May 3.

Ramirez’s last case as a Labor investigator, six years ago in Brentwood, resulted in “$143,000 for about 56 farmworkers who had been cheated. They were taking their money,” he said.

Fernando Sandoval, another former farmworker, told the Pulse the March 29 event brought back memories of his time in the fields, picking berries after waking up at 4 a.m. each morning.

“It’s a great event because it pays tribute to the spirit of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta and what they were about: helping people, helping kids, helping families,” he said.

Glover...

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Supervisors,” his wife said in a statement.

“His legacy is one of unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and service. He believed deeply in the power of community, and worked tirelessly to uplift and unite the people he was honored to represent.”

Janis Glover also said her late husband believed deeply in the power of community. “He worked tirelessly to uplift and unite the people he was honored to represent. As a family, we are heartbroken by this loss.”

Youth The GloversVoices, were married for 47 years.

“I grieve alongside our children, Tederal Glover and Carissa Dorton, our grandchildren, and the extended Glover family,” she said.

Glover’s cause of death has not been released, but he had faced significant health problems in the past. In 2015, he received a heart and kidney transplant.

He wrote in 2020, “having suffered complete renal and cardiac failure, I was given a rebirth.” •

to remain in the country.” Because as it is now, showing up for a routine hearing and having their case dismissed — previously considered a positive outcome for immigrants — can result in them being put up for expedited removal. •

Community Media

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Antioch...

Continued from page 2

safeguard $6 million in state funding the city had applied for. The ordinance itself didn’t change, but Antioch later received the grant and used a portion of it to pay for the city-dedicated CORE team.

Advocates said homeless encampment sweeps are still harming unhoused residents and hoped the project would in some way stop them.

Bernal said that wouldn’t be the case.

“There will still be a need to move folks who are not in places that are acceptable to the city,” he said.

Newsom built on last year’s call to clear encampments this month after revealing a statewide model that local agencies could use to address encampments. The plan was accompanied by $3.3 billion in funds to expand housing and treatment for those who are homeless. •

The event’s flyer said it was “honoring the true essential workers.” Back in 2020, farmworkers were designated essential workers during the pandemic.

“So ICE was not allowed to go in and take farmworkers out of the farms because they’re considered essential workers — and they’re still essential,” Sandoval said. “They put all the food on our table continually.”

Sandoval also gave a speech at the event, in which he urged the community to come together to fight President Trump’s push for mass deportation and the dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion policies in schools.

“We shouldn’t be afraid,” he said. “We’ve got to be proud to go forward and disrupt the bad things that are happening.”

Sarita Davalos of Diablo Valley College marched alongside other students, holding banners honoring Chavez and Huerta and calling for unity. She was also among the students who addressed the crowd.

“I think with how things are looking right now, it’s important for us to be in a community, supporting each other,” said Davalos, also a United Latino Voices intern.

“Education is the power that we all can have. It is the power that we can give the young children right now to educate our youth is what no one can take away from them and what can bring us closer together.” •

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Summer 2025

Experts Discuss Potential Rise of Authoritarianism, Demise of Democracy in the U.S.

BY MALCOLM MARSHALL

A

as President Donald Trump asserts his powers are absolute, concerns are mounting that the United States is heading toward authoritarianism — and the end of democracy, as we know it.

That possibility was the focus of a recent news briefing hosted by America Community Media (formerly Ethnic Media Services) in which a panel of experts explored signs of democratic backsliding in the U.S. The panel featured Lucan Ahmad Way, a distinguished professor of democracy at the University of Toronto; Aziz Z. Huq, a professor of law at the University of Chicago; and Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Way, who focuses on global patterns of democracy and dictatorship, said that before Trump was inaugurated, he anticipated a gradual erosion of democratic norms akin to what has occurred in Hungary and Poland — an erosion he expected to be a “slow and legalistic” process.

But what has transpired is much more dramatic and rapid.

“This is really much more rapid effort at imposing authoritarianism than we’ve seen in places like Hungary, Turkey, India, any of those places, actually,” said Way. “Also, the sort of open disregard for the courts and court rulings and legality, that was quite surprising.”

Huq noted a pattern of defiance toward the judiciary — particularly around immigration and government spending. “In the first few months, we’ve seen both partial non-compliance with court orders and a broad ranging both rhetorical and legal attack on the court system,” Huq said.

“In response to pressure from the courts, we’ve seen not just rhetorical attacks from the White House, from its congressional allies but also attacks from private parties associated with the president’s political movement that have picked out certain judges and certain members of those judges’ families for public contempt and threats of perhaps something worse.”

“It’s important to see the pattern of non-compliance in the context of a broader campaign to discourage or scare federal judges into not issuing orders adverse to the administration,” Huq said.

Browne-Marshall argued that the United States has long experienced constitutional crises —particularly in its treatment of African Americans and other

The Trump administration’s open defiance of court orders is one sign of the nation’s move away from democratic norms. (“Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 license)

marginalized communities.

“When we think about the abuses of power, we understand that we had grown used to these methods of undermining citizenship and constitutional protections when it came to people of African descent and other communities, that it had been politically or economically marginalized,” she said. “But it was always assumed in this country that it would have a limit there.”

Instead, she said, the nation grew numb to the cries of those people and in many ways, very dismissive. “So now we see that the practice of constitutional crisis that was applied there is now spreading being expanded to other groups.”

Her warning comes as public concern continues to grow. Recent Bright Line Watch surveys of more than 500 political scientists and 2,000 members of the general public found the vast majority of people believe the United States is quickly moving away from a liberal democracy toward some form of authoritarianism.

Browne-Marshall pointed to recent events on college campuses and federal crackdowns as signs of authoritarianism such as the Tufts’ student taken away in handcuffs by people wearing masks. The student, Rumeysa Ozturk of Turkey, was released from immigration custody on bail following a judge’s order May 9 — six weeks after the masked ICE agents took her.

When something like that happens, Browne-Marshall said there can be a tendency to think, ‘but that’s just the immigrant student,’ ” and “it’s always the assumption that the person who is being undermined as far as their constitutional rights has done something to deserve it.”

The erosion of rights doesn’t stop there, she continued.

It can end up affecting foreign students, citizens and, eventually, students, in general.

And, she added, we can’t be sure if the students are citizens or not in the first place.

Many Americans are only now recognizing the danger that others have long experienced, she said. “Those who voted for Trump are saying, well, we’re used to those people. Maybe the sexual orientation group, the Black group, the Latino group, the immigrant group. But as we watch the expansion of the abuse of power, it’s frightening that we were, indeed, as I said in 2023 the canary in the mine.”

Way also discussed competitive authoritarianism and how the nature of authoritarian regimes has changed in the past 50 years. “[We] used to sort of see kind of military coups, you know, Chile in 1973, but today, 63% of dictators are elected today,” he said. “So it’s really different type of dictatorship, and this is what we call competitive authoritarianism.”

“These are cases like Hungary, Turkey, India, where you do have regular elections, right? And there’s opposition that’s allowed to campaign openly and sometimes even win elections so … the sort of normal person on the street [can] think, well, this is a democracy.”

Way said these regimes employ less obvious forms of control. “What goes on is a whole series of more subtle types of — often legal or semi-legal — abuse.” That could include defamation suits or online harassment, for example.

These methods increase the costs of opposition, he said.

“And create what we have today in the United States, which is, unambiguously competitive authoritarianism,” he said.

“And you know, democracy is very much over.” •

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Summer 2025

Hercules Cultural Festival Highlights City’s Diversity With Eats and Entertainment

Members of the Ta’ere Tia’I Dance Group, which performs in Polynesian, Tahitian and hula styles, were among the entertainment at the 2025 Hercules Cultural Festival on June 1 at Refugio Valley Park.

PHOTO ESSAY • JOE PORRELLO

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he 2025 Hercules Cultural Festival drew 7,000 people to Refugio Valley Park on the afternoon of June 1 for seven hours of food, performances, booth browsing and family-friendly activities.

Hosted by the Bay Front Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the city of Hercules, the free event was sponsored by Phillips 66, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Blood Center, East Bay Municipal Utility District, and MCE Electric.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do it,” said BFCC director Sylvia Villa-Serrano. “All five of them are not only supporting this event, but the majority of others happening in the community.”

She also praised the individuals lending a free hand.

“It takes a lot of volunteers, from checking the vendors in to cleaning up the garbage and everything in between,” said Villa-Serrano.

Villa-Serrano, along with BFCC treasurer Aimee Henry, Crockett Chamber of Commerce treasurer Leticia Holbert, and Contra Costa County administrative services officer Joanne Sanchez, was a head organizer of the festival.

Parking spots were full for a mile in every direction from the park and a free shuttle from the Hercules Transit center was provided, as attendees poured in all day on a breezy and sunny, 70-degree afternoon.

Tents and blankets quickly covered the grass as people soaked in time with family and friends, and children played on any structure they could find.

The festival was free and offered freebies, leaving attendees some cash to take a little something extra home from the booths featuring over 50 local artisans, nonprofits and businesses selling a wide variety of items

and services including organic dog treats and chair massages.

“There’s a lot more vendors out here than last year,” said 30-year-old Stephon Aguilara, who was with the same cousins and nephews he came to the festival with in 2024. “It’s a great opportunity to bring people together and support small businesses.”

He says, after growing up in Daly City and living in San Mateo, part of the reason he chose to move to Hercules in 2023 was because of the city’s cultural melting pot nature.

Villa-Serrano said the festival highlights just that.

“It’s really just an opportunity to bring people into Hercules and see the diversity of the community,” she said.

Partially driving the city’s diversity is its significant population from outside the U.S. — 34.8% of people living in Hercules from 2019 to 2023 were foreignborn, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

That diversity was on display in the form of about 20 food trucks serving Korean corn dogs, the Filipino staple lumpia, and more. Some trucks had lines around 10 people long for nearly the entire seven hours of the festival.

Further illustrating the city’s mixed culture was more than 10 groups performing martial arts, songs, music, and dances such as folklórico and hip-hop styles.

One of those performing was 11-year-old Isis Mikayle Castillo, who sang multiple songs including “Best Part”

by H.E.R. “It was really exciting and fun just being with family,” she said.

Though it wasn’t her biggest crowd; Castillo has performed the national anthem for the Athletics in Oakland, the San Francisco Giants, the Golden State

Performers with the Ta’ere Tia’I Dance Group ranged in age from young children to adults.

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Warriors and Valkyries, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was, however, expected to be the biggest crowd the festival has seen over the last three years, according to Villa-Serrano.

The festival took place for 25 years before going on a 10-year hiatus due to a lack of financing, then returned in 2023.

“It’s a very deeply rooted community event in Hercules… it’s one of the longest-standing events we’ve had here,” said master of ceremonies Sidney Yee Siu. “It’s super amazing that they were able to bring it back — I think a lot of people in the community missed it.”

Crowned as Miss Chinatown U.S.A. 2025 earlier this year in San Francisco, the 25-year-old Yee Siu got accustomed to being on stage as a child two decades ago at the same park and event. Raised in Hercules, she says she’s proud to represent her city as the pageant winner.

“Hercules is made up of mostly Asian people, so to come here and be recognized in that way is really special,” said Yee Siu. (The Hercules population is 43.9% Asian, far outpacing any other race — next is Black at 18.7%, according to U.S. census data as of July 1, 2024.)

Her parents hosted a booth at the festival to share information about their business, Yee’s Martial Arts Academy, which they opened in Richmond in 1962 before moving it and their family to Hercules 30 years ago.

Since then, Yee Siu says she has seen her community become bigger and better — most noticeably recently.

“Hercules is just in the middle of developing over the last few years; before it wasn’t really known, and now I feel like it’s on the come up,” she said. “It’s really cool seeing people from other cities coming to visit us and having a chance to showcase how great Hercules really is.” •

Isis Mikayle Castillo, 11, has sung not only at this year's Hercules Cultural Festival but also at Giants, A’s, Warriors, Valkyries and Lakers games.

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Summer 2025

These drummers set the rhythm and gave their fellow members of the Benicia-based Ta’ere Tia’I Dance Group a beat to move to.

The 2025 Hercules Cultural Festival drew an estimated 7,000 people to Refugio Valley Park on June 1, with many streaming in throughout the day.

Stephon Aguilar, center, attend the Hercules Cultural Festival with the same relatives this year and last year after moving to the city in 2023, in part, because of its diversity.

Sidney Yee Siu this year has been the master of ceremonies at the Hercules Cultural Festival and crowned Miss Chinatown USA.

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Summer 2025

Protesters Rally in Hercules for ‘No Kings Day’ Demonstration

BY DENIS PEREZ-BRAVO

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rotesters gathered at a busy Hercules intersection on June 14 to voice opposition to President Donald Trump as part of a nationwide demonstration known as “No Kings Day.” More than 2,000 protests were held across the U.S., according to CNN. They were intentionally scheduled on the same day as a military parade in Washington, D.C., that itself coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday and Flag Day and celebrated the Army’s 250th anniversary.

Protests were held around the world — called “No Tyrants” in some countries — and in all 50 states, in both big cities like Los Angeles and Dallas and smaller towns like Hercules.

The local protest, organized by Indivisible North East Bay, drew residents from Pinole, Hercules, Crockett and Rodeo to the corner of Sycamore and San Pablo avenues.

There, they displayed signs and waved flags at passing motorists, officially launching the Indivisible group’s bimonthly protest series.

“If we just keep physically being out here, communicating face to face with each other,” said Amy Shaw, 71, of Rodeo, “I am convinced that our country won’t take this lying down.”

Shaw stood in front of the Safeway supermarket, waving an American flag, cheering when cars honked and smiling at passengers looking her way.

“I’m protecting — well, I feel like I’m protecting — our democracy,” she said.

A Vietnam War protester in her younger days, Shaw said she witnessed how smaller protests combined to create a powerful movement that made a difference.

“I lived through it, so I know it can work,” Shaw said.

According to organizer Julie H., 64, of Pinole, Indivisible North East Bay formed after an impromptu protest April 4 at the same intersection. Julie asked that

Chevron Richmond Reaches Agreement With Air Regulators on Hazardous Gas Monitoring

BY THOMAS HUGHES | BAY CITY NEWS

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he Bay Area Air District reached an agreement with Chevron on a new air pollution monitoring system at its Richmond refinery that will bring enhanced monitoring for hydrogen sulfide, a smelly and potentially dangerous gas previously not properly monitored according to the Air District’s standards.

Chevron is the first of the five oil refineries in the nine-county BAAD to reach an agreement with the Air District after all the refineries’ fenceline monitoring programs were deemed insufficient and were “disapproved” in October 2023.

The agreement announced by the Air District on June 10 will implement a new, more robust monitoring system for hydrogen sulfide, increased data sharing, and more community outreach from the company.

People gathered in Hercules and other towns big and small in all 50 states as part of “No Kings Day” on June 14 to protest President Trump. (Denis Perez-Bravo / The CC Pulse)

her last name not be used.

During that gathering, the group decided to join the national Indivisible organization and create a local chapter. “No Kings Day” marked their first official event.

The group plans to hold protests at the intersection on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon.

“We plan to build community and voice our discontent with what our government is doing and the honor of protecting democracy, protecting people, the environment, and the rule of law,” Julie said.

About 500 people participated in the June 14 action, which began 10 a.m. at Refugio Valley Park with speakers rallying the crowd. Around 11 a.m., working alongside local police, protesters moved to the intersection, where a steady stream of cars honked in support.

Shortly after noon, Indivisible organizers began dispersing the crowd from the intersection, asking participants to return to Refugio Valley Park for a picnic.

The family-friendly protest drew many attendees with their loved ones, including Anya Fleischer, 38, of Hercules, who came with her husband, daughter, mother and friends.

Fleischer, whose family emigrated from Russia in 1997, said her personal history shaped her motivation to protest.

“I was born in USSR, and I know what oppressive regimes look like for our families. My grandfather was born in a political prison because they spoke out against communism and Stalin and authoritarianism,” Fleischer said.

She said the United States is moving toward authoritarianism, citing the media, restrictions on basic human rights, and jailing people without due process, creating an inescapable feeling that erodes normalcy.

“The FIFA World Cup is coming up,” she said. “People are afraid to go because they think that they’re gonna be asked for papers, and it’s insane.”

Though speaking up might be inconvenient or scary, Fleischer said now is the right time to act.

“I think this protest is against that. It’s against people feeling like they can’t speak up and we wanna speak up for the community and the U.S.” Residents interested in joining the Indivisible North East Bay chapter or subscribing to their newsletter can email indivisible.northeastbay@gmail.com. •

Chevron also agreed to pay a penalty of $100,000 to the Air District and agreed to pay further penalties if it violates the settlement agreement, according to the Air District.

Hydrogen sulfide, or H2S, is a colorless, hazardous gas that is heavier than air and is a by-product of the refining process. It can smell like rotten eggs in low concentrations and is also referred to as sewer gas, swamp gas, stink damp, and sour damp, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Health effects can occur even at low levels and include tearing eyes, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Exposure to sulfur dioxide can cause loss of consciousness or death, according to OSHA. The Air District previously required refineries in the Bay Area to monitor the gas with an “open line” monitoring system, which uses a beam of light to measure the presence of hydrogen sulfide over a large area.

But in 2022 it told Chevron and others that their fenceline monitoring plans, which detect pollutants at the properties’ edge, or fenceline, were deficient and needed to be remade. When the companies submitted their new plans the following year, they were each deemed out of regulatory compliance.

Chevron’s deficiencies, and necessary corrections, centered around the number of data points that would be created by the monitoring technology, which are supposed to hit a certain threshold both hourly and quarterly. Other issues revolved around how the data was formatted and transmitted to regulators and retained for public review.

Under the settlement agreement, Chevron will install a network of four “point monitors” which will have a lower detection threshold for hydrogen sulfide. They

detect the gas at certain points rather than over large areas and are said to be more accurate than the open line system currently being used. They are also more reliable in bad weather conditions, such as dense fog, that hampered the open line monitors, according to the BAAD. “This settlement goes beyond what’s required, and it reflects the Air District’s commitment to transparency, enforcement and public health,” said the Air District’s executive officer, Philip Fine. “It raises the bar for transparency and community access to air quality data, setting a positive example for the industry.”

The website maintained by Chevron to report air quality data to the public, Richmondairmonitoring.org, will now maintain data for five years, rather than the current three months, and make the data downloadable.

A spokesperson for Chevron said the agreement would essentially enhance the monitoring the company was already doing at the refinery.

“We know data and transparency are important to our community and are proud to be the first refinery in the Bay Area to move forward with these improvements,” the company said in a statement.

Chevron will also hold a community meeting to discuss its monitoring program sometime before the end of the year, but it was not yet scheduled as of June 16.

Copyright © 2025 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved.

Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area. •

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Pittsburg Mother Daughter Duo Uplift Incarcerated Women Through Braiding Program INTERVIEW • DR. JOSEPH MARSHALL

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ittsburg mother and daughter duo Joanna and Tatiana Hernandez are the force behind the Freedom Braiders program, which teaches hairstyling to incarcerated women. In May, the program celebrated its first graduation ceremony inside Santa Rita Jail. The two spoke with host Dr. Joseph Marshall and the “Street Soldiers Radio” team June 1 on 106.1 KMEL radio about their experience.

Below is a transcribed portion of that radio program, edited lightly for clarity.

Dr. Joseph Marshall: We went to a graduation inside Santa Rita Jail of the Freedom Braiders project. I’ve been to a lot of graduations: college graduations, high school, kindergarten, elementary school — as a teacher, I went to one like 18 years in a row. This one was surreal. This is one I wish everybody could have been at. And it’s all due to the two women sitting next to me: Joanna and Tatiana Hernandez.

Talk about what the Freedom Braiders is first, and then tell everybody how you got the opportunity to go in there and do this marvelous program.

Joanna Hernandez: Freedom Braiders couldn’t have been done without the nine master braiders who work with us, these amazing women I get to call my sisters.

My family and I own a barbershop in Pittsburg called A1 Barbershop. My daughter and my husband and my son, we host these barber battles called the Bay Area Student Barber Expo. And I needed to find my place in this industry of hair. So we started to incorporate going into the jails and giving free haircuts to unhoused [people].

One day, one of the directors of the San Francisco Sheriff ’s Department was saying, “We need more services for women inside San Francisco.” I was talking to some colleagues and we were like, “Let’s just do a oneday workshop on how to braid hair or just to braid their hair.” It was supposed to be a one-day thing. Believe it or not, some of their stuff is still running under COVID protocols. So one workshop turned into 15 weeks.

We were not just braiding; we were doing some healing and talking about, what would we say to our 15-year-old self? So I put out a call out, “Hey, do I got some braiders who want to come into the jail with me?” These nine braiders volunteered their time. And then we couldn’t just say Joanna and some braiders. So we needed a name. All of it was about freedom. So Freedom Braiders was born in September of 2024.

During my time in San Francisco, I was invited by [Police] Chief [Bill] Scott to the Sojourn to the Past, and I went to the Deep South with 90 police officers.

I met the Santa Rita sheriff ’s office staff there. One of the braiders that came with me, she was formerly incarcerated in Santa Rita jail. She started, “Oh, my god, Joanna, the same police that supervised me when I was locked up is here. What do I say?” She was a youth offender. She got arrested at 16 years old and was sentenced to a life sentence. She was one of the first women to get out on a law change. She was so nervous.

She goes, “Do I just say I work for BACR [Bay Area Community Resources], or do I really say who I am?” I said, “You say who you are, girl.“ JM: What are the goals when you go in there? You got this time with the young women there — what’s the plan? What do you want to do?

Tatiana Hernandez: I think the goal is for them to feel like they’re being seen and loved and that there’s a village here for you guys. I think that’s the main goal, love, being seen and that you have a village and we’re going to teach you these skills that you’re going to carry on for the rest of your life.

JM: You’re teaching them how to braid, number one, which is a skill that they can use when they get out.

Joanna Hernandez: It’s not just about the braiding, though, at the beginning. First, we make sure you learn how to love you. That’s why the journaling is very powerful. The women had to write about their

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Host Dr. Joseph Marshall, from left, with guests Joanna Hernandez and Tatiana Hernandez on “Street Soldiers Radio” to talk about their Freedom Braiders program. (Ann Bassette/ The CC Pulse)

relationships with their mothers, their fathers. Write about what your obituary [would say]. What would they say about you? What would your story look like?

Everybody had to participate. They all had to come and read their obituary in front of the class. And there were times where we had to call mental health to come and intervene because some of the women couldn’t deal with it. And they even had to write letters to the children they left behind or the children that they never had.

After all that, then, we get up and we shake it off. OK, women, we cried, now let’s shake it off. Now let’s braid.

Let’s heal through braiding. And then I hand it over to the master braiders. Eight weeks. Three days a week.

relationship. Let’s write it down, let’s forgive, and let’s move on. Or you don’t even have to forgive, but just say what you want to say.

Three of the freedom braiders, they’re like, can we participate? I said, absolutely, and they started journaling, and they started crying, and then they started sharing. This is not just a healing for them [the incarcerated women], but it’s also a healing for the braiders and for me —I’m someone who’s been impacted by the system. It hits home and this is personal to me.

Breaking cycles to generational incarceration, breaking cycles to economically driven crimes — that is my personal goal and my devotion to my community.

JM: That’s 24 sessions. I still can’t get my head around all the braiders who are volunteering with you. And they come from all over the Bay Area, right?

Lady Estell: I know that when you go in, you have a curriculum; you have a plan. Was there ever a time that you had to either modify that plan or just put that plan on hold and implement another one on the spot because of where the ladies were?

Joanna Hernandez: They’re driving from Hayward, Oakland, Newark, Stockton, Pittsburg, Redwood City.

Three days a week, 12 to 4:30. Can’t be late.

JM: How did you and the braiders sit down and prep for the whole thing?

Joanna Hernandez: Prepping for the journal prompts was deep. We did 15 weeks, but that was [when] we didn’t really have a deep curriculum. Let’s go with the flow. But when we got to Santa Rita, I had to sit down and prepare the journal prompts ahead of time.

We started off with 27 women. For the first two weeks, it was drama. Deputies had to come in because they were like, I don’t like her; she don’t like me. And it was the first time ever.

Tatiana Hernandez: Also, that was the first time that jail did a mix.

Joanna Hernandez: Mixed classifications. You have people with some heavy-duty charges with someone with some petty theft. Mixed classification on charges and neighborhood. Some women excused themselves because they weren’t ready, and that was OK. Some did go home. Some went to prison.

We had a good group of monolingual Spanishspeaking women, so we had to teach the class both in English and Spanish. And we ended up with 16 amazing women braiders.

The final project was you had to learn how to braid a heart, a dollar sign or a zigzag in 30 minutes on one half of the head. So that’s what they practiced in eight weeks.

You had to master that.

They surpassed that. They did the whole head during graduation. That was part of the graduation ceremony.

Show what you learned. Go right now. Thirty minutes on the clock, ladies.

The nine braiders got to braid the [incarcerated] women. They would come in looking a hot mess and leave looking fly, back to the pods. That’s how the deputized staff got to see the work that the master braiders would do. That meant a lot for [the women] because some of them hadn’t felt that way in a long time.

They were like, “Can I please go to the bathroom’” and I go, “For what?” “I just want to go see what I look like.”

And you know the mirrors that they have there are like the foggy, ugly mirrors that you can hardly see. They would come back with that walk. Them coming back into the classroom after they saw what they saw in the mirror, you could feel the, “I love me, I look cute.”

It was one day, I think it was the one that we wrote a letter to our fathers, whether you had a good or bad

Joanna Hernandez: This one time they were all mean mugging each other. I said, “Oh, no, no. What’s going on here? We got attitudes today. Eyes are I don’t want to.”

And I was like, “OK, scratch this. Circle up, ladies. We’re going to talk about it.”

Healing happens in a circle, and so I would always make them circle up. We can’t touch each other, but let’s put our fists together. I want you to feel the love in each other, and we need to circle and talk about it.

JM: Where’d you learn these skills? First, you’ve got to be non-judgmental. Then, [to] go in there and then have all this come at you.

Tatiana Hernandez: I think she learned off her personal life and the way she grew up.

Joanna Hernandez: I told you that it’s personal for me.

I’m a mother of an incarcerated son. My son has been locked up for eight years. I’m that mother that is going to go in there and tell them what I [wish] someone would have told him.

JM: [The graduation] was very emotional. It was hard for me, seeing them have to, after that wonderful graduation, go back inside the walls. For you and the braiders, it must have really been tough because you’ve been with them for 24 sessions and you developed this relationship with them. How hard was that? And they actually let you hug them. What was that like?

Joanna Hernandez: It was therapeutic for all of us.

People say, Joanna, why do you do that with everything you got going on and you work in the criminal justice system? I said, well, that’s my prescription. That’s what keeps me alive and free. That’s why I have to continue to do this work.

Tatiana Hernandez: It’s hard for me all the time. Like my mom said, we have a personal connection to this, having a brother incarcerated. So hugging them felt like I was hugging my brother. I gave them the biggest hug, and I said, “I wish you luck on your journey.”

Joanna Hernandez: I whispered in everyone’s ear.

“This is for that woman, that mama.” I saw my son. I want them to see in me whoever that woman that they miss may be. I hope they felt it, and I hope that they know that we see them, and I know that people make mistakes.•

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Therapy Was Taboo in My Household.

Turns Out, It’s the Magic I Needed COMMENTARY • ARIONNA WHITE

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rowing up in an African American household, therapy wasn’t just discouraged — it was taboo. If the topic came up, the response was something like this: “You don’t go around sharing family business.”

“So you want to just air our dirty laundry like that to anybody?”

“Are you crazy? Cause if you need to talk to someone, you crazy.”

Even the word “therapy” was treated like voodoo. You just don’t do it. Don’t even say it. The very word was talked down until it stopped being talked about.

It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized without any changes in my life there will be consequences I may not be ready for. I lacked the skills to process all the pain I had accumulated over the years. My behavior did not reflect how I wanted to be seen as a person, and all I knew was what I’ve seen in life and what I’ve experienced.

Knowing that I lacked those basic fundamental tools needed to be the best version of myself made me seek out therapy. The process of therapy was hard. It was embarrassing and uncomfortable to tell someone I did not know well my secrets, to show them what I’ve buried about myself or my past. Not only having to say it out loud to someone but also to face the reality of every situation. At times, I felt like I wanted to give up, but I really wanted to be better not only for myself but my kids as well. I didn’t just want change. I wanted to heal and grow beyond the pain and unfortunate circumstances that occured in my life; I just didn’t know how.

"Growing up in an African American household, therapy wasn’t just discouraged — it was taboo,” writes the author (not pictured). But it helped her “heal and grow beyond the pain and unfortunate circumstances” in her life. (TopSphere Media on Unsplash)

How do you deal with PTSD from domestic violence, when everyone around you just says, “Move on,” but you can still smell, see and feel a person who isn’t there?

How do you deal with trauma — not just the trauma that’s at the forefront of your mind but the childhood trauma that’s stuck to you like oil you can’t scrub away?

How do you deal with abuse — not only with what may have been done to you but what you have done to yourself because of negative beliefs?

And one of the most important questions of all: How do I regulate my emotions, especially when they are at their highest?

That is when I figured out the importance of therapy.

It’s finding someone who is a neutral party in your life that you can be comfortable with and pouring out what you hide from the world. You can show them the raw version of yourself: your hurt, your disappointment, your anger, and they give you different tools to see what helps you and what doesn’t.

The toolbox that you and that therapist develop is full of activities, exercises, mantras, etc. to help whenever you are going through something. With it, you handle difficult situations better than before. You get the space and time to sit and tackle each topic you want and try to break down the situations and emotions involved. They help you seperate yourself from your pain and your old ways of thinking to process things in a healthier light and be able to heal and grow from that knowledge.

I learned to accept my past and others’ past mistakes because I cannot change the past or dictate things that are out of my control. I was taught how to assertively address conflicts, state what I need and what I am comfortable with in any setting. Without crashing out.

But my favorite tool of all has been establishing and maintaining boundaries that help me keep my peace.

I was taught therapy was voodoo, but truthfully? It’s exactly the kind of magic I needed. •

I Chose Community College, and I Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way COMMENTARY • GABBIE MUNOZ

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icking the college you want to attend is a big decision many students have to make while still in high school. Whether it’s weighing costs, leaving family, or where you’ll get the best degree, there is a lot to consider at a young age.

This always scared me in high school, and while it wasn’t the main reason I chose community college, the looming fear of making the wrong choice helped shape my decision to go to Los Medanos College. But I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience and the choice I made to attend a community college before transferring.

No, the main reason I wanted to attend a community college was because, like most students, I had to consider the costs. It’s not a surprise to anyone that college is costly and sends young adults into debt for decades.

However, with the California College Promise Program, I’ve been able to get through my first two years of community college at nearly no cost and have been able to save up money for when I transfer to a university. It’s made my life easier and lifted a weight off my shoulders as now I don’t have to worry about being in four years of debt.

While avoiding the debt, I’ve also gained valuable knowledge and skills for my degree, and I am extremely grateful to have that experience.

"Being at LMC opened my eyes to so many possibilities and opportunities and so much creativity that I would have never experienced without it," writes the author (not pictured), a student at Los Medanos College. (Javier Trueba on Unsplash)

Joining the campus newspaper at LMC and studying journalism have taught me many lessons and given me many experiences that I’ll be using for the rest of my career.

Being able to work with such a committed and likeminded group of people has helped me truly know what I want to do with my life — which I feel is something a lot of students struggle with when going to a four-year college immediately.

Community college allows you to find exactly what you want to do and explore different options if what you originally chose wasn’t right for you.

Luckily, I love what I do, and since I’ve joined the LMC student paper, I’ve only grown to love it more. Without this experience, I don’t think I would have fallen in love with journalism in the way that I did. I once hated working on a team and feared being in charge, but now I

wouldn’t have it any other way.

Being at LMC opened my eyes to so many possibilities and opportunities and so much creativity that I would have never experienced without it.

Community college has truly given me a taste of college life but was a less scary and overwhelming experience than giving thousands of dollars to a school and degree I had to pick at 18 years old.

It has shaped me into a more mature, educated and driven person as I explore what I love without fear.

I am extremely grateful for the experience I’ve gotten from choosing to go to a community college, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start my college career. I have had some of the best memories, met close friends, and had opportunities I don’t think I could have had anywhere else. •

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Community News, Youth Voices

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Our Futures Are ‘Being Robbed From Us’: Teens Get Real About Money COMMENTARY • VARIOUS AUTHORS

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ditor’s note: A study found that 43% of teens 13-18 worry “they won’t have enough money to meet their future needs and goals.” So we asked local youth how they think about money both now and for their futures. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.

I always wonder if we have enough money for a university that I maybe want to go to. I think I will be stressed because I would have to get a job after high school and budget to make things easier.

The word “financial” reminds me I have to get a job and possibly work for myself.

The thing that would make me feel more confident is not thinking too much about finances.

— Sergio Raygoza, 17 I often worry about my family’s financial situation, especially lately as there hasn’t been any work for my dad and my mom doesn’t work. There are times we don’t have money to pay for bills or groceries.

I had to be aware about money and not spending it on unnecessary things since I was young. I often would hear my parents talk about not having enough money to pay everything.

I worry that I may not have enough money to pay for college and I will have to drop out.

Financial stress doesn’t give me time to worry about other things and myself without feeling selfish and lazy. What would help me feel less anxious about my financial situation is if I knew that the country I live in was more supportive and gave us good resources instead of taking them away.

— Valeria Rodriguez, 18 I get stressed because of the economic and financial direction we're going,

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Bay Point Residents Gather to Shape Community’s Future

BY EMILY MOLINA

I worry about my family's financial situation. I worry if I spend too much, it'll affect my family's budget. I worry because college can be very expensive.

If I work and save up, I will be less worried about my financial future.

— Natalie Arriola, 16 I am somewhat stressed because I have no source of income, but I have faith I can pay for cheaper classes at community college. I try not to think about finances day to day, because I’m focused on my hobbies and picking up skills.

Financial stress does affect my mood, but since I know it's only a temporary part of life and it won’t be like this forever, it goes away after a couple days.

A scholarship offer would make me feel more secure.

— Isaac Flores, 17

Summer 2025

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"Things are becoming worse by the second ... What future can I and others have if our futures are constantly being robbed from us?" one student writes. (Annie Spratt on Unsplash)

but I'm hopeful nothing too bad will happen. I worry because I don't want to become a burden on my parents if all the financial aid for university I'm receiving disappears. If it happened, I guess I'd have to drop out and get a job to help them or take out loans.

I would hope the economy fixes itself, but I'm not really sure. I really hope we won't be in another recession or Great Depression because I love vanilla lattes with whipped cream too much.

— Andrea Ochoa, 17 Things are becoming worse by the second. I know anything could happen that can ruin or, at least, [make] my future harder. I think about it almost every day, probably because I see a ton of people dealing with that every day.

It makes me hopeless. What future can I and others have if our futures are constantly being robbed from us?

— Cesar Ayala, 18 I am worried that while attending a public school (UC Berkeley) with what’s going on politically, government funds will be taken away, and I will receive less financial aid. Also, even though my parents’ income seems high, it is not enough to support me, as [they have] many financial responsibilities.

I am ready to do work-study and apply to a lot of scholarships.

— Lourdes Mendoza, 17 Sometimes, I worry about the financial situation of my family, mostly if there will be something we can't afford and will have to wait a while to buy.

I want to try and help pay for my future after high school, especially college. I do not think about it often, but it does occasionally cross my mind.

The best way for me to feel confident

about my financial future would be making sure I get a job that pays at least enough to somewhat help my mom.

— Florian Banagan, 17 Many times, I worry about my family's financial situation since it does become more obvious as time passes by. We live with too many people, and my mom has to essentially overwork to provide supplies for her job and for me and family.

I don't usually think about money, but nowadays, it has become more and more of a worry since more and more of it has to be used. I don't necessarily become too stressed about it, since we are able to handle it, but I don't know if there will come a day where we cannot.

It would be nice to know I wouldn't have to worry about anything financially, but that's just not how the world is going to work.

— Hector Perez, 16 I don't worry about my family’s financial situation because we are not in debt and we are doing well.

Sometimes, it's hard to sleep when I think about my future because I'm going to need a lot of money when I go to college. But when I have my career, I could start paying it off. I barely think about money or other finances because I don't really spend nor does anyone in my family — only buy things that we really need and really want.

I would feel more confident if I think about succeeding in the career I want to be and making more money than I ever did.

— Iory Blancas Perez, 16 •

ay Point residents gathered May 12 to help shape the future of their community by identifying top priorities for projects that county departments could implement over the next 12 months.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston hosted the community goal-setting meeting, where she shared a list of priorities gathered from earlier focus groups. Those include more parks and open space, beautification, bike and pedestrian access, economic development, and food access.

The meeting gave community members the chance to share their thoughts and ideas in transforming these priorities into projects. Funds for developing projects in Bay Point could come from the Measure X Parks Allocation, a $200,000 annual fund that each supervisor’s district receives, and restricted special purpose funds.

Representatives from the Contra Costa County Sheriff ’s Department and Contra Costa County Public Works also attended, addressing the efforts to improve traffic enforcement and reduce illegal dumping in Bay Point.

Kanwar Singh said that he has seen trash dumped near his temple, Gurdwara Sahib Bay Point, starting about a year ago, but cameras set up by Contra Costa Public Works have helped minimize the problem.

High school student Randy Yanez Gonzalez provided input on the youth experience in Bay Point.

He expressed concern over the lack of educational resources for Bay Point high school-aged residents, especially since they have to commute out of town to attend school. Bay Point does not have a high school; the nearest are in Pittsburg and Concord.

“Not having a high school here for the students takes away the time from having sports, extracurricular activities, and getting more involved with the community,” Yanez Gonzalez said.

Another young resident, Samar Dhoaz, who grew up in Bay Point, came to the meeting to get informed and advocate for making it a nicer place to live.

Both Dhoaz and Yaney Gonzalez indicated they would like to see more parks when the attendees were asked to vote on their top priorities.

Gigi Dietrich, a Bay Point resident of over two decades who found out about the meeting by walking by, supported the idea of more walkable parks near Shore Acres because Lynbrook Park across the busy Port Chicago Highway is the closest to her. She said kids don’t have a place to enjoy playtime, and most school playgrounds are locked from being used by the public.

“There’s no walkable green space or public space for any kids here who live here,” Dietrich said.

Residents can track the progress of these community goals through the D5 Community Goal-Setting Workshop webpage and Scales-Preston’s newsletter, which you can sign up for here: https:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/ saBFz1K/BOS5SignUp. •

Community News, Youth Voices

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Summer 2025

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Community News, Youth Voices

www.ccpulse.org

Summer 2025

Richmond High Grad Lands Film Deal with Shadows of the Past

BY JOE PORRELLO

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our teens walk into a mansion — said to be haunted, of course. The man waiting inside says they can stay.

All they have to do is listen to his stories and keep him company. But for how long?

That’s the premise of “Shadows of the Past,” a new independent film from Richmond-raised director Luz Cabrales.

“It’s a very clean horror film geared toward teenagers,” said Cabrales.

It’s also her first feature-length film to be distributed on digital platforms, where it premiered May 9.

Cabrales was born in Durango, Mexico, where more than 100 movies have filmed, including “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and entries from the “Indiana Jones” and “Twilight” series.

“I never even knew that they were super rich in history as far as film and all the westerns — like John Wayne came here and did films — so that’s really cool to see now that I’m older,” said Cabrales.

Growing up, she said she knew “Mexico was rich in art,” mentioning Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera but said she appreciated it more as she got older and came back to visit. “It’s part of my roots and shapes the way I am.”

Cabrales immigrated with her family to the U.S. in 1995 at age 11, graduated from Richmond High School in 2002, and earned her Bachelor of Science in media arts and animation from the California Institute of the Arts.

Then, she moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania, where she got a master’s degree in communication arts and interdisciplinary studies at Marywood University.

She worked in the film industry in various roles before forging her own production company, Scranton Films.

Now 41, Cabrales has directed over 10 projects, including a 2018 feature film called “Nick and Ophelia.”

“I did everything myself,” she said, “but ‘Shadows of the Past’ … I had a team behind me and better resources,” which meant “a different level of quality.”

The artistic nature of “Shadows of the Past” draws from her love of horror shows of the 1980s and 1990s like “Goosebumps” and “Tales from the Crypt.”

She recruited local talent and workers for an eight-

Former WCCUSD Student Becomes Its First Black Woman Superintendent

BY SAMANTHA KENNEDY

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heryl Cotton knows a thing or two about West Contra Costa Unified. The Richmond-raised educator is a WCCUSD graduate, former district administrator and WCCUSD parent — to a former student trustee, no less. Now, she’s returning home to lead the district as its new superintendent.

Cotton was officially appointed June 4, making her the first African American woman to serve in the permanent role. The pick comes after a months-long search to replace Kenneth “Chris” Hurst following his departure in December for family reasons.

“I am honored to return to the community that shaped my educational journey and professional path,” Cotton said in a statement. “Together, we will center equity,

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Movie director, editor and producer Luz Cabrales started her own production company, Scranton Films. (Photo courtesy of Luz Cabrales)

month filming process that began April 2023.

“It was made with a lot of love for our smaller communities … it’s a way to showcase their talent,” she said. “Now, with technology, we’re able to do a lot more in smaller places and we don’t necessarily need to be in L.A. or New York to accomplish things.”

She says one of the most difficult parts of filming was getting the shooting schedules in order.

Cabrales had to wait until summer for a trolley museum and school to be available.

With over 50 actors — many still in school or working — Cabrales had a lot of organizing to do. Plus, child actors had to have their parents with them and legally could not work for more than eight hours a day.

“It was just really hard getting everybody on board at the same time,” she said. “It made it good on set because everyone knew what they needed to do and spent a lot less time sitting around and wasting time.”

Giving local young actors their first chance in a movie, Cabrales said, made it all worth it.

“To give these children and young talent a foundation of what it is to be part of a film, it’s the best feeling,” she said. “Kids are observers, they’re always learning on set.”

Editing took seven months, finishing July 2024.

“I had a couple of collaborators that kind of helped me shape the story in the editing room because I had a lot of footage, and now I needed to put it together,” she said.

“The hardest thing about filmmaking is finishing the film — everybody has an idea, but to actually execute it

takes a village.”

About two months after, “Shadows of the Past” premiered at a Scranton theater for those involved with the film and drew a crowd of about 400 people — many proud parents and grandparents of the young actors.

Roughly one month later, Cabrales secured her first distribution deal with the Los Angeles-based Terror Films. The distribution group, unlike many others, allows filmmakers rights to their creation even if it’s streaming.

“They were my first choice because I knew they took care of filmmakers,” she said.

She says she hopes the film’s exposure via streaming opens up doors for the entire cast and crew.

Despite a budget of only approximately $15,000, “Shadows of the Past” won awards like best feature film and best poster at Haunted Fest in New York City and the Reaper Festival in Pennsylvania.

She doesn’t know if the movie will make money but says she is more concerned with advancing her career to the next level.

She has nine film projects in the works and one day hopes to film a movie set partly in Durango and partly in Scranton.

“I really did make Scranton my home, but you never forget where you come from,” Cabrales said. “That’s the beauty of being an artist, you’re always using the places you’ve lived and experiences you’ve had and putting all those into an art form.” •

support student success, and uplift the voices of our families and educators to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive.”

Cotton’s contract is for a three-year term for $325,000 starting June 20 and lasting until 2028. She'll take over for Moses a week and a half before the district expected a new superintendent to do so, according to the district’s original timeline with Leadership Associates.

Cotton spent 14 years with WCCUSD beginning in 2004, according to the district, in between stints at the San Francisco Unified School District as a principal and at Albany Unified. During her time at WCCUSD, she served as a principal at Valley View and Madera elementary schools and as the district’s director of human resources.

After leaving WCCUSD, Cotton worked at the California Department of Education as deputy superintendent of public instruction in the instruction, measurement and administration department and as deputy superintendent of human resources and labor relations.

Cotton’s appointment received unanimous support from the board, with the exception of member Cinthia Hernandez, who was absent.

“WCCUSD, Ms. Cotton is not a superhero. She is an amazing leader, teacher, educator and mother,” board member Jamela Smith-Folds said in a post, whose comments mirrored those she made at the June 4 meeting. “I will NOT allow you to expect her to save us. We are in this together. Student, parent, community

member, teacher, administrator, and other employees, we have to all be together.”

Smith-Folds, during the superintendent search, sought someone familiar with the district who was choosing “everything [WCCUSD] is.”

“If you’ve never attended a board meeting, a (Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee) meeting, or community meetings, do not apply because you are not ready for who we are. We are unique,” she said then.

That uniqueness is compounded by issues districts are facing across the state — budget cuts, declining enrollment and teacher shortages. Enrollment, which determines how much funding a district receives, declined in WCCUSD during the 2024-25 school year, according to data released in May by the California Department of Education.

Cotton also comes to the district as it looks to increase anti-racist efforts following incidents of racism, including the use of racial slurs at a baseball game, alleged discrimination against Black Student Unions, widespread use of the n-word and racist messages directed at district leaders. The district made a “culturally competent, anti-racist” leader a priority for its new superintendent during the search.

She succeeds interim Superintendent Kim Moses, also a Black woman. One other Black woman, Cynthia LeBlanc, has also served in the position temporarily.

Moses, who has served in the interim role since Hurst’s departure, will return to her position as the district’s chief business officer. •