The Berkeley Unified School District, or BUSD, Board met Wednesday to discuss updates for improvements on AC Transit, multilingual learning and concerns relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Berkeley slashes social services while police budget continues to grow
Berkeley slashes social services while police budget continues to grow
June 1, 2021
Last week, on the one-year mark since Big George Floyd’s death, Berkeley City Council proposed a budget increase for the Berkeley Police Department. Berkeley Copwatch and other abolitionist organizations are meeting on the steps of Berkeley City Hall at 2180 Milvia calling for defunding Berkeley police every Wednesday at 12 p.m. until the final passage of next year’s budget. Come out Wednesday, June 2, at 12 p.m.!
Community network stages weekly noise protests
Berkeley, Calif., May 31 – A growing network of community organizations is holding weekly demonstrations on the steps of Berkeley City Hall at 2180 Milvia every Wednesday at 12 p.m. until the final passage of next year’s budget. This Wednesday, June 2, will mark the third week this diverse and dedicated group of activists has come together with a “noise demo,
Black, Latinx community members reflect on impact of COVID-19
Multicultural Institute/Courtesy
The pandemic has disproportionately affected racial minorities, with Black individuals having the highest death rates from COVID-19. The pandemic has also highlighted the discrimination and inequality that racial minorities face.
For Daniela Gonzalez-Perez, the day labor program assistant at the Multicultural Institute, the COVID-19 pandemic has only magnified the struggles that have confronted racial minority groups before the country shut down in March 2020.
Racial minorities have historically experienced discrimination and inequality, with the pandemic reproducing those struggles in the form of disproportionate COVID-19 deaths, case rates and access to resources and information, according to Gonzalez-Perez. She and other members of the Latinx and Black communities shared the impact of the pandemic on their communities and what it has meant to them.
The COVID-19 vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel for this pandemic. But there are many people who don t trust the vaccine. We had about 70 members of Latinos who live in Berkeley, monolingual speakers come out, said Paola Laverde, member of Latinos Unidos de Berkeley.
Information is key to combat vaccine hesitancy within the Latino community.
The latest California data shows Latinos have been disproportionally impacted by this virus. Currently, Latinos make up 55% of California s COVID cases.
Dr. Hector Bonilla has seen firsthand the mistrust and hesitancy from many in the community as he worked to enroll Latinos in the Stanford Johnson & Johnson vaccine trials. He believes Latinos should be prioritized when it comes to being vaccinated because they are on the frontlines. Dr. Bonilla is urging county officials to strategically prioritize vaccine distribution within highly impacted neighborhoods.
Since the coronavirus started spreading across the globe in late 2019, scientists have been looking for a vaccine. Now that vaccines are proven, it will ultimately be up to each state to determine who will get the vaccine, and when?
As vaccines roll out, San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney introduced legislation calling for vaccine data by providers, demographics, and zip code. To create a more comprehensive plan which will also include ensuring that there is more transparency on data, said Supervisor Haney.
Out of the nine Bay Area counties, only San Mateo and Contra Costa County published vaccine distribution data specifying race and ethnicity. Supervisor Haney is hoping a second vaccination site opening in San Francisco as soon as this week will help.