Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest U.S. Park Ranger and Trailblazing Historian, Dies at 104
Jewish Group Demands Richmond Mayor’s Resignation Over Bondi Beach Shooting Conspiracies
California Cities Double Down on License-Plate Readers as Federal Surveillance Grows
Richmond's 'Minister of Food' Serves the Bay Area Southern BBQ, California Style
West Contra Costa Teachers Agree to End Strike and Return to Class After a Week
West Contra Costa Teachers Strike Continues as Support Staff Return to Work
As West Contra Costa Teachers Strike, Negotiations Seem to Show Little Progress
West Contra Costa Teachers and Staff Go On Strike
West Contra Costa Teachers Are Near a Pivotal Moment in Their Potential Strike
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"title": "Betty Reid Soskin, Oldest U.S. Park Ranger and Trailblazing Historian, Dies at 104",
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"content": "\u003cp>Betty Reid Soskin, the nation’s oldest park ranger when she \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11910061/betty-reid-soskin-americas-oldest-park-ranger-retires-at-100\">retired in 2022 at age 100\u003c/a>, and a trailblazer in preserving the history of Black Americans and women, died Dec. 21. She was 104.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soskin devoted her life to telling stories that might otherwise have gone untold, highlighting the contributions of marginalized communities and ensuring that forgotten voices were brought to the forefront of American history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit on Sept. 22, 1921, Soskin spent her early years in New Orleans with her Creole family. She survived the devastating Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, an event that displaced her family and prompted their move to Oakland. Her childhood experiences shaped her understanding of race, resilience and community, laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to advocacy and justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1086px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/BettyYoungWomanPortrait1-1-scaled_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1086\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/BettyYoungWomanPortrait1-1-scaled_qed.jpg 1086w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/BettyYoungWomanPortrait1-1-scaled_qed-160x196.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1086px) 100vw, 1086px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin poses for a photograph in the 1940s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Betty Reid Soskin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During World War II, Soskin worked as a file clerk for the U.S. Air Force but resigned after discovering that her employers had hired her under the assumption that she was white. This pivotal moment illuminated the systemic racism of the era and fueled her passion for equity and truth-telling. She later worked in a segregated unit of the Boilermakers union, where she witnessed firsthand the discrimination faced by Black workers in the wartime industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068221\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1101px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Betty-in-60s-Asilomar-in-music-circle-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1101\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Betty-in-60s-Asilomar-in-music-circle-1_qed.jpg 1101w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Betty-in-60s-Asilomar-in-music-circle-1_qed-160x194.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1101px) 100vw, 1101px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin sits in a music circle in the Asilomar area of Monterey Bay in the 1960s, reflecting her lifelong connection to music, community and cultural activism. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Betty Reid Soskin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1945, she and her first husband, Mel Reid, \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2019/02/05/reids-records-californias-oldest-record-shop-to-close-in-the-fall\">founded Reid’s Records\u003c/a> in Berkeley, one of the first Black-owned record stores in the Bay Area. For nearly 75 years, the store served as a community hub, providing music and resources to South Berkeley’s Black community. It was also a space for activism and cultural exchange, reflecting Soskin’s enduring dedication to uplifting marginalized voices.[aside postID=news_11914312 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/06/BETTYREIDSOSKIN.jpg']Soskin’s advocacy took on new dimensions later in life when she became a prominent voice at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. Starting as a temporary employee at the age of 84, she became a permanent National Park Service ranger in 2011.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next 15 years, she shared her personal experiences and those of African American workers during the war, shedding light on the racial segregation and systemic challenges of the era. Her storytelling drew large audiences, captivated by her firsthand accounts and her insistence on an inclusive historical narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What gets remembered is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering,” Soskin often said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She worked tirelessly to ensure that the contributions of women and Black Americans during World War II were not overshadowed in the broader historical narrative. Her efforts were instrumental in shaping the park’s mission and its dedication to uncovering overlooked histories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soskin’s impact extended far beyond the park. She was honored as California Woman of the Year in 1995 and received numerous accolades throughout her life, including a presidential coin from President Barack Obama in 2015 after she lit the National Christmas Tree at the White House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889541\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889541\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Betty Reid Soskin, smiling, sits in a wheelchair and holds a bright bouquet of flowers.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin poses beneath a sign for the newly renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante during a student-led renaming ceremony on her 100th birthday, Sept. 22, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2022, on the day of her 100th birthday, the West Contra Costa Unified School District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889493/east-bay-middle-school-renamed-for-pioneering-park-ranger-betty-reid-soskin-on-her-100th-birthday\">renamed Juan Crespi Middle School in El Sobrante\u003c/a> in her honor, celebrating her legacy with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local leaders, students and her family. The renaming process was driven by students and teachers who sought to honor a local figure dedicated to equity and justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the ceremony, Soskin was showered with flowers and presented with a birthday cake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know what one might do to justify a long life,” she said. “I think that you have pretty much got it made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889493/east-bay-middle-school-renamed-for-pioneering-park-ranger-betty-reid-soskin-on-her-100th-birthday\">renaming of Betty Reid Soskin Middle School\u003c/a> was the culmination of a student-led movement to honor a local figure whose legacy stood for truth and justice. The students researched their former namesake, Juan Crespi, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, and learned about the mission system’s exploitation of Indigenous peoples.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889544\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021.jpg\" alt=\"Masked students hold up signs thanking Betty Reid Soskin.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students wait to present gifts to Betty Reid Soskin during a school renaming ceremony on her 100th birthday at the renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante. Students and teachers led the effort to rename the school in her honor, citing her lifelong advocacy for racial justice, equity and inclusive history. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Inspired by the social justice movements of the COVID-19 pandemic, they sought to rename the school for someone who embodied resilience and advocacy.[aside postID=news_11889493 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51596_041_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut.jpg']“I learned a lot these past couple of months, being on the naming committee and doing the project in general,” said Anaya Zenad, a former student who helped lead the renaming effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who attended the renaming ceremony, grew emotional as he spoke about Soskin’s impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have someone who has fought for civil rights, for women’s rights, for racial justice, and our children deserve to have someone to look up to,” he said at the ceremony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her personal resilience was as remarkable as her professional achievements. In 2016, at the age of 94, she survived a violent home invasion, during which she was assaulted and robbed. Despite the trauma, Soskin returned to work weeks later, demonstrating her unyielding strength and dedication to her mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068219\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The four performers portraying Betty Reid Soskin in the stage play Sign My Name to Freedom — from left, Cathleen Riddley, Aidaa Peerzada, Lucca Troutman and Tierra Allen — each represent a different period of Soskin’s life, drawn from her memoir and lifelong work documenting Black history, music and activism. \u003ccite>(Photo by Alexa 'LexMex' Treviño)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Soskin’s life and work were chronicled in her memoir, \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom\u003c/em>, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955108/betty-reid-soskin-stage-play-z-space-sign-my-name-to-freedom-review\">inspired both a stage play\u003c/a> and a documentary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The documentary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952570/betty-reid-soskin-music-documentary-sign-my-name-to-freedom\">\u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, directed by Bryan Gibel, explores her life through the lens of her music, activism, and reflections on systemic racism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Betty’s life story is a testament to the resilience and strength of those who face systemic challenges yet refuse to be defined by them,” Gibel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1008px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068220\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF_STILL2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1008\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF_STILL2.jpg 1008w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF_STILL2-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin listens to recordings of her own music as film director Bryan Gibel watches during the making of the documentary Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Bryan Gibel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The film captures intimate moments from her life, including her rediscovery of old recordings and her performance at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre with the Oakland Symphony and a 200-person choir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soskin’s dedication to justice and education was evident in her involvement with the civil rights movement and her work for former state Assemblymembers Dion Aroner and Loni Hancock. She fought for fair housing and educational opportunities for marginalized communities, emphasizing the need for systemic change in policies that disproportionately affected Black and low-income families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her tireless advocacy and presence at legislative meetings ensured that equity remained a focus in California politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even after retiring at age 100, Soskin continued to inspire through public appearances and reflections on her life, a powerful reminder of the importance of storytelling and preserving the full scope of history.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Betty Reid Soskin: A Life of Advocacy and Storytelling\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>1921 : Born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit, Michigan.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1927: Survives the Great Mississippi Flood, prompting her family’s move to Oakland, California.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1942: Works for the U.S. Air Force as a file clerk but resigns after discovering she was hired under the assumption that she was white.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1945: Co-founds Reid’s Records in Berkeley with her first husband, Mel Reid, making it one of the first Black-owned record stores in the Bay Area. The store remains a community hub for nearly 75 years.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1960s-1970s: Becomes active in the civil rights movement and fights for fair housing and educational opportunities.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1995: Named California Woman of the Year for her contributions to advocacy and community empowerment.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2000: Plays a key role in planning the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, ensuring the inclusion of Black workers’ experiences in its historical narrative.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2004: Begins working with the National Park Service as a temporary interpretive ranger at the age of 84.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2011: Becomes a permanent National Park Service ranger at the age of 89.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2015: Lights the National Christmas Tree at the White House and receives a presidential coin from President Barack Obama.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2016: Survives a violent home invasion at 94 but returns to work just weeks later.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2018: Performs at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre with the Oakland Symphony and a 200-person choir, showcasing her musical activism.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2019: Her memoir, \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom\u003c/em>, is published, chronicling her life and advocacy.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2021: Documentary \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em> begins production.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2022: Retires at age 100 from the National Park Service. On the same day, the West Contra Costa Unified School District renamed Juan Crespi Middle School in El Sobrante as Betty Reid Soskin Middle School.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit on Sept. 22, 1921, Soskin spent her early years in New Orleans with her Creole family. She survived the devastating Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, an event that displaced her family and prompted their move to Oakland. Her childhood experiences shaped her understanding of race, resilience and community, laying the foundation for her lifelong commitment to advocacy and justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068222\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1086px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068222\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/BettyYoungWomanPortrait1-1-scaled_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1086\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/BettyYoungWomanPortrait1-1-scaled_qed.jpg 1086w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/BettyYoungWomanPortrait1-1-scaled_qed-160x196.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1086px) 100vw, 1086px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin poses for a photograph in the 1940s. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Betty Reid Soskin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During World War II, Soskin worked as a file clerk for the U.S. Air Force but resigned after discovering that her employers had hired her under the assumption that she was white. This pivotal moment illuminated the systemic racism of the era and fueled her passion for equity and truth-telling. She later worked in a segregated unit of the Boilermakers union, where she witnessed firsthand the discrimination faced by Black workers in the wartime industry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068221\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1101px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Betty-in-60s-Asilomar-in-music-circle-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1101\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Betty-in-60s-Asilomar-in-music-circle-1_qed.jpg 1101w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Betty-in-60s-Asilomar-in-music-circle-1_qed-160x194.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1101px) 100vw, 1101px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin sits in a music circle in the Asilomar area of Monterey Bay in the 1960s, reflecting her lifelong connection to music, community and cultural activism. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Betty Reid Soskin)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1945, she and her first husband, Mel Reid, \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2019/02/05/reids-records-californias-oldest-record-shop-to-close-in-the-fall\">founded Reid’s Records\u003c/a> in Berkeley, one of the first Black-owned record stores in the Bay Area. For nearly 75 years, the store served as a community hub, providing music and resources to South Berkeley’s Black community. It was also a space for activism and cultural exchange, reflecting Soskin’s enduring dedication to uplifting marginalized voices.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Soskin’s advocacy took on new dimensions later in life when she became a prominent voice at the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. Starting as a temporary employee at the age of 84, she became a permanent National Park Service ranger in 2011.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the next 15 years, she shared her personal experiences and those of African American workers during the war, shedding light on the racial segregation and systemic challenges of the era. Her storytelling drew large audiences, captivated by her firsthand accounts and her insistence on an inclusive historical narrative.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What gets remembered is a function of who’s in the room doing the remembering,” Soskin often said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She worked tirelessly to ensure that the contributions of women and Black Americans during World War II were not overshadowed in the broader historical narrative. Her efforts were instrumental in shaping the park’s mission and its dedication to uncovering overlooked histories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soskin’s impact extended far beyond the park. She was honored as California Woman of the Year in 1995 and received numerous accolades throughout her life, including a presidential coin from President Barack Obama in 2015 after she lit the National Christmas Tree at the White House.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889541\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889541\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Betty Reid Soskin, smiling, sits in a wheelchair and holds a bright bouquet of flowers.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/RS51635_081_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin poses beneath a sign for the newly renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante during a student-led renaming ceremony on her 100th birthday, Sept. 22, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 2022, on the day of her 100th birthday, the West Contra Costa Unified School District \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889493/east-bay-middle-school-renamed-for-pioneering-park-ranger-betty-reid-soskin-on-her-100th-birthday\">renamed Juan Crespi Middle School in El Sobrante\u003c/a> in her honor, celebrating her legacy with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local leaders, students and her family. The renaming process was driven by students and teachers who sought to honor a local figure dedicated to equity and justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the ceremony, Soskin was showered with flowers and presented with a birthday cake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know what one might do to justify a long life,” she said. “I think that you have pretty much got it made.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889493/east-bay-middle-school-renamed-for-pioneering-park-ranger-betty-reid-soskin-on-her-100th-birthday\">renaming of Betty Reid Soskin Middle School\u003c/a> was the culmination of a student-led movement to honor a local figure whose legacy stood for truth and justice. The students researched their former namesake, Juan Crespi, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, and learned about the mission system’s exploitation of Indigenous peoples.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889544\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889544\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021.jpg\" alt=\"Masked students hold up signs thanking Betty Reid Soskin.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/028_ElSobrante_BettyReidSoskinMiddleSchool_09222021-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students wait to present gifts to Betty Reid Soskin during a school renaming ceremony on her 100th birthday at the renamed Betty Reid Soskin Middle School in El Sobrante. Students and teachers led the effort to rename the school in her honor, citing her lifelong advocacy for racial justice, equity and inclusive history. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Inspired by the social justice movements of the COVID-19 pandemic, they sought to rename the school for someone who embodied resilience and advocacy.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I learned a lot these past couple of months, being on the naming committee and doing the project in general,” said Anaya Zenad, a former student who helped lead the renaming effort.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, who attended the renaming ceremony, grew emotional as he spoke about Soskin’s impact.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have someone who has fought for civil rights, for women’s rights, for racial justice, and our children deserve to have someone to look up to,” he said at the ceremony.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her personal resilience was as remarkable as her professional achievements. In 2016, at the age of 94, she survived a violent home invasion, during which she was assaulted and robbed. Despite the trauma, Soskin returned to work weeks later, demonstrating her unyielding strength and dedication to her mission.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068219\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068219\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF-LexMexArt-28-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The four performers portraying Betty Reid Soskin in the stage play Sign My Name to Freedom — from left, Cathleen Riddley, Aidaa Peerzada, Lucca Troutman and Tierra Allen — each represent a different period of Soskin’s life, drawn from her memoir and lifelong work documenting Black history, music and activism. \u003ccite>(Photo by Alexa 'LexMex' Treviño)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Soskin’s life and work were chronicled in her memoir, \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom\u003c/em>, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13955108/betty-reid-soskin-stage-play-z-space-sign-my-name-to-freedom-review\">inspired both a stage play\u003c/a> and a documentary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The documentary, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952570/betty-reid-soskin-music-documentary-sign-my-name-to-freedom\">\u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, directed by Bryan Gibel, explores her life through the lens of her music, activism, and reflections on systemic racism.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Betty’s life story is a testament to the resilience and strength of those who face systemic challenges yet refuse to be defined by them,” Gibel said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12068220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1008px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12068220\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF_STILL2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1008\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF_STILL2.jpg 1008w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/SMNTF_STILL2-160x100.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Betty Reid Soskin listens to recordings of her own music as film director Bryan Gibel watches during the making of the documentary Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Bryan Gibel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The film captures intimate moments from her life, including her rediscovery of old recordings and her performance at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre with the Oakland Symphony and a 200-person choir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Soskin’s dedication to justice and education was evident in her involvement with the civil rights movement and her work for former state Assemblymembers Dion Aroner and Loni Hancock. She fought for fair housing and educational opportunities for marginalized communities, emphasizing the need for systemic change in policies that disproportionately affected Black and low-income families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her tireless advocacy and presence at legislative meetings ensured that equity remained a focus in California politics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even after retiring at age 100, Soskin continued to inspire through public appearances and reflections on her life, a powerful reminder of the importance of storytelling and preserving the full scope of history.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Betty Reid Soskin: A Life of Advocacy and Storytelling\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>1921 : Born Betty Charbonnet in Detroit, Michigan.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1927: Survives the Great Mississippi Flood, prompting her family’s move to Oakland, California.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1942: Works for the U.S. Air Force as a file clerk but resigns after discovering she was hired under the assumption that she was white.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1945: Co-founds Reid’s Records in Berkeley with her first husband, Mel Reid, making it one of the first Black-owned record stores in the Bay Area. The store remains a community hub for nearly 75 years.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1960s-1970s: Becomes active in the civil rights movement and fights for fair housing and educational opportunities.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>1995: Named California Woman of the Year for her contributions to advocacy and community empowerment.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2000: Plays a key role in planning the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, ensuring the inclusion of Black workers’ experiences in its historical narrative.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2004: Begins working with the National Park Service as a temporary interpretive ranger at the age of 84.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2011: Becomes a permanent National Park Service ranger at the age of 89.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2015: Lights the National Christmas Tree at the White House and receives a presidential coin from President Barack Obama.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2016: Survives a violent home invasion at 94 but returns to work just weeks later.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2018: Performs at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre with the Oakland Symphony and a 200-person choir, showcasing her musical activism.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2019: Her memoir, \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom\u003c/em>, is published, chronicling her life and advocacy.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2021: Documentary \u003cem>Sign My Name to Freedom: The Lost Music of Betty Reid Soskin\u003c/em> begins production.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>2022: Retires at age 100 from the National Park Service. On the same day, the West Contra Costa Unified School District renamed Juan Crespi Middle School in El Sobrante as Betty Reid Soskin Middle School.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> Mayor Eduardo Martinez is facing calls to resign and criticism from at least one council colleague after reposting a series of antisemitic posts on LinkedIn in recent days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some of Martinez’s reposts called last weekend’s attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach a false flag operation planned by Israel. Another asserted that “The root cause of antisemitism is the behavior of Israel and Israelis.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Jewish Community Relations Council Bay Area on Thursday \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DSavQMbE_RO/?img_index=1\">urged Martinez to resign\u003c/a>, and Richmond Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda said this is not the first time Martinez has shared problematic posts or said inappropriate things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez did not respond to KQED’s request for an interview, but after blowback, he took down the posts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7407203290536382464/\">wrote\u003c/a> on his LinkedIn page that he apologized for sharing them without thinking or understanding them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to apologize for sharing my previous posts without thinking. Of course we know that antisemitism was here before the creation of the state of Israel. As I’ve said many times before, we should not conflate Zionism with Judaism. They are two separate beliefs,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to a comment below that post, Martinez added, “I did not agree nor disagree with the text because I did not understand the point of it. I was asking for analysis. I now know not to post anything I don’t completely comprehend, even to ask for clarification. Once again, my apologies. I am a pacifist with no tolerance for violence.”[aside postID=news_12066989 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-01-KQED.jpg']But Zepeda said Martinez has yet to directly disavow the content of the antisemitic posts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From what I understand and from what I have seen … it’s not that [he’s saying] the post was wrong or that I disagree with the post or that it shouldn’t be put out there as conspiracy theories. It’s more like, ‘Oops, I got caught, sorry,’” he said. “And it’s not just this comment; things have been adding up. And I don’t think that he understands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specifically, Zepada said Martinez regularly sends him troubling Facebook posts related to Gaza and Israel and has refused to change his language when he’s called out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said Martinez should consider whether he can continue to represent the city of 115,000. Martinez is up for reelection in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you really don’t mean to incite or cause pain or cause people to feel unsafe … why not choose better words? Why not choose something different that brings people together versus inciting and dividing?” he said. “He needs to just really reflect. Because we can’t wait till June.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all of Martinez’s colleagues joined Zepeda in questioning the mayor’s ability to continue serving Richmond, however.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Claudia Jimenez condemned the posts, but she said that Martinez has apologized and that she believes political enemies who dislike his broader support of the Palestinian cause are using this as a pretext to attack the mayor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those posts were careless, and they caused real harm to people. And as leaders, we should be careful of our words because we don’t want to cause division,” she said. “But at the same time, we need to also understand that the thing about calling for his resignation when he has been a good mayor of Richmond, I think it’s overreaching and I believe it’s because of his stance on Palestine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jimenez said Martinez’s outreach to the Jewish community and his apology will help repair harm more than pushing him out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Councilmember Doria Robinson said voters should be allowed to make their decision at the ballot box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has been quite painful to watch the news of this terrible incident. Lives were lost, people were injured and traumatized. Now is the time for mourning, support, and reflection,” she said in a statement. “My understanding is the mayor is in the process of answering for his reposts and is attempting to apologize and make amends with Richmond’s Jewish community. The upcoming June 2026 election will be the opportunity for residents to weigh in on his leadership.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Martinez did not respond to KQED’s request for an interview, but after blowback, he took down the posts and \u003ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7407203290536382464/\">wrote\u003c/a> on his LinkedIn page that he apologized for sharing them without thinking or understanding them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I want to apologize for sharing my previous posts without thinking. Of course we know that antisemitism was here before the creation of the state of Israel. As I’ve said many times before, we should not conflate Zionism with Judaism. They are two separate beliefs,” he wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to a comment below that post, Martinez added, “I did not agree nor disagree with the text because I did not understand the point of it. I was asking for analysis. I now know not to post anything I don’t completely comprehend, even to ask for clarification. Once again, my apologies. I am a pacifist with no tolerance for violence.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But Zepeda said Martinez has yet to directly disavow the content of the antisemitic posts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From what I understand and from what I have seen … it’s not that [he’s saying] the post was wrong or that I disagree with the post or that it shouldn’t be put out there as conspiracy theories. It’s more like, ‘Oops, I got caught, sorry,’” he said. “And it’s not just this comment; things have been adding up. And I don’t think that he understands.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Specifically, Zepada said Martinez regularly sends him troubling Facebook posts related to Gaza and Israel and has refused to change his language when he’s called out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said Martinez should consider whether he can continue to represent the city of 115,000. Martinez is up for reelection in June.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you really don’t mean to incite or cause pain or cause people to feel unsafe … why not choose better words? Why not choose something different that brings people together versus inciting and dividing?” he said. “He needs to just really reflect. Because we can’t wait till June.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Not all of Martinez’s colleagues joined Zepeda in questioning the mayor’s ability to continue serving Richmond, however.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmember Claudia Jimenez condemned the posts, but she said that Martinez has apologized and that she believes political enemies who dislike his broader support of the Palestinian cause are using this as a pretext to attack the mayor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Those posts were careless, and they caused real harm to people. And as leaders, we should be careful of our words because we don’t want to cause division,” she said. “But at the same time, we need to also understand that the thing about calling for his resignation when he has been a good mayor of Richmond, I think it’s overreaching and I believe it’s because of his stance on Palestine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jimenez said Martinez’s outreach to the Jewish community and his apology will help repair harm more than pushing him out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And Councilmember Doria Robinson said voters should be allowed to make their decision at the ballot box.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has been quite painful to watch the news of this terrible incident. Lives were lost, people were injured and traumatized. Now is the time for mourning, support, and reflection,” she said in a statement. “My understanding is the mayor is in the process of answering for his reposts and is attempting to apologize and make amends with Richmond’s Jewish community. The upcoming June 2026 election will be the opportunity for residents to weigh in on his leadership.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-cities-double-down-on-license-plate-readers-as-federal-surveillance-grows",
"title": "California Cities Double Down on License-Plate Readers as Federal Surveillance Grows",
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"content": "\u003cp>Over the past decade, automated license-plate readers have quietly become a standard tool for law enforcement across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005347/the-east-bay-has-hundreds-of-new-surveillance-cameras-and-more-are-on-the-way\">adopted\u003c/a> by more than 200 city police departments, sheriff’s departments and other agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s despite a series of media reports \u003ca href=\"https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/\">demonstrating\u003c/a> local AI-enabled ALPR databases are \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-patrol-surveillance-drivers-ice-trump-9f5d05469ce8c629d6fecf32d32098cd\">feeding\u003c/a> a federal surveillance system used by the Trump administration against immigrants and others. While a short list of municipalities in other states, including in Texas and Oregon, have responded by canceling contracts, most California officials appear to be digging their heels in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tensions at the heart of the debate were on full view at Oakland City Hall on Tuesday night. More than three hours of public comment preceded the City Council’s 7-1 vote to renew and expand the Oakland Police Department’s \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7778357&GUID=BC9ADFD5-2714-4303-BEA4-70DF1AD489D1&Options=&Search=\">contract with Flock Safety\u003c/a>, the fastest-growing surveillance product vendor in California, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.atlasofsurveillance.org/search?location=California&sort=city_asc&technologies%5B%5D=automated-license-plate-readers&utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Electronic Frontier Foundation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of residents spoke in favor of the $2.25 million, two-year contract, including local homeowners association representatives and small business owners. Stephanie Tran, president of Oakland’s Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, told the city council that the chamber operates more than 50 Flock cameras in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These community-led systems have supported over 100 cases of investigations, from robberies to arson, car accidents, theft, break-ins and homicide,” Tran said. As part of the contract approved by the city council, the chamber will be able to continue sharing its Flock system data with the police department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Oakland residents argued that the federal government’s data-enabled immigration crackdown trumps local crime concerns. “This surveillance technology has already caused harm in our communities, and all over the country,” said Alberto Parra of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.acceaction.org\">Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action\u003c/a>, speaking in Spanish. “Oakland residents should not fear driving to work, church, or school, knowing that this data is going to be fed to a national system that’s accessible to ICE.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066779\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066779\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1504\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED-1536x1155.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Law enforcement agencies across California have widely adopted automated license-plate readers to fight crime, but civil-rights advocates warn these surveillance networks also serve as data troves that can be accessed far beyond state borders. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Flock Safety)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Civil liberties advocates have sued both Oakland and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">San José\u003c/a>, alleging their use of automated license plate readers amounts to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ALPRs, operating at the scale that they’re operating now, with the kind of vendors that are running these systems now, are posing a direct public safety threat,” said Sarah Hamid, director of strategic campaigns at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re living in a political climate where undocumented community members are being kidnapped off the street in broad daylight, where people’s healthcare is being criminalized, people’s political speech is being criminalized, and having this much location data information about everyone who drives in this country, and where they go, and when they go there, is fundamentally unsafe,” Hamid said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Automated License Plate Readers are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze millions of images, including vehicle location, date, time, as well as make, model, color, and details like dents and bumper stickers.[aside postID=news_12067461 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250428-OAKLAND-CITY-HALL-FILE-MD-02_qed-1020x680.jpg']OPD has a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/View-Attachment-A-7.pdf\">policy\u003c/a> outlining steps to follow when an outside agency seeks access to Oakland license plate data. Tuesday night, the council adopted a series of amendments to mollify data privacy concerns, including a “two-key” approval system requiring both the city’s Chief Privacy Officer and the OPD Information Technology Director to authorize any new data-sharing relationships, as well as quarterly independent compliance audits to be overseen by the City Auditor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Communities are in full control of who they share with,” said Trevor Chandler, director of public affairs for Flock. “Some communities choose to share with no one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/11/18/oakland-police-lawsuit-license-plate-camera-flock-safety/\">recent lawsuit\u003c/a> filed against OPD, privacy advocate Brian Hofer claimed the department violated its own rules, alleging there are records of millions of external searches of Oakland’s system. Hofer recently stepped down from Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066924/oaklands-license-plate-camera-contract-is-back-up-for-a-vote-critics-are-crying-foul\">voted against\u003c/a> reupping with Flock earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hofer, who advises cities and counties across California, points out that more than 80 California cities have adopted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sanctuary-cities\">sanctuary laws\u003c/a> limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. But those policies, he argues, often stop short of governing how police departments collect, share and audit license plate reader data, a gap he said leaves agencies vulnerable to violating state law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under SB 34, California law enforcement agencies are required to adopt detailed usage and privacy policies governing ALPR data, restrict access to authorized purposes, and regularly audit searches to prevent misuse. Hofer calls many local approaches “performative,” arguing that city councils and city attorneys frequently approve surveillance programs without providing effective oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His concerns echo findings by the California \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-advises-california-law-enforcement-legal-uses-and\">Attorney General’s office\u003c/a> two years ago, after a state audit found “the majority of California law enforcement agencies collect and use images captured by ALPR cameras, but few have appropriate usage and privacy policies in place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051143\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051143\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Richmond Police Department in Richmond on Aug. 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even if they do, federal laws supersede state laws. “If we get a federal court warrant, we’re still going to have to respond to it. We’re gonna still have to turn over the data,” Hofer said. “That’s why privacy folks like me are, like, don’t collect the data in the first place. Any data collected is data at risk,” Hofer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That risk is not hypothetical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few weeks ago, Richmond’s new police chief, Tim Simmons, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/richmondpolicecali/posts/pfbid02DLgEZwDpaCE6ZEXMyYboDY4EFiQFq8axkX2SG9YE6oQFUdgQDVuHMdPwx8xzXbpel\">shut down\u003c/a> its automated license plate reader system after Flock notified the police department of a configuration error that could have allowed outside law enforcement agencies to run searches of the city’s data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the police department wrote in a Facebook post that it has no evidence any outside agency actually viewed Richmond’s data, Chief Simmons told\u003ca href=\"https://richmondside.org/2025/12/09/richmond-license-plate-reader-data-breach/\"> \u003cem>Richmondside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, “The fact that it was made available was outside the scope of what we’ve been telling people and what has been told to us. So that was enough for me to shut the whole system down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Frichmondpolicecali%2Fposts%2Fpfbid09K5X682FuFQ3nYULeSRsezaJXJbVde1TPy4BfFEXyjQfwCZ7mqf1g9s1NWFpZq4Wl&show_text=true&width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"750\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chandler from Flock said the company has shut off out-of-state access to camera data from California law enforcement agencies. “We’re working in as proactive a way as possible to ensure that these agencies have default compliance,” he said, noting that the customers contractually own the data. Each law enforcement agency also decides how long data is stored before being deleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Richmond officials are not alone in harboring misgivings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, Santa Cruz officials decided to \u003ca href=\"https://lookout.co/city-of-santa-cruz-pauses-statewide-license-plate-data-sharing-citing-flock-safetys-violation-of-california-law/story\">temporarily limit\u003c/a> outside agencies’ access to the city’s license plate reader data and to review its agreement with Flock. The move followed testimony from Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante, who told the city council that Flock disclosed earlier this year that it had allowed out-of-state law enforcement agencies to use a national search tool to access license plate data collected by California agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the summer, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/14/oakland-san-francisco-ice-license-plate-readers/\">San Francisco Standard\u003c/a> reported that OPD shared data from its camera systems with federal agencies. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2025/06/california-police-sharing-license-plate-reader-data/\">CalMatters reported\u003c/a> that law enforcement agencies in Southern California have shared information from automated license plate readers with federal agents as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in a recent analysis of 10 months of nationwide searches on Flock’s servers, EFF discovered more than 50 federal, state, and local agencies — including some in California — ran hundreds of searches in connection with \u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/11/how-cops-are-using-flock-safetys-alpr-network-surveil-protesters-and-activists\">political protests\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hofer, who has sued Oakland twice over surveillance practices, said his frustration is not with Flock or its competitors in the industry. It’s with local elected officials. “They’re not connecting the dots. We are building these systems for Donald Trump. We are harvesting data for Donald Trump,” Hofer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Over the past decade, automated license-plate readers have quietly become a standard tool for law enforcement across \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12005347/the-east-bay-has-hundreds-of-new-surveillance-cameras-and-more-are-on-the-way\">adopted\u003c/a> by more than 200 city police departments, sheriff’s departments and other agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s despite a series of media reports \u003ca href=\"https://www.404media.co/cbp-had-access-to-more-than-80-000-flock-ai-cameras-nationwide/\">demonstrating\u003c/a> local AI-enabled ALPR databases are \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-patrol-surveillance-drivers-ice-trump-9f5d05469ce8c629d6fecf32d32098cd\">feeding\u003c/a> a federal surveillance system used by the Trump administration against immigrants and others. While a short list of municipalities in other states, including in Texas and Oregon, have responded by canceling contracts, most California officials appear to be digging their heels in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tensions at the heart of the debate were on full view at Oakland City Hall on Tuesday night. More than three hours of public comment preceded the City Council’s 7-1 vote to renew and expand the Oakland Police Department’s \u003ca href=\"https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7778357&GUID=BC9ADFD5-2714-4303-BEA4-70DF1AD489D1&Options=&Search=\">contract with Flock Safety\u003c/a>, the fastest-growing surveillance product vendor in California, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.atlasofsurveillance.org/search?location=California&sort=city_asc&technologies%5B%5D=automated-license-plate-readers&utm_source=chatgpt.com\">Electronic Frontier Foundation\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dozens of residents spoke in favor of the $2.25 million, two-year contract, including local homeowners association representatives and small business owners. Stephanie Tran, president of Oakland’s Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, told the city council that the chamber operates more than 50 Flock cameras in the neighborhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“These community-led systems have supported over 100 cases of investigations, from robberies to arson, car accidents, theft, break-ins and homicide,” Tran said. As part of the contract approved by the city council, the chamber will be able to continue sharing its Flock system data with the police department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other Oakland residents argued that the federal government’s data-enabled immigration crackdown trumps local crime concerns. “This surveillance technology has already caused harm in our communities, and all over the country,” said Alberto Parra of the \u003ca href=\"https://www.acceaction.org\">Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Action\u003c/a>, speaking in Spanish. “Oakland residents should not fear driving to work, church, or school, knowing that this data is going to be fed to a national system that’s accessible to ICE.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066779\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066779\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1504\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251210-License-Plate-Readers-02-KQED-1536x1155.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Law enforcement agencies across California have widely adopted automated license-plate readers to fight crime, but civil-rights advocates warn these surveillance networks also serve as data troves that can be accessed far beyond state borders. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Flock Safety)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Civil liberties advocates have sued both Oakland and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">San José\u003c/a>, alleging their use of automated license plate readers amounts to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“ALPRs, operating at the scale that they’re operating now, with the kind of vendors that are running these systems now, are posing a direct public safety threat,” said Sarah Hamid, director of strategic campaigns at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re living in a political climate where undocumented community members are being kidnapped off the street in broad daylight, where people’s healthcare is being criminalized, people’s political speech is being criminalized, and having this much location data information about everyone who drives in this country, and where they go, and when they go there, is fundamentally unsafe,” Hamid said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Automated License Plate Readers are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze millions of images, including vehicle location, date, time, as well as make, model, color, and details like dents and bumper stickers.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>OPD has a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/View-Attachment-A-7.pdf\">policy\u003c/a> outlining steps to follow when an outside agency seeks access to Oakland license plate data. Tuesday night, the council adopted a series of amendments to mollify data privacy concerns, including a “two-key” approval system requiring both the city’s Chief Privacy Officer and the OPD Information Technology Director to authorize any new data-sharing relationships, as well as quarterly independent compliance audits to be overseen by the City Auditor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Communities are in full control of who they share with,” said Trevor Chandler, director of public affairs for Flock. “Some communities choose to share with no one.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a \u003ca href=\"https://oaklandside.org/2025/11/18/oakland-police-lawsuit-license-plate-camera-flock-safety/\">recent lawsuit\u003c/a> filed against OPD, privacy advocate Brian Hofer claimed the department violated its own rules, alleging there are records of millions of external searches of Oakland’s system. Hofer recently stepped down from Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission, which \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066924/oaklands-license-plate-camera-contract-is-back-up-for-a-vote-critics-are-crying-foul\">voted against\u003c/a> reupping with Flock earlier this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hofer, who advises cities and counties across California, points out that more than 80 California cities have adopted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sanctuary-cities\">sanctuary laws\u003c/a> limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. But those policies, he argues, often stop short of governing how police departments collect, share and audit license plate reader data, a gap he said leaves agencies vulnerable to violating state law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under SB 34, California law enforcement agencies are required to adopt detailed usage and privacy policies governing ALPR data, restrict access to authorized purposes, and regularly audit searches to prevent misuse. Hofer calls many local approaches “performative,” arguing that city councils and city attorneys frequently approve surveillance programs without providing effective oversight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His concerns echo findings by the California \u003ca href=\"https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-advises-california-law-enforcement-legal-uses-and\">Attorney General’s office\u003c/a> two years ago, after a state audit found “the majority of California law enforcement agencies collect and use images captured by ALPR cameras, but few have appropriate usage and privacy policies in place.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051143\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051143\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250806-RICHMOND-POLICE-FILE-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Richmond Police Department in Richmond on Aug. 6, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Even if they do, federal laws supersede state laws. “If we get a federal court warrant, we’re still going to have to respond to it. We’re gonna still have to turn over the data,” Hofer said. “That’s why privacy folks like me are, like, don’t collect the data in the first place. Any data collected is data at risk,” Hofer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That risk is not hypothetical.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few weeks ago, Richmond’s new police chief, Tim Simmons, \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/richmondpolicecali/posts/pfbid02DLgEZwDpaCE6ZEXMyYboDY4EFiQFq8axkX2SG9YE6oQFUdgQDVuHMdPwx8xzXbpel\">shut down\u003c/a> its automated license plate reader system after Flock notified the police department of a configuration error that could have allowed outside law enforcement agencies to run searches of the city’s data.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the police department wrote in a Facebook post that it has no evidence any outside agency actually viewed Richmond’s data, Chief Simmons told\u003ca href=\"https://richmondside.org/2025/12/09/richmond-license-plate-reader-data-breach/\"> \u003cem>Richmondside\u003c/em>\u003c/a>, “The fact that it was made available was outside the scope of what we’ve been telling people and what has been told to us. So that was enough for me to shut the whole system down.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Frichmondpolicecali%2Fposts%2Fpfbid09K5X682FuFQ3nYULeSRsezaJXJbVde1TPy4BfFEXyjQfwCZ7mqf1g9s1NWFpZq4Wl&show_text=true&width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"750\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chandler from Flock said the company has shut off out-of-state access to camera data from California law enforcement agencies. “We’re working in as proactive a way as possible to ensure that these agencies have default compliance,” he said, noting that the customers contractually own the data. Each law enforcement agency also decides how long data is stored before being deleted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Richmond officials are not alone in harboring misgivings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In November, Santa Cruz officials decided to \u003ca href=\"https://lookout.co/city-of-santa-cruz-pauses-statewide-license-plate-data-sharing-citing-flock-safetys-violation-of-california-law/story\">temporarily limit\u003c/a> outside agencies’ access to the city’s license plate reader data and to review its agreement with Flock. The move followed testimony from Santa Cruz Police Chief Bernie Escalante, who told the city council that Flock disclosed earlier this year that it had allowed out-of-state law enforcement agencies to use a national search tool to access license plate data collected by California agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the summer, the \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/14/oakland-san-francisco-ice-license-plate-readers/\">San Francisco Standard\u003c/a> reported that OPD shared data from its camera systems with federal agencies. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/technology/2025/06/california-police-sharing-license-plate-reader-data/\">CalMatters reported\u003c/a> that law enforcement agencies in Southern California have shared information from automated license plate readers with federal agents as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And in a recent analysis of 10 months of nationwide searches on Flock’s servers, EFF discovered more than 50 federal, state, and local agencies — including some in California — ran hundreds of searches in connection with \u003ca href=\"https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/11/how-cops-are-using-flock-safetys-alpr-network-surveil-protesters-and-activists\">political protests\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hofer, who has sued Oakland twice over surveillance practices, said his frustration is not with Flock or its competitors in the industry. It’s with local elected officials. “They’re not connecting the dots. We are building these systems for Donald Trump. We are harvesting data for Donald Trump,” Hofer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Richmond's 'Minister of Food' Serves the Bay Area Southern BBQ, California Style",
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"headTitle": "Richmond’s ‘Minister of Food’ Serves the Bay Area Southern BBQ, California Style | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>For her series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiafoodways\">California Foodways\u003c/a>, Lisa Morehouse is reporting a story about food and farming from each of California’s 58 counties.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a corner in Richmond, California, there’s a business that has celebrated the city’s Black history and Southern roots for 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building is bright white with a hand-painted, red sign: “CJ’s BBQ and Fish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside, on a recent Monday morning, the small, efficient crew was busy prepping for the week. It was clear they’ve had years on the job, and with each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Reddick, who’s worked at CJ’s for about five years, sharpened knives. Larry Turner trimmed, rinsed and seasoned slabs of ribs, the way he’s done for more than 15 years. Nick Gamble took inventory of the freezers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching and managing it all was Gamble’s uncle, Charles Evans — CJ himself — who’s nearly 80.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065457\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065457\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nick Gamble barbeques ribs at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025, serving barbecue, seafood and Southern-style comfort food. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They try to keep me out of here, but they can’t,” Evans said, with a twinkle in his eye. “They can’t do what I do. I show them all how to do everything: cook, clean, repair, fix. I mean, that’s the running of the restaurant. It ain’t just one thing. You’ve got to do it all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CJ’s has a brick cooker inside, but Evans prefers to cook outdoors in portable pits, in a lot surrounded by a chain link fence. He pointed to an enormous one he calls “Big Black,” which he uses for busy summer days or off-site catering jobs for clients like Chevron and the University of California. He can feed up to 800 people and safely cook four different meats — ribs, chicken, links and beef — all at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking outside and filling the air with a meaty aroma is great marketing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’d be surprised how many people stop when they get that smell,” he said. “They smell it, you give them a taste. Bam, you got ’em.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside, above the few tables and small counter, a TV plays soap operas all day long. Evans loves his stories, which is fitting of the staff’s dynamic, Reddick noted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re like a soap opera. We’re one big soap opera family. We’re all his children,” he said, laughing.[aside postID=news_12058556 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20251002_REDWOODEMPIRE_GC-28-KQED.jpg']Shaking his head, Evans said, “Yeah, they’re all mine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant could be a soap opera, or maybe a church. While everyone worked, Gamble quietly sang hymns to himself. Evans referred to Reddick as “Rev” — for Reverend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Rev knows he keeps us in order,” Evans said. “He gives us the word. He has to quote the Bible on us a couple times a day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They joke around a lot here, Evans said, “but I don’t play with God.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All my friends are preachers. I know every minister in town comes through here. But they call me the Minister of Food. They give ’em the word, and I give ’em the bread.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he shares the word, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve got a lot of young nephews, cousins, friends, people. I preach to them,” Evans said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes the guys hanging out on the street corner. Evans pointed out of the window, across the street: “They come out there and drink a little bit and do whatever they do, and then they’re gone. They don’t bother us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They actually look out for CJ’s, he said. The shop doesn’t get tagged, customers aren’t bothered. The one time he was burgled, the guys on the corner identified the perpetrators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Reddick prepped a plate of oxtails for a regular customer, Princess Crockett, Evans told him to add a little more food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065454\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Reddick takes an order from a customer at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She comes around in her little walker,” Evans said. “I try to take care of my seniors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like everything he got in there,” said Crockett, but she likes oxtails the best. Crockett has lived in Richmond since 1945, when, as a 5-year-old, she and her family arrived on a Greyhound bus from St. Louis, Missouri. She lives in senior housing around the corner and comes to CJ’s at least once a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Okay, Princess, here you go, baby,” Evans said, handing Crockett her order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back at the pit, Turner checked on the links and put down some ribs. He adjusted the height of the metal grid where the meat cooks so it’s just the right distance from the charcoal, and he watched carefully, making sure the charcoal didn’t flame up and burn the meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cook by heat, not by fire,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s tiring work, raising the pit all day, but Turner said it’s worth it for the smiles he sees on the faces of customers enjoying the food. “It gives me a rush. And I love it,” he continued.[aside postID=news_12047368 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250702-OaklandProduceMarket-13-BL_qed.jpg']Cooking meat with smoke on a fire is something done all over the world, but in the U.S., there are lots of nuances, broad regional differences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“North Carolina, Georgia — they got that vinegary taste. Memphis has a taste of its own. You know, with the sauces and the rubs. Mid-Texas, they have theirs in between,” Evans said. “So, I came up with California -Southern barbecue because we’re from Arkansas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Evans family hails from Lewisville, population 1,280, between Hope and Texarkana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My grandpa bought some land in Arkansas. We still have 200 acres,” he said. “He used to grow sugar cane, make sugar cane syrup. And he grew cucumbers,” for making pickles. Evans and his family went back every summer to help with the crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family moved to Richmond to work in the shipyards for World War II, Evans explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 1940s, Henry J. Kaiser developed four ship-building facilities in the city, where nearly 750 ships were built. The population of Richmond nearly quadrupled as women, African Americans and out-of-state workers were recruited for the war effort. Evans’s father worked as a welder. His aunt had a job here, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She was a Rosie the Riveter,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evans was a “wartime baby,” one of 11 kids of Joseph and Flora Evans. His mom just died last year at the age of 105.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles “CJ” Evans stands in the doorway at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Everybody in Richmond knew her. Everybody talks so highly of her. They had her funeral at the auditorium around here and packed it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When her kids were growing up, Flora Evans made sure they knew the basics. “She taught us to cook, sew and clean,” he said. Evans learned Southern soul food recipes from her. His dad was the barbecue guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He used to cook it in the backyard. He had made a pit out of an old washing machine, took the side out, took his torch, cut a hole in it. Let it smoke. He took an old refrigerator, gutted it, and put him some racks in there. They were inventive back then.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evans never planned on starting a restaurant. He drove for the East Bay’s public bus system.“I was driving a bus for AC Transit, routes 72P, 72M, from here to Oakland, 105 stops going and 105 stops coming back. Then I drove the school bus in the afternoon, picking up school kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a back injury ended that career, he turned to the food he’d been taught to make his whole life. He took cooking classes at Contra Costa College and a meat-cutting course in Southern California before opening a (now closed) place in Fairfield and then this spot in Richmond 30 years ago.[aside postID=news_12042713 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/250301-ANDERSONVALLEYGRANGE-01-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']He said he started off small, with only two or three slabs of ribs a day. Today, he works with up to 400 slabs a week between his two locations in Richmond and Vallejo. He added fish and Southern soul food favorites. And he’s super hands-on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not just [a] sit-down boss, I’m a working boss,” he said, prepping what he calls the “chop chop” for CJ’s macaroni salad, which he makes 10 gallons of on an average Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We call it chop chop — that’s the onion, bell pepper, celery. Chop chop! ‘Cause we’ve gotta chop it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evans played with the seasonings until he was satisfied with the flavors.\u003cem> “\u003c/em>I know that’s right. I know nothing’s wrong with that,” he said, sampling the batch in front of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This obsessiveness may be the key to the longevity of this shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people actually try to change their recipes or take shortcuts,” Evans said, “but people are funny. They can tell when you change anything. They can tell when I didn’t make something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddick nodded his head in agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s important to Evans to be consistent, to be a reliable spot in Richmond, a city that’s had a lot of good times and a lot of hard times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Back in the day of the wartime, everybody was bustling out here,” he said. “Shipyards, everything during the war. Everybody had a job. I’ve seen Richmond grow and go downhill and come back uphill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065452\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065452\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evans, Reddick and Nate Miles work in the kitchen at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And he said, he’s seen the racial makeup of Richmond change a lot, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once predominantly Black, many of Richmond’s families moved to places like Stockton, Antioch and Sacramento. Now, Richmond — and Evans’ family — is really diverse. Half of his customers are Latino, and his menu is printed in both English and Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he also wants CJ’s to be a place the Black community with ties to Richmond can return to connect with their roots, even folks who’ve moved away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m the first place in town that they hit. ‘Charles, where’s so-and-so? Where’s Miss So-and-so? Where’s the kids at?’ I try to keep up with everybody. If I don’t know, somebody in here knows.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, Evans has a reputation in Richmond as the Minister of Food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All my roots are here. \u003cem>Everybody\u003c/em> in here knows me,” he said. “Where else I’m gonna go and get the recognition?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"headline": "Richmond's 'Minister of Food' Serves the Bay Area Southern BBQ, California Style",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>For her series \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/californiafoodways\">California Foodways\u003c/a>, Lisa Morehouse is reporting a story about food and farming from each of California’s 58 counties.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a corner in Richmond, California, there’s a business that has celebrated the city’s Black history and Southern roots for 30 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The building is bright white with a hand-painted, red sign: “CJ’s BBQ and Fish.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside, on a recent Monday morning, the small, efficient crew was busy prepping for the week. It was clear they’ve had years on the job, and with each other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Reddick, who’s worked at CJ’s for about five years, sharpened knives. Larry Turner trimmed, rinsed and seasoned slabs of ribs, the way he’s done for more than 15 years. Nick Gamble took inventory of the freezers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Watching and managing it all was Gamble’s uncle, Charles Evans — CJ himself — who’s nearly 80.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065457\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065457\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-37-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nick Gamble barbeques ribs at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025, serving barbecue, seafood and Southern-style comfort food. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“They try to keep me out of here, but they can’t,” Evans said, with a twinkle in his eye. “They can’t do what I do. I show them all how to do everything: cook, clean, repair, fix. I mean, that’s the running of the restaurant. It ain’t just one thing. You’ve got to do it all.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CJ’s has a brick cooker inside, but Evans prefers to cook outdoors in portable pits, in a lot surrounded by a chain link fence. He pointed to an enormous one he calls “Big Black,” which he uses for busy summer days or off-site catering jobs for clients like Chevron and the University of California. He can feed up to 800 people and safely cook four different meats — ribs, chicken, links and beef — all at the same time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cooking outside and filling the air with a meaty aroma is great marketing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’d be surprised how many people stop when they get that smell,” he said. “They smell it, you give them a taste. Bam, you got ’em.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Inside, above the few tables and small counter, a TV plays soap operas all day long. Evans loves his stories, which is fitting of the staff’s dynamic, Reddick noted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re like a soap opera. We’re one big soap opera family. We’re all his children,” he said, laughing.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Shaking his head, Evans said, “Yeah, they’re all mine.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The restaurant could be a soap opera, or maybe a church. While everyone worked, Gamble quietly sang hymns to himself. Evans referred to Reddick as “Rev” — for Reverend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Rev knows he keeps us in order,” Evans said. “He gives us the word. He has to quote the Bible on us a couple times a day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They joke around a lot here, Evans said, “but I don’t play with God.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All my friends are preachers. I know every minister in town comes through here. But they call me the Minister of Food. They give ’em the word, and I give ’em the bread.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although he shares the word, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve got a lot of young nephews, cousins, friends, people. I preach to them,” Evans said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That includes the guys hanging out on the street corner. Evans pointed out of the window, across the street: “They come out there and drink a little bit and do whatever they do, and then they’re gone. They don’t bother us.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They actually look out for CJ’s, he said. The shop doesn’t get tagged, customers aren’t bothered. The one time he was burgled, the guys on the corner identified the perpetrators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Reddick prepped a plate of oxtails for a regular customer, Princess Crockett, Evans told him to add a little more food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065454\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065454\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-22-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Reddick takes an order from a customer at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“She comes around in her little walker,” Evans said. “I try to take care of my seniors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I like everything he got in there,” said Crockett, but she likes oxtails the best. Crockett has lived in Richmond since 1945, when, as a 5-year-old, she and her family arrived on a Greyhound bus from St. Louis, Missouri. She lives in senior housing around the corner and comes to CJ’s at least once a week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Okay, Princess, here you go, baby,” Evans said, handing Crockett her order.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back at the pit, Turner checked on the links and put down some ribs. He adjusted the height of the metal grid where the meat cooks so it’s just the right distance from the charcoal, and he watched carefully, making sure the charcoal didn’t flame up and burn the meat.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cook by heat, not by fire,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s tiring work, raising the pit all day, but Turner said it’s worth it for the smiles he sees on the faces of customers enjoying the food. “It gives me a rush. And I love it,” he continued.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Cooking meat with smoke on a fire is something done all over the world, but in the U.S., there are lots of nuances, broad regional differences.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“North Carolina, Georgia — they got that vinegary taste. Memphis has a taste of its own. You know, with the sauces and the rubs. Mid-Texas, they have theirs in between,” Evans said. “So, I came up with California -Southern barbecue because we’re from Arkansas.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Evans family hails from Lewisville, population 1,280, between Hope and Texarkana.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My grandpa bought some land in Arkansas. We still have 200 acres,” he said. “He used to grow sugar cane, make sugar cane syrup. And he grew cucumbers,” for making pickles. Evans and his family went back every summer to help with the crops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The family moved to Richmond to work in the shipyards for World War II, Evans explained.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the early 1940s, Henry J. Kaiser developed four ship-building facilities in the city, where nearly 750 ships were built. The population of Richmond nearly quadrupled as women, African Americans and out-of-state workers were recruited for the war effort. Evans’s father worked as a welder. His aunt had a job here, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She was a Rosie the Riveter,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evans was a “wartime baby,” one of 11 kids of Joseph and Flora Evans. His mom just died last year at the age of 105.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065453\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065453\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-21-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Charles “CJ” Evans stands in the doorway at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Everybody in Richmond knew her. Everybody talks so highly of her. They had her funeral at the auditorium around here and packed it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When her kids were growing up, Flora Evans made sure they knew the basics. “She taught us to cook, sew and clean,” he said. Evans learned Southern soul food recipes from her. His dad was the barbecue guy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He used to cook it in the backyard. He had made a pit out of an old washing machine, took the side out, took his torch, cut a hole in it. Let it smoke. He took an old refrigerator, gutted it, and put him some racks in there. They were inventive back then.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evans never planned on starting a restaurant. He drove for the East Bay’s public bus system.“I was driving a bus for AC Transit, routes 72P, 72M, from here to Oakland, 105 stops going and 105 stops coming back. Then I drove the school bus in the afternoon, picking up school kids.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a back injury ended that career, he turned to the food he’d been taught to make his whole life. He took cooking classes at Contra Costa College and a meat-cutting course in Southern California before opening a (now closed) place in Fairfield and then this spot in Richmond 30 years ago.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>He said he started off small, with only two or three slabs of ribs a day. Today, he works with up to 400 slabs a week between his two locations in Richmond and Vallejo. He added fish and Southern soul food favorites. And he’s super hands-on.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m not just [a] sit-down boss, I’m a working boss,” he said, prepping what he calls the “chop chop” for CJ’s macaroni salad, which he makes 10 gallons of on an average Monday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We call it chop chop — that’s the onion, bell pepper, celery. Chop chop! ‘Cause we’ve gotta chop it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Evans played with the seasonings until he was satisfied with the flavors.\u003cem> “\u003c/em>I know that’s right. I know nothing’s wrong with that,” he said, sampling the batch in front of him.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This obsessiveness may be the key to the longevity of this shop.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people actually try to change their recipes or take shortcuts,” Evans said, “but people are funny. They can tell when you change anything. They can tell when I didn’t make something.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Reddick nodded his head in agreement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s important to Evans to be consistent, to be a reliable spot in Richmond, a city that’s had a lot of good times and a lot of hard times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Back in the day of the wartime, everybody was bustling out here,” he said. “Shipyards, everything during the war. Everybody had a job. I’ve seen Richmond grow and go downhill and come back uphill.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12065452\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12065452\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251119-CJSBBQANDFISH-17-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Evans, Reddick and Nate Miles work in the kitchen at CJ’s BBQ and Fish in Richmond on Nov. 19, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And he said, he’s seen the racial makeup of Richmond change a lot, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once predominantly Black, many of Richmond’s families moved to places like Stockton, Antioch and Sacramento. Now, Richmond — and Evans’ family — is really diverse. Half of his customers are Latino, and his menu is printed in both English and Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he also wants CJ’s to be a place the Black community with ties to Richmond can return to connect with their roots, even folks who’ve moved away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m the first place in town that they hit. ‘Charles, where’s so-and-so? Where’s Miss So-and-so? Where’s the kids at?’ I try to keep up with everybody. If I don’t know, somebody in here knows.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After all, Evans has a reputation in Richmond as the Minister of Food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All my roots are here. \u003cem>Everybody\u003c/em> in here knows me,” he said. “Where else I’m gonna go and get the recognition?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "west-contra-costa-teachers-agree-to-end-strike-and-return-to-class-after-a-week",
"title": "West Contra Costa Teachers Agree to End Strike and Return to Class After a Week",
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"headTitle": "West Contra Costa Teachers Agree to End Strike and Return to Class After a Week | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa County teachers\u003c/a> agreed to end their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066054/after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table\">first-ever strike\u003c/a> early Wednesday, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school district overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators will return to regular classroom instruction on Thursday, a week after they first walked off the job, according to the United Teachers of Richmond and the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment,” union president Francisco Ortiz said in a statement. “We are committed now, more than ever, to improving learning conditions for our students, because when they thrive, our communities thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes 8% raises over that period for all members, and additional wage increases for special education teachers. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will offer a 100% employer-paid family health care benefit by June 2027 and commit to other provisions that improve classroom conditions and protect international teachers from the threat of changing immigration regulations, such as new high price tags for H-1B visas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement, which the district said is framed around a proposal from the school board, still needs to be ratified by the union and formally ratified by the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the learning environments our students deserve,” said Gabrielle Micheletti, union vice president and co-bargaining chair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortiz told KQED that the union was “encouraged and excited” that the board was aligning with their vision for district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UTR and the school district \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">began negotiating for a contract\u003c/a> to span the current and next school year eight months ago. Over more than a dozen bargaining sessions, the parties failed to reach a consensus on wages and health care coverage, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union’s initial ask was a 10% raise over two years and full benefit coverage, while the district’s final offer came out to just a 3% salary increase during that time and some additional benefit coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WCCUSD said it made that offer despite a budget shortfall. The union said it could, and must, offer more, prompting the work stoppage that began last week.[aside postID=news_12066401 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00616_TV-KQED.jpg']The strike disrupted instruction across WCCUSD’s 56 schools as many families kept their students home. On the first day of the strike, more than 1,300 of the district’s 28,000 students registered for an independent study curriculum they could complete for attendance credit as an alternative to coming in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the first two days of the strike, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">teachers were joined\u003c/a> by 1,400 district custodians, food service workers and bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 856, who had also been in unfruitful contract negotiations with the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract over the weekend, allowing some school operations to resume on Monday, but classroom interruptions continued through the start of this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the strike, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and continue to provide meals for students. She noted, though, that it would not feel like normal days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Ortiz said on the picket lines, the union received strong support from families and elected leaders. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond urged the parties to return to the negotiating table Sunday, offering to convene bargaining teams the following day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They see our students go disinvested in for far too long, and they know that change is necessary,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the union will continue to push for smaller class sizes and improvements to special education programs in the future. According to Ortiz, the district’s special education director and superintendent were not present in bargaining sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that that’s a bigger fight ahead for special education, when we have leadership that is actually engaged in these processes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining continued past 2 a.m., Wednesday, the day will be an optional classroom preparation day for teachers before classes resume on Thursday. Schools will remain open, as they have throughout the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are relieved that the strike is over and our students and teachers will be reunited,” the district said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa County teachers\u003c/a> agreed to end their \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066054/after-west-contra-costa-teachers-launch-strike-both-sides-will-return-to-the-table\">first-ever strike\u003c/a> early Wednesday, after reaching a tentative contract agreement with the school district overnight.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators will return to regular classroom instruction on Thursday, a week after they first walked off the job, according to the United Teachers of Richmond and the school district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our fight for stability and respect was not easy and is not over. But make no mistake, our historic strike has broken a vicious cycle of neglect and disinvestment,” union president Francisco Ortiz said in a statement. “We are committed now, more than ever, to improving learning conditions for our students, because when they thrive, our communities thrive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The two-year agreement includes 8% raises over that period for all members, and additional wage increases for special education teachers. The West Contra Costa Unified School District will offer a 100% employer-paid family health care benefit by June 2027 and commit to other provisions that improve classroom conditions and protect international teachers from the threat of changing immigration regulations, such as new high price tags for H-1B visas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The tentative agreement, which the district said is framed around a proposal from the school board, still needs to be ratified by the union and formally ratified by the board.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This contract is a strong foundation for us to continue to build the learning environments our students deserve,” said Gabrielle Micheletti, union vice president and co-bargaining chair.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ortiz told KQED that the union was “encouraged and excited” that the board was aligning with their vision for district schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UTR and the school district \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">began negotiating for a contract\u003c/a> to span the current and next school year eight months ago. Over more than a dozen bargaining sessions, the parties failed to reach a consensus on wages and health care coverage, among other issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union’s initial ask was a 10% raise over two years and full benefit coverage, while the district’s final offer came out to just a 3% salary increase during that time and some additional benefit coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>WCCUSD said it made that offer despite a budget shortfall. The union said it could, and must, offer more, prompting the work stoppage that began last week.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The strike disrupted instruction across WCCUSD’s 56 schools as many families kept their students home. On the first day of the strike, more than 1,300 of the district’s 28,000 students registered for an independent study curriculum they could complete for attendance credit as an alternative to coming in person.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the first two days of the strike, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12066401/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work\">teachers were joined\u003c/a> by 1,400 district custodians, food service workers and bus drivers represented by Teamsters Local 856, who had also been in unfruitful contract negotiations with the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They reached a tentative agreement on a three-year contract over the weekend, allowing some school operations to resume on Monday, but classroom interruptions continued through the start of this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Throughout the strike, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and continue to provide meals for students. She noted, though, that it would not feel like normal days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Ortiz said on the picket lines, the union received strong support from families and elected leaders. State Superintendent Tony Thurmond urged the parties to return to the negotiating table Sunday, offering to convene bargaining teams the following day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They see our students go disinvested in for far too long, and they know that change is necessary,” Ortiz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>He said the union will continue to push for smaller class sizes and improvements to special education programs in the future. According to Ortiz, the district’s special education director and superintendent were not present in bargaining sessions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We know that that’s a bigger fight ahead for special education, when we have leadership that is actually engaged in these processes,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since bargaining continued past 2 a.m., Wednesday, the day will be an optional classroom preparation day for teachers before classes resume on Thursday. Schools will remain open, as they have throughout the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are relieved that the strike is over and our students and teachers will be reunited,” the district said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/aaliahmad\">\u003cem>Ayah Ali-Ahmad\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "west-contra-costa-teachers-strike-continues-as-support-staff-return-to-work",
"title": "West Contra Costa Teachers Strike Continues as Support Staff Return to Work",
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"headTitle": "West Contra Costa Teachers Strike Continues as Support Staff Return to Work | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Teachers in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa Unified School District\u003c/a> entered their third day of a strike on Monday, with some maintenance and service workers returning to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While teachers rallied at the Richmond Civic Center, calling for higher wages, smaller class sizes and better benefit coverage, the union representing custodians, food service workers and bus drivers reached a tentative agreement with the district over the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The split marked a significant development in the 10-month-long labor dispute simmering in the district’s 56 school sites. Teamsters Local 856 \u003ca href=\"https://teamsters856.org/wccusd/\">announced\u003c/a> Sunday evening that they had secured a three-year contract that includes a 3% retroactive raise for 2025, a 4% raise for 2026, and fully paid medical benefits starting in January 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With support staff back on the job, some school operations resumed Monday, even as instruction remained disrupted by the absence of the United Teachers of Richmond, which represents roughly 1,500 educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the community rally, Christina Baronian, a teacher at Lake Elementary and a member of the bargaining team, told the crowd that UTR worked late into Saturday night to provide a comprehensive counterproposal, only to be met with silence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should be back in our classrooms right now,” Baronian said. “But because the district decided that they didn’t need to show up yesterday and continue negotiating with us, here we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066308\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families continue their strike at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In particular, staff expressed frustrations over the timeline of negotiations, with both sides offering conflicting narratives about the schedule. In a statement issued Monday morning, UTR leadership claimed they were notified that the district was “refusing to return to the bargaining table until sometime next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s lack of urgency and refusal to bargain in good faith is the wrong message to send to our community,” the union said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, WCCUSD officials said the district had explicitly invited the union to continue negotiations on Dec. 9.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s fiscal team, with the assistance of statewide fiscal experts, are thoroughly yet promptly evaluating the counterproposal,” the district said in a statement. “We are making some progress toward resolution and hope to return to regular school operations this week.”[aside postID=news_12066054 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01085_TV-KQED.jpg']The district has argued it is facing tight budget constraints and must ensure it can meet long-term financial obligations while maintaining core services. But the union said the district can afford its ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Richmond’s Civic Center, educators and students spoke passionately about the daily realities of the classroom, describing a “staffing crisis” caused by low retention. They argued this has resulted in overcrowded classes, a reliance on long-term substitutes and poor facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students described having to sometimes sit on classroom floors due to a lack of desks or endure classrooms that are freezing cold or overheating due to crumbling infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here one more day because the district has failed to provide our teachers with an offer that respects their work,” said Sasha Hahn, a student at El Cerrito High School and the student member of the Board of Education. “Every day that the district doesn’t negotiate with our teachers is another day that us as students are being neglected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally drew support from local politicians and labor leaders from across the state. Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told the crowd that districts rely on “fear, uncertainty and doubt” to break strikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Local officials, including Richmond City Councilmember Soheila Bana and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, also urged the district and WCCUSD Superintendent Cheryl Cotton to act faster to work out a solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a chance this morning to reach out and communicate with the superintendent to encourage her to encourage the district bargaining team to get back to the table today,” Gioia said. “There is nothing more important than getting schools back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eryka Cheval, a parent of two daughters at Montalvin Manor Elementary, questioned the district’s budgeting priorities and echoed the union’s sentiment that money is being mismanaged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our teachers want to be back with our students. And the district is the only thing getting in the way,” Cheval said to the crowd. “Enough is enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he is monitoring the situation. According to the district, Thurmond has “urged the Parties to continue working toward a resolution that will end the strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"headline": "West Contra Costa Teachers Strike Continues as Support Staff Return to Work",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Teachers in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa Unified School District\u003c/a> entered their third day of a strike on Monday, with some maintenance and service workers returning to work.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While teachers rallied at the Richmond Civic Center, calling for higher wages, smaller class sizes and better benefit coverage, the union representing custodians, food service workers and bus drivers reached a tentative agreement with the district over the weekend.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The split marked a significant development in the 10-month-long labor dispute simmering in the district’s 56 school sites. Teamsters Local 856 \u003ca href=\"https://teamsters856.org/wccusd/\">announced\u003c/a> Sunday evening that they had secured a three-year contract that includes a 3% retroactive raise for 2025, a 4% raise for 2026, and fully paid medical benefits starting in January 2026.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With support staff back on the job, some school operations resumed Monday, even as instruction remained disrupted by the absence of the United Teachers of Richmond, which represents roughly 1,500 educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the community rally, Christina Baronian, a teacher at Lake Elementary and a member of the bargaining team, told the crowd that UTR worked late into Saturday night to provide a comprehensive counterproposal, only to be met with silence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We should be back in our classrooms right now,” Baronian said. “But because the district decided that they didn’t need to show up yesterday and continue negotiating with us, here we are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066308\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066308\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00960_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families continue their strike at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In particular, staff expressed frustrations over the timeline of negotiations, with both sides offering conflicting narratives about the schedule. In a statement issued Monday morning, UTR leadership claimed they were notified that the district was “refusing to return to the bargaining table until sometime next week.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s lack of urgency and refusal to bargain in good faith is the wrong message to send to our community,” the union said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, WCCUSD officials said the district had explicitly invited the union to continue negotiations on Dec. 9.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The District’s fiscal team, with the assistance of statewide fiscal experts, are thoroughly yet promptly evaluating the counterproposal,” the district said in a statement. “We are making some progress toward resolution and hope to return to regular school operations this week.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The district has argued it is facing tight budget constraints and must ensure it can meet long-term financial obligations while maintaining core services. But the union said the district can afford its ask.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At Richmond’s Civic Center, educators and students spoke passionately about the daily realities of the classroom, describing a “staffing crisis” caused by low retention. They argued this has resulted in overcrowded classes, a reliance on long-term substitutes and poor facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Students described having to sometimes sit on classroom floors due to a lack of desks or endure classrooms that are freezing cold or overheating due to crumbling infrastructure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re here one more day because the district has failed to provide our teachers with an offer that respects their work,” said Sasha Hahn, a student at El Cerrito High School and the student member of the Board of Education. “Every day that the district doesn’t negotiate with our teachers is another day that us as students are being neglected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rally drew support from local politicians and labor leaders from across the state. Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, told the crowd that districts rely on “fear, uncertainty and doubt” to break strikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Local officials, including Richmond City Councilmember Soheila Bana and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, also urged the district and WCCUSD Superintendent Cheryl Cotton to act faster to work out a solution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I had a chance this morning to reach out and communicate with the superintendent to encourage her to encourage the district bargaining team to get back to the table today,” Gioia said. “There is nothing more important than getting schools back.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eryka Cheval, a parent of two daughters at Montalvin Manor Elementary, questioned the district’s budgeting priorities and echoed the union’s sentiment that money is being mismanaged.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our teachers want to be back with our students. And the district is the only thing getting in the way,” Cheval said to the crowd. “Enough is enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said he is monitoring the situation. According to the district, Thurmond has “urged the Parties to continue working toward a resolution that will end the strike.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "As West Contra Costa Teachers Strike, Negotiations Seem to Show Little Progress",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, Dec. 5:\u003c/strong> Striking teachers and West Contra Costa Unified School District officials reunited for bargaining Thursday afternoon after the first day of the walkout, but the two sides came away with strikingly contradictory descriptions of the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am pleased to share that the district and UTR negotiations teams met this afternoon, and we are making progress on our negotiations,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said in a video message Thursday night. “It was a productive discussion, and we are making our way forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, during a Friday morning rally, union president Francisco Ortiz said the meeting was brief, district officials were 30 minutes late and they had no written proposals to offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We let them know that we’re prepared to negotiate with them when they have something written down that we can consider,” Ortiz said. “Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any urgency regarding the settling of the contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district did not respond to questions about the conflicting messaging or attendance figures for the first day of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides have said they’re open to continued negotiations in the hopes of reaching a deal and ending the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, Dec. 4 \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bundled against the morning cold, teachers marched outside the Nystrom Elementary School entrance in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> early Thursday, cheering as passing cars honked, and carrying yellow and red picket signs reading “We Can’t Wait.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators at all 56 West Contra Costa Unified School District sites picketed before and during school drop-off on the first day of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">an open-ended strike\u003c/a>, marching for higher pay, smaller class sizes and a reduction of the use of long-term substitute teachers and outside contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months of negotiations and a mediation process have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">failed to yield an agreement\u003c/a> on a new three-year teaching contract. But Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton announced that the district and union had agreed to renegotiate and would meet at 4 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My hope is that we can reach agreement on salary and benefits and then turn our attention to collaboratively outline an action plan to address the deep-rooted, systemic issues that exist in our organization,” Cotton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is facing a projected deficit and has maintained that its budget cannot support additional raises for teachers without risking a state takeover. Union members have argued that the district overspends on outside contractors rather than investing in district educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside Nystrom Elementary on Thursday morning, striking teachers chanted slogans such as “Education is a right, that is why we have to fight.”[aside postID=news_12065732 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250723-WEST-CO-CO-ICE-MD-04-KQED.jpg']“I’ve been here for 13 years and seen a lot of teachers come and go and the impact that has on our kids,” said Jocelyn Rohan, a sixth-grade teacher at Nystrom Elementary. “It’s hard to want to stay somewhere when you’re not being paid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many families chose to keep their children home as the strike began. Of about 440 students enrolled at Nystrom Elementary, just 87 attended class on Thursday, according to the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Missing school to support the strike is not considered an excused absence by the district. For families that did not want to come to school, the district offered an alternative independent study curriculum that students could do at home and still receive school attendance credit. About 1,300 students registered for the curriculum out of the 28,000 in the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people work, they ask for raises so they can support their families,” Nystrom Elementary parent Nidia Lopez said in Spanish, through a teacher interpreter. “If they don’t get a raise, they’ll find work somewhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lopez brought her children to school, but she decided to take them home once she realized there was a strike, saying that there wasn’t a point to having her children in school if the teachers weren’t there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066163\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nedea Lopez walks her children to school as West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers strike outside Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other parents brought their children to school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrishiana Lee, parent of three children in the district, told KQED over a phone call as her children were being dropped off by their father that she supported the union but was frustrated with the strike. All of her children have special needs, she said, and she didn’t have an alternative for the services they needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With the strike, my baby can’t go to school,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For weeks, the district has been planning to keep schools open in the case of a strike. In October, the school board voted to pay up to $550 per day for substitute teachers during the strike period, up from the regular day rate of up to $280.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In an email to parents and the school community on Wednesday, Superintendent Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and that meals would continue to be served to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cotton has expressed empathy for the union’s demands, but she has maintained that the district’s budget cannot afford them and that the strike is harmful to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The strike will not fix these problems,” Cotton said in an email statement on Wednesday. “A strike takes teachers out of classrooms, harms relationships, and makes it harder to recruit and retain strong educators. … We are heartbroken for our students. They deserve stability, care, and a learning environment where adults work together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Meghan Crebbin-Coates is a student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and a contributor to KQED.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, Dec. 5:\u003c/strong> Striking teachers and West Contra Costa Unified School District officials reunited for bargaining Thursday afternoon after the first day of the walkout, but the two sides came away with strikingly contradictory descriptions of the meeting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am pleased to share that the district and UTR negotiations teams met this afternoon, and we are making progress on our negotiations,” Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said in a video message Thursday night. “It was a productive discussion, and we are making our way forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, during a Friday morning rally, union president Francisco Ortiz said the meeting was brief, district officials were 30 minutes late and they had no written proposals to offer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We let them know that we’re prepared to negotiate with them when they have something written down that we can consider,” Ortiz said. “Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any urgency regarding the settling of the contract.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district did not respond to questions about the conflicting messaging or attendance figures for the first day of the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both sides have said they’re open to continued negotiations in the hopes of reaching a deal and ending the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066311\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY01296_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Francisco Ortiz speaks at a rally during the West Contra Costa United School District rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on Dec. 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, Dec. 4 \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bundled against the morning cold, teachers marched outside the Nystrom Elementary School entrance in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/richmond\">Richmond\u003c/a> early Thursday, cheering as passing cars honked, and carrying yellow and red picket signs reading “We Can’t Wait.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Educators at all 56 West Contra Costa Unified School District sites picketed before and during school drop-off on the first day of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065732/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-set-to-strike-across-the-bay-area-more-could-follow\">an open-ended strike\u003c/a>, marching for higher pay, smaller class sizes and a reduction of the use of long-term substitute teachers and outside contractors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Months of negotiations and a mediation process have \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065486/west-contra-costa-teachers-are-near-a-pivotal-moment-in-their-potential-strike\">failed to yield an agreement\u003c/a> on a new three-year teaching contract. But Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Cheryl Cotton announced that the district and union had agreed to renegotiate and would meet at 4 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066164\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066164\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_09-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Teacher Jackie Reyes and her daughter Adelina join other West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers on strike at El Cerrito High School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“My hope is that we can reach agreement on salary and benefits and then turn our attention to collaboratively outline an action plan to address the deep-rooted, systemic issues that exist in our organization,” Cotton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district is facing a projected deficit and has maintained that its budget cannot support additional raises for teachers without risking a state takeover. Union members have argued that the district overspends on outside contractors rather than investing in district educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside Nystrom Elementary on Thursday morning, striking teachers chanted slogans such as “Education is a right, that is why we have to fight.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I’ve been here for 13 years and seen a lot of teachers come and go and the impact that has on our kids,” said Jocelyn Rohan, a sixth-grade teacher at Nystrom Elementary. “It’s hard to want to stay somewhere when you’re not being paid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many families chose to keep their children home as the strike began. Of about 440 students enrolled at Nystrom Elementary, just 87 attended class on Thursday, according to the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Missing school to support the strike is not considered an excused absence by the district. For families that did not want to come to school, the district offered an alternative independent study curriculum that students could do at home and still receive school attendance credit. About 1,300 students registered for the curriculum out of the 28,000 in the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When people work, they ask for raises so they can support their families,” Nystrom Elementary parent Nidia Lopez said in Spanish, through a teacher interpreter. “If they don’t get a raise, they’ll find work somewhere else.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lopez brought her children to school, but she decided to take them home once she realized there was a strike, saying that there wasn’t a point to having her children in school if the teachers weren’t there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066163\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066163\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/20251204_RT_STRIKE_XZ_05-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nedea Lopez walks her children to school as West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers strike outside Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond on Dec. 4, 2025. \u003ccite>(Xavier Zamora for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Other parents brought their children to school.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Harrishiana Lee, parent of three children in the district, told KQED over a phone call as her children were being dropped off by their father that she supported the union but was frustrated with the strike. All of her children have special needs, she said, and she didn’t have an alternative for the services they needed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With the strike, my baby can’t go to school,” Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For weeks, the district has been planning to keep schools open in the case of a strike. In October, the school board voted to pay up to $550 per day for substitute teachers during the strike period, up from the regular day rate of up to $280.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12066306\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12066306\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251205-WCCUSDSTRIKERALLY00410_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified School District teachers and families play with a parachute as children run under during a strike rally at Marina Bay Park in Richmond on December 5, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In an email to parents and the school community on Wednesday, Superintendent Cotton said that schools would “provide safe and supportive classrooms and learning activities” and that meals would continue to be served to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Cotton has expressed empathy for the union’s demands, but she has maintained that the district’s budget cannot afford them and that the strike is harmful to students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The strike will not fix these problems,” Cotton said in an email statement on Wednesday. “A strike takes teachers out of classrooms, harms relationships, and makes it harder to recruit and retain strong educators. … We are heartbroken for our students. They deserve stability, care, and a learning environment where adults work together.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Meghan Crebbin-Coates is a student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and a contributor to KQED.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Nearly 3,000 teachers and staff from the West Contra Costa Unified School district went on strike Thursday morning after negotiations with the district broke down. It’s the latest in a series of labor disputes between educators and districts \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2025/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike/745896?amp=1\">across California\u003c/a>. Today, Jana Kadah, education reporter with Richmondside, talks to us from the field about why West Contra Costa educators walked off the job for the first time in the district’s history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://richmondside.org/2025/12/02/wccusd-strike-guide-faq-for-parents/\">Richmondside: Is your family prepared for WCCUSD teachers strike? Here’s what to know\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC8523906778\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:00] I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to the Bay, local news to keep you rooted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chanting \u003c/strong>[00:00:09] When I say union, you say power, union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:14] Three thousand teachers and school staff began a strike at the West Contra Costa Unified School District yesterday morning. And it’s the first time that teachers at this district have gone on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Teacher \u003c/strong>[00:00:30] We are united, we are strong when we’re together, and we’re gonna get this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:36] West Contra Costa has struggled for years with its budget, and teachers say they’ve been sounding the alarm about a staffing crisis made worse by low wages. Today, why West Contra Costa teachers are on strike and what it means for the district’s roughly 25,000 students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:08] Jana, can you tell us where you are right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:01:11] Yeah, I’m standing right outside of El Cerrito High School, where there are more than 150 people picketing from staff, educators to a lot of students and parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:25] Jana Kadah, she’s an education reporter for Richmondside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:01:30] It is very lively. It is loud. People are chanting. It has a really kind of community neighborhood feel. There are kids in the neighborhood coming, passing out snacks to those who are picketing. Overall, I think like a excited, passionate energy from the people there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:49] Jana, you cover this district. Can you tell me a little bit more about it? I mean, it it covers quite a a range of cities. Tell me a little bit more about this district that you cover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:02:00] Yeah, West Contra Costa is a pretty big district, 56 different campuses, around 25,000 students all across West Contra Costa. So Richmond, El Sobrante, all the way to Hercules, Pinol, and El Cerrito. So it’s a pretty diverse community from ethnicity to languages and income levels. But what seems to be consistent are the frustrations from the community around the quality of education that they are receiving. The teachers and the Teamsters are striking right now because of pay concerns, but it’s not just about whether or not they can afford to live here. It’s about if they can re recruit and retain teachers. They say the pay is just too low for people to stay in the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:00] And give me a brief timeline, Jana. They’ve been in negotiations for several months now. When did things really break down?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:03:07] From my understanding, actually, this has been a years long issue. I mean, in 2022, the teachers union did authorize a strike and the district came back with an offer, so it they averted a strike. But the bigger issues that they’ve been trying to resolve have not been sorted out in in their perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:30] And what have the biggest sticking points been leading up to this strike? I understand that these two sides are pretty far apart on wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:03:40] The teachers were originally asking for 10% over two years. The district in October offered them two percent. They declined it. The state recommended that the district offer them six percent over two years. After that, the district came back and offered them three percent. 99% of the teachers’ union voted, more than 98% basically said yes, we’re ready to strike. Aside from salary increases, some of the biggest concerns are reducing class sizes, addressing the issues in special education staffing. There’s also facility upgrades and security for their international educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:32] I mean, what does the school district say about all of this and w and where things stand right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:04:37] They have gone on a tour throughout the community to basically break down their finances and show that they cannot afford to meet the union’s demands. The superintendent has repeatedly said that she understands the concerns of the teachers and the community members, but that the financial situation that the district is in makes it impossible. This year alone they have to make seven point seven million dollars of cuts and there are more cuts coming in the years ahead to try to balance their budget. And so she has kind of centered this message of like we are one, let’s stick together, let’s unify, let’s let’s solve these problems together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:23] I I mean, it’s interesting, you say that the the superintendent is on a a sort of tour to to really show the financial situation that the district is in. Why is the district in such financial trouble right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:05:37] That’s a great question. And a lot of people would tell you a lot of different things. One is that the state funding is not enough. West Contra Costa is a district that does serve a lot more students with special education needs. And they also have a huge immigrant community. At Richmond High School, for example, 50% of the students are English language learners. And so you can imagine that this requires more resources. On the other hand, you know, some would point to mismanagement of funds. The district has contracted out a lot of its services. It has contracted out a lot of special education positions, primarily. And it comes at a higher cost to the district. So it’s issues like that where the money in the in the teachers union’s perspective, it’s not used properly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:06:36] And as I understand it as well, this is a district that is also, like many others across the state, dealing with under enrollment, which also has an impact on on its budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:06:48] Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. I think in the last three years the enrollment has gone down from 28,000 to 25,000. And a lot of families are choosing to go to charter schools and there are a lot nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:07:06] Well I do want to ask you, Jenna, what this means for families and students. Are people still sending their kids to school? I mean, what are you hearing from the school communities out there right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:07:18] Yeah. So I went to two high schools so far. And the students are telling me that the only kids who are in school are there because their families are forcing them to be there, right? They’re worried about what this means for their education. But at El Cerrito, for example, a student told me that there were only 20 seniors who showed up, 20 juniors who showed up, and then couldn’t give a number for freshmen and sophomores. But the last update I got, the district was able to hire 200 substitute teachers, but there are 1500 teachers going on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:07:53] Right. And what about school services? Are are those still running?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:07:59] The district did hire a company to provide meals. Students have access to free breakfast and lunch. And so the district is trying to maintain that. Special education transportation is still going. The district has also hired companies for security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:08:16] I mean, is this ending any time soon, you think, or or what do you think it’s gonna take for this strike to end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:08:22] It’s hard to say how long it’s going to last. The the sense from the teachers is they are willing to go as long as they need to. One teacher is hopeful that, you know, the district and the union will meet over the weekend and the strike can be called off by next week. But really, it needs to be an offer that addresses their compensation concerns and moves the needle to address the issues that they’re they’re bringing up. And the primarily it is recruiting and retaining educators. I think it’s been really interesting to be to be where the picket lines are happening and seeing the community support. People are driving by, everyone is honking, they’re cheering. The students at Kennedy High School walked out on Tuesday in support of their teachers in solidarity to the district office, a two mile walk that they did. Every single person along the way cheered them on, right? Whether it’s people standing at a gas station or a fire truck passing them by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:29] I mean, West Contra Costa is not the only school district that has been struggling in the Bay Area in the last year. I mean, you know, there’s news of San Francisco unified teachers possibly walking out soon. Berkeley Unified District as well just announced an impasse. I mean, how do you think what’s happening in West Contra Costa, how does that fit into to what’s happening just across the region when it comes to schools and and even the state?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:09:57] Yeah, I mean it’s expensive to live here and the cost of living has increased far more than salaries have increased. This represents a larger issue. We were seeing this across the state, but it seems like the Bay Area is feeling it more. And it’s I think it’s just because it’s so expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:10:18] Well, Jana, thank you so so much for stepping aside for a little bit. I know you’ve had a really, really busy morning, so thank you so much for your time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:10:27] Yeah, thank you so much for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Nearly 3,000 teachers and staff from the West Contra Costa Unified School district went on strike Thursday morning after negotiations with the district broke down. It’s the latest in a series of labor disputes between educators and districts \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2025/west-contra-costa-teachers-strike/745896?amp=1\">across California\u003c/a>. Today, Jana Kadah, education reporter with Richmondside, talks to us from the field about why West Contra Costa educators walked off the job for the first time in the district’s history.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://richmondside.org/2025/12/02/wccusd-strike-guide-faq-for-parents/\">Richmondside: Is your family prepared for WCCUSD teachers strike? Here’s what to know\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=KQINC8523906778\" width=\"100%\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>\u003cem>This is a computer-generated transcript. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:00] I’m Ericka Cruz Guevarra and welcome to the Bay, local news to keep you rooted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Chanting \u003c/strong>[00:00:09] When I say union, you say power, union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:14] Three thousand teachers and school staff began a strike at the West Contra Costa Unified School District yesterday morning. And it’s the first time that teachers at this district have gone on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Teacher \u003c/strong>[00:00:30] We are united, we are strong when we’re together, and we’re gonna get this.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:00:36] West Contra Costa has struggled for years with its budget, and teachers say they’ve been sounding the alarm about a staffing crisis made worse by low wages. Today, why West Contra Costa teachers are on strike and what it means for the district’s roughly 25,000 students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:08] Jana, can you tell us where you are right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:01:11] Yeah, I’m standing right outside of El Cerrito High School, where there are more than 150 people picketing from staff, educators to a lot of students and parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:25] Jana Kadah, she’s an education reporter for Richmondside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:01:30] It is very lively. It is loud. People are chanting. It has a really kind of community neighborhood feel. There are kids in the neighborhood coming, passing out snacks to those who are picketing. Overall, I think like a excited, passionate energy from the people there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:01:49] Jana, you cover this district. Can you tell me a little bit more about it? I mean, it it covers quite a a range of cities. Tell me a little bit more about this district that you cover.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:02:00] Yeah, West Contra Costa is a pretty big district, 56 different campuses, around 25,000 students all across West Contra Costa. So Richmond, El Sobrante, all the way to Hercules, Pinol, and El Cerrito. So it’s a pretty diverse community from ethnicity to languages and income levels. But what seems to be consistent are the frustrations from the community around the quality of education that they are receiving. The teachers and the Teamsters are striking right now because of pay concerns, but it’s not just about whether or not they can afford to live here. It’s about if they can re recruit and retain teachers. They say the pay is just too low for people to stay in the district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:00] And give me a brief timeline, Jana. They’ve been in negotiations for several months now. When did things really break down?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:03:07] From my understanding, actually, this has been a years long issue. I mean, in 2022, the teachers union did authorize a strike and the district came back with an offer, so it they averted a strike. But the bigger issues that they’ve been trying to resolve have not been sorted out in in their perspective.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:03:30] And what have the biggest sticking points been leading up to this strike? I understand that these two sides are pretty far apart on wages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:03:40] The teachers were originally asking for 10% over two years. The district in October offered them two percent. They declined it. The state recommended that the district offer them six percent over two years. After that, the district came back and offered them three percent. 99% of the teachers’ union voted, more than 98% basically said yes, we’re ready to strike. Aside from salary increases, some of the biggest concerns are reducing class sizes, addressing the issues in special education staffing. There’s also facility upgrades and security for their international educators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:04:32] I mean, what does the school district say about all of this and w and where things stand right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:04:37] They have gone on a tour throughout the community to basically break down their finances and show that they cannot afford to meet the union’s demands. The superintendent has repeatedly said that she understands the concerns of the teachers and the community members, but that the financial situation that the district is in makes it impossible. This year alone they have to make seven point seven million dollars of cuts and there are more cuts coming in the years ahead to try to balance their budget. And so she has kind of centered this message of like we are one, let’s stick together, let’s unify, let’s let’s solve these problems together.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:05:23] I I mean, it’s interesting, you say that the the superintendent is on a a sort of tour to to really show the financial situation that the district is in. Why is the district in such financial trouble right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:05:37] That’s a great question. And a lot of people would tell you a lot of different things. One is that the state funding is not enough. West Contra Costa is a district that does serve a lot more students with special education needs. And they also have a huge immigrant community. At Richmond High School, for example, 50% of the students are English language learners. And so you can imagine that this requires more resources. On the other hand, you know, some would point to mismanagement of funds. The district has contracted out a lot of its services. It has contracted out a lot of special education positions, primarily. And it comes at a higher cost to the district. So it’s issues like that where the money in the in the teachers union’s perspective, it’s not used properly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:06:36] And as I understand it as well, this is a district that is also, like many others across the state, dealing with under enrollment, which also has an impact on on its budget.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:06:48] Yeah, thanks for bringing that up. I think in the last three years the enrollment has gone down from 28,000 to 25,000. And a lot of families are choosing to go to charter schools and there are a lot nearby.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:07:06] Well I do want to ask you, Jenna, what this means for families and students. Are people still sending their kids to school? I mean, what are you hearing from the school communities out there right now?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:07:18] Yeah. So I went to two high schools so far. And the students are telling me that the only kids who are in school are there because their families are forcing them to be there, right? They’re worried about what this means for their education. But at El Cerrito, for example, a student told me that there were only 20 seniors who showed up, 20 juniors who showed up, and then couldn’t give a number for freshmen and sophomores. But the last update I got, the district was able to hire 200 substitute teachers, but there are 1500 teachers going on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:07:53] Right. And what about school services? Are are those still running?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:07:59] The district did hire a company to provide meals. Students have access to free breakfast and lunch. And so the district is trying to maintain that. Special education transportation is still going. The district has also hired companies for security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:08:16] I mean, is this ending any time soon, you think, or or what do you think it’s gonna take for this strike to end?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:08:22] It’s hard to say how long it’s going to last. The the sense from the teachers is they are willing to go as long as they need to. One teacher is hopeful that, you know, the district and the union will meet over the weekend and the strike can be called off by next week. But really, it needs to be an offer that addresses their compensation concerns and moves the needle to address the issues that they’re they’re bringing up. And the primarily it is recruiting and retaining educators. I think it’s been really interesting to be to be where the picket lines are happening and seeing the community support. People are driving by, everyone is honking, they’re cheering. The students at Kennedy High School walked out on Tuesday in support of their teachers in solidarity to the district office, a two mile walk that they did. Every single person along the way cheered them on, right? Whether it’s people standing at a gas station or a fire truck passing them by.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:09:29] I mean, West Contra Costa is not the only school district that has been struggling in the Bay Area in the last year. I mean, you know, there’s news of San Francisco unified teachers possibly walking out soon. Berkeley Unified District as well just announced an impasse. I mean, how do you think what’s happening in West Contra Costa, how does that fit into to what’s happening just across the region when it comes to schools and and even the state?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:09:57] Yeah, I mean it’s expensive to live here and the cost of living has increased far more than salaries have increased. This represents a larger issue. We were seeing this across the state, but it seems like the Bay Area is feeling it more. And it’s I think it’s just because it’s so expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra \u003c/strong>[00:10:18] Well, Jana, thank you so so much for stepping aside for a little bit. I know you’ve had a really, really busy morning, so thank you so much for your time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jana Kadah \u003c/strong>[00:10:27] Yeah, thank you so much for having me.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/west-contra-costa-unified-school-district\">West Contra Costa Unified School District\u003c/a> educators are days away from receiving a report that could put to rest the threat of a strike — or make it official.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A mediator appointed by the California Public Employment Relations Board is expected to issue recommendations to the district and its teachers union by Friday in an effort to resolve the months-long contract negotiations that could push more than 1,500 educators to strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the two sides can’t come to an agreement after the recommendations are issued, United Teachers of Richmond can then go on strike after a 48-hour notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiations between the district and the union have been stalled for months over pay, health coverage, class sizes and services for students with disabilities. That led the union to declare an impasse in August, which kicked off a required process through PERB before the union could legally begin a work stoppage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re fighting because we love our students, because we refuse to let another generation of our kiddos experience a system that’s crumbling all around them,” union president Francisco Ortiz told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12022073\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12022073\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"765\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1-800x478.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1-1020x610.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1-160x96.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified’s Stege Elementary School in Richmond. \u003ccite>(Andrew Reed/EdSource)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>UTR has proposed a 10% pay raise over the next two years and full health coverage. The district’s most recent counterproposal included a 2% pay raise for the 2025-26 school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union argues that an increase in compensation will attract and maintain quality educators to help the district address its staffing shortage. For this year alone in special education services, Ortiz said more than 255 students have gone without a speech-language pathologist assigned to them for five weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the district has said that it can only afford to do so much. District officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030935/our-education-matters-richmond-high-schoolers-rally-against-teacher-layoffs\">cut millions of dollars\u003c/a> from their budget to stay solvent this year, and they still face additional cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district did not respond to a request for comment from KQED, but in a Monday night letter to community members, it said that its representatives on the state fact-finding panel have been meeting with the chairperson since the last hearings on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are committed to continuing these discussions into next week and through the break — whatever it takes — to try to reach a fair resolution and avert a strike that would only hurt our students,” wrote Raechelle Forrest, director of district communications.[aside postID=news_12030935 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/240312-RICHMOND-WALKOUT-MD-01-KQED-1-1020x680.jpg']Officials have also begun preparing for a potential strike, saying that the district is “committed to keeping our schools open.” WCCUSD’s school board \u003ca href=\"https://ccpulse.org/2025/10/16/wccusd-prepares-for-potential-strikes-by-upping-temporary-educators-pay/\">voted to increase pay\u003c/a> for substitute teachers last month, bumping the usual daily pay from $280 to up to $550 if the union goes on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to UTR’s members, more than a thousand other district staff members were set to strike soon after the teachers union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If UTR does go on strike, it could trigger a sympathy strike by IFPTE Local 21, which represents school supervisors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teamsters Local 856, which includes paraprofessionals and clerical staff, came to a tentative agreement with the district on Wednesday after \u003ca href=\"https://teamster.org/2025/10/teamsters-at-west-contra-costa-unified-school-district-authorize-strike/\">authorizing a strike\u003c/a> only days after UTR’s authorization. Local 856 also cited staffing and pay concerns as reasons for a potential strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The gains achieved by UTR and Teamsters Local 856 directly affect the compensation of our unit through our ‘me too’ clause. When they secure a higher wage increase, we will also benefit if the increase they secure is more than what we secured,” IFPTE \u003ca href=\"https://ifpte21.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sympathy-Strike-FAQ-WCCUSD-102725.pdf\">said \u003c/a>when recommending the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mediator’s report this week isn’t binding, so the district isn’t required to offer the union a new proposal after its release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the district is unwilling to [accept those recommendations], then we’re also ready to take that next step,” Ortiz said. “We’re ready to do our part, and the district needs to do theirs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Negotiations between the district and the union have been stalled for months over pay, health coverage, class sizes and services for students with disabilities. That led the union to declare an impasse in August, which kicked off a required process through PERB before the union could legally begin a work stoppage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re fighting because we love our students, because we refuse to let another generation of our kiddos experience a system that’s crumbling all around them,” union president Francisco Ortiz told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12022073\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12022073\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"765\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1.jpg 1280w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1-800x478.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1-1020x610.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/Stege-Elementary34-1280x765-1-160x96.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">West Contra Costa Unified’s Stege Elementary School in Richmond. \u003ccite>(Andrew Reed/EdSource)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>UTR has proposed a 10% pay raise over the next two years and full health coverage. The district’s most recent counterproposal included a 2% pay raise for the 2025-26 school year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The union argues that an increase in compensation will attract and maintain quality educators to help the district address its staffing shortage. For this year alone in special education services, Ortiz said more than 255 students have gone without a speech-language pathologist assigned to them for five weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the district has said that it can only afford to do so much. District officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12030935/our-education-matters-richmond-high-schoolers-rally-against-teacher-layoffs\">cut millions of dollars\u003c/a> from their budget to stay solvent this year, and they still face additional cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district did not respond to a request for comment from KQED, but in a Monday night letter to community members, it said that its representatives on the state fact-finding panel have been meeting with the chairperson since the last hearings on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are committed to continuing these discussions into next week and through the break — whatever it takes — to try to reach a fair resolution and avert a strike that would only hurt our students,” wrote Raechelle Forrest, director of district communications.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Officials have also begun preparing for a potential strike, saying that the district is “committed to keeping our schools open.” WCCUSD’s school board \u003ca href=\"https://ccpulse.org/2025/10/16/wccusd-prepares-for-potential-strikes-by-upping-temporary-educators-pay/\">voted to increase pay\u003c/a> for substitute teachers last month, bumping the usual daily pay from $280 to up to $550 if the union goes on strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to UTR’s members, more than a thousand other district staff members were set to strike soon after the teachers union.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If UTR does go on strike, it could trigger a sympathy strike by IFPTE Local 21, which represents school supervisors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Teamsters Local 856, which includes paraprofessionals and clerical staff, came to a tentative agreement with the district on Wednesday after \u003ca href=\"https://teamster.org/2025/10/teamsters-at-west-contra-costa-unified-school-district-authorize-strike/\">authorizing a strike\u003c/a> only days after UTR’s authorization. Local 856 also cited staffing and pay concerns as reasons for a potential strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The gains achieved by UTR and Teamsters Local 856 directly affect the compensation of our unit through our ‘me too’ clause. When they secure a higher wage increase, we will also benefit if the increase they secure is more than what we secured,” IFPTE \u003ca href=\"https://ifpte21.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sympathy-Strike-FAQ-WCCUSD-102725.pdf\">said \u003c/a>when recommending the strike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mediator’s report this week isn’t binding, so the district isn’t required to offer the union a new proposal after its release.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If the district is unwilling to [accept those recommendations], then we’re also ready to take that next step,” Ortiz said. “We’re ready to do our part, and the district needs to do theirs.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
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"possible": {
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"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
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},
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"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
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"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
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},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
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