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Everything That Affects Women Has to Do with Politics, Says BWOPA

Published

10 years ago

March 6, 2014

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) recently held an event inviting women to join the organization, which seeks to motivate, support and educate African American women about the political process.

BWOPA was founded in 1968 after a group of 12 women organized to raise funds for Ron Dellums’ election campaign for Congress. Now, 46 years later, the organization has grown both in numbers and political capital and is encouraging more African American women to become actively involved in the political arena.

“We have to make sure that we’re connected and reaching out,” said Dezie Woods Jones, BWOPA State President, at the event held Tuesday at the Oakland Private Industry Council (PIC).

One of the founders of BWOPA, Woods Jones worked with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the Civil Rights Movement. She says women wanted to be, and should be, at the table weighing in on policy-making decisions and other issues.

“What we realized was that women were not having a voice,” she said. “When powerful decisions are being made, we don’t want to just be folding the papers for handouts and distributing literature. We want to be at the table to make decisions about our lives and our families’ lives.”

Through its local chapters – in Oakland, Richmond, Hayward, Fresno, San Francisco, Sacramento, and Stockton – the statewide organization empowers women to pursue leadership positions and run for public office, to understand that politics is part of everything they do.

“Whether you’re in the church house, or in the health house, or education, somebody’s making decisions about your life; look at the health care issues we’re dealing with now, the job training issues,” said Woods Jones.

“If you’re not part of structuring that and making those decisions, then you’re reacting to something somebody else is making for you,” she continued.

As the newly appointed president of the Oakland/Bay Area chapter, Kimberly Mayfield Lynch shared her vision for the local BWOPA chapter and expressed a need to diversify the teaching force.

For information or to become a member of BWOPA, visit www.bwopa.org.

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”