Berkeley

OP-ED: Vote Yes on the Measure D Soda Tax

Published

12 years ago

October 21, 2014

Oakland Post

By Vicki Alexander

Vicki Alexander

Just last week the nephew of my housemate died of complications from diabetes. He was just 29 years old. He was an avid soda drinker.

For all of us in Berkeley, especially those of us who are African-American, please say Yes to Measure D on the November ballot.

I am a retired Director of Maternal Child and Adolescent Health in Berkeley. I was also the Health Officer for the City and was responsible for bringing the Black Infant Health Program to Berkeley, a program to address the inequity in infant outcomes.

Currently, I co-chair the Healthy Child Coalition that has worked to bring Measure D, the Soda Tax, to the voters.

This one-cent per ounce tax will be placed on the distributors of sugar sweetened beverages in Berkeley. Also written into Measure D is the creation of a panel of experts, people with extensive background in community and child nutrition, healthcare and education, who will make recommendations to City Council about funding programs that improve children’s health across Berkeley.

This panel, together with a broad based community coalition will keep our elected officials accountable to make sure the funds from this tax are used appropriately.

Nearly every African-American family in Berkeley has been touched by the ravishes of diabetes. We face an urgent and preventable health crisis and action is needed now.

The death of my housemate’s nephew is an example of a preventable death. It is an example of the outlandish inequity in our health system, including right here in Berkeley.

Diabetes is on the rise, especially in African-American communities, and especially amongst our youth. Nationally, 1 in 3 of all children are projected to get Type 2 Diabetes in their lifetimes, a figure that rises to 1 in 2 for African-American and Latino children.

Additionally, African-Americans in Berkeley are 4 times more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes and 14 times more likely to be hospitalized than non-Hispanic whites.

Over the last 10 to 20 years data from local, state, national and international level sources have shown that there have been increasing kinds and amounts of sugar sweetened beverages, which has led to an increase in consumption.

In this country, this increase in consumption has been the steepest among African-American and Latino youth. In fact, the beverage industry has aimed much of their advertising to our kids. The incidence of diabetes has increased over this same span of time. There is something we can and must do about this epidemic.

The multi-billion dollar sugary drink industry pretends to be concerned about the pocketbooks of low-income families. However, they refuse to speak to the health consequences and medical cost that their product plays a unique role in perpetuating.

The Big Soda billionaires want to confuse consumers that the Soda tax is a choice issue. However, facts speak for themselves.

The alarming diabetes crisis disproportionately affects the African American community. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, African Americans with diabetes have 3 times the number of lower limb amputations, 5 times the amount of kidney disease, and 50 times the rate of blindness. There is something we can and must do about this health inequity. Pass Measure D.

We as parents also must try to make sure our children are healthy. But, with the level of advertising in this electronic era, parents don’t stand a chance.

Our children are inundated in our absence with advertising, games, and movie stars that push potentially deadly sugar sweetened beverages.

I support Measure D because it takes this fight to its source. Taxing soda, just like we tax cigarettes, makes sense. We can prevent this crisis.

Please join me in supporting Measure D and Berkeley vs. Big Soda. VOTE YES on Measure D.

Vicki Alexander, MD, MPH, is co-chair of the “YES on Measure D” campaign committee.

Oakland Post

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Related Topics:Berkeley Measure D OP-ED Opinion Soda Tax

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Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

1 month ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

1 month ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

Oakland Post

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Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

11 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.