Community

National Day of Empathy comes to Capitol Hill

NASHVILLE PRIDE — The Nashville community joined the entire county in celebrating the National Day of Empathy on March 5. According to Bureau of Justice statistics, over 2.3 million people are behind bars in the United States, which is more than any other nation in the world.

Published

8 years ago

March 24, 2019

Oakland Post

By Pride Newsdesk

The Nashville community joined the entire county in celebrating the National Day of Empathy on March 5.

According to Bureau of Justice statistics, over 2.3 million people are behind bars in the United States, which is more than any other nation in the world.

The third annual Day of Empathy, one of the largest national days of action for criminal justice reform in history, drew thousands of participants at events in 40 states and millions more were engaged online.

“In order to reform our criminal justice system, we must first humanize and empathize with those who are impacted by it,” said event organizers. “This includes crime survivors and those who have committed crimes.”

The Day of Empathy was started by Dream Corps, which began the program, #cut50, three years ago as a national bipartisan initiative to safely and smartly reduce the U.S. incarcerated population by 50% over the next 10 years.

“The goal is to build empathy in our governors, state legislators, and other policymakers to act on criminal justice and to humanize through personal interaction with impacted persons of the criminal justice system—also to show legislators that this is about the lives of the impacted people, their spouses, their children, their parents, and their friends, crime survivors, and their communities,” according to the group’s press release.

In Nashville, Americans impacted by the criminal justice system met with lawmakers at the state capitol to share their stories and experiences.

Sen. Robinson, along with Rep. Harold Love of Nashville and Rep. Rick Staples of Knoxville, joined with a number of national organizations to highlight incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals working to transform themselves, share the obstacles that people with a criminal record are going through and focus on those that are desperately seeking a second chance. They were joined by community members impacted by crime, public safety issues and violence.

“The National Day of Empathy is designed to shine a light on people impacted by the criminal justice system to uplift their voices and win over hearts and minds towards the idea that transformation is possible,” said the lawmakers.

A recent poll commissioned by a bipartisan coalition consisting of Justice Action Network, the ACLU of Tennessee and the conservative group Right on Crime found that 69% of voters believe the state’s criminal justice system “needs significant improvements.”

Additionally, the study found that 90% of Tennesseans favor reducing prison time for non-violent offenders. Over 80% of respondents are in favor of getting rid of mandatory minimum sentences and in favor of money bail reform.

Gov. Bill Lee signs executive order addressing public safety

On the National Day of Empathy, Tennessee Governor Bill lee issued an executive order to establish the Tennessee Criminal Justice Investment Task Force, a promise he had made during his State of the State address.

The sixth executive order issued under his leadership comes after Gov. Lee outlined comprehensive plans to address public safety in Tennessee amid higher rates of violent crime and recidivism. The incarcerated population of Tennessee has grown by 34% since 2000, despite six consecutive years of reduced admissions to the criminal justice system.

“There is a high cost to crime in our state and we need to consider who is paying the price for this: victims pay the price, families pay the price and taxpayers pay the price,” said Lee.

“Our task force is committed to building smart solutions that make our neighborhoods safer.” Gov. Lee appointed Senior Advisor to the Governor and former Judge Brandon Gibson of Crockett County, to chair the task force with appointments including crime victims and their families, members of the General Assembly, state agencies, law enforcement, community and faith-based programs, and formerly incarcerated individuals.

Over the next two legislative sessions, the task force will develop legislative and budgetary recommendations regarding the following public safety issues: Crime prevention and recidivism reduction Punishing violent crime promptly and effectively

Supporting crime victims and their families

Addressing mental health and substance abuse among the incarcerated

Revising sentencing guidelines and parole/ probation standards

Addressing the rising fiscal and social costs of incarceration

Preparing inmates to re-enter society and find pathways outside of crime through education and technical job training

Equipping inmates’ families and communities with tools to help inmates become productive members of society

In addition to the task force, Gov. Lee has proposed measures to crack down on fentanyl traffickers, increase pay for corrections officers and law enforcement, reduce expungement fees and increase educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals.

This article originally appeared in the Nashville Pride.

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WCCUSD Joins Statewide Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative

Other districts involved include: Alameda USD, Albany USD, Berkeley USD, Capistrano USD, Cupertino Union SD, Hayward USD, Laguna Beach USD, Lagunitas Elementary SD, Mt. Diablo USD, North Monterey County USD, Pajaro Valley USD, San Leandro USD, San Ramon Valley USD, Santa Clara USD, Sausalito Marin City SD, Tahoe-Truckee USD and West Contra Costa USD.

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West Contra Costa Unified School District food services team members pose for a photo at Back-to-School Night. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Richmond Standard Staff

Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.

The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.

The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.

Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.

Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.

“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”

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Democrats, Community Groups Back Measure EE to Change How Oakland Is Governed

Along with clearer executive responsibility, the Charter reform would also create new checks and balances, including an independent Budget and Legislative Analyst office, City Council confirmation of key appointments, expanded council hearing and subpoena authority, and give the council the ability to override a mayoral veto with six votes.

Published

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October 13, 2026

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Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Courtesy of Mayor Barbara Lee’s office.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Alameda County Democratic Party has voted to endorse Measure EE, the Oakland Charter reform measure on the November 2026 ballot. The party’s endorsement is announced alongside a broad coalition of organizations spanning labor, business, faith, and community advocacy, including Oakland Rising Action that are also supporting the measure.

Those supporters include:

League of Women Voters of Oakland
AFSCME Council 57
SPUR
Bay Area Council
Black Women Organized for Political Action
Faith in Action East Bay
Oakland Chamber of Commerce
Oakland Rising Action
Revitalize East Bay
Empower Oakland

Measure EE would reform Oakland’s hybrid governance system by establishing a strong-mayor structure, making the mayor the city’s chief executive, responsible for delivering effective, efficient services.

The measure would also reform and expand responsibilities of City Councilmembers.

Measure EE would create clearer lines of responsibility for the performance of city government, allowing voters to evaluate the mayor based on how effectively the city delivers services and produces results.

“Oakland voters deserve a City Hall where they know exactly who’s responsible when something goes wrong and exactly who to credit when it gets fixed. Measure EE puts that responsibility squarely with the mayor, backed by real checks and balances, so Oakland can finally move as fast as its problems demand. That’s why the Alameda County Democratic Party is proud to stand behind it,” said Igor Tregub, chair of the Alameda County Democratic Party.

Oakland Rising Action, a collaboration of racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations, has also issued a press statement explaining its support for Measure EE.

Measure EE “represents a critical opportunity for residents to clarify the governance role of the Oakland Mayor and City Council, so we, as residents, know who to hold accountable for the execution of voter-approved and budgeted services within city departments,” the statement said.

Measure EE would reform Oakland’s Charter, which is the city’s Constitution, strengthening “the role of the mayor as the CEO of Oakland, with the city administrator being hired and managed by the mayor explicitly.”

The measure would also strengthen oversight of city departments by mandating reporting directly to the City Council and provide the mayor with veto power in approving policies and the budget.

Measure EE was placed on the ballot by the Oakland City Council in June 2026. For more than half a year, the mayor’s working group on Charter reform engaged residents and elected officials on the options for governance of Oakland, which led to Measure EE.

“Oaklanders need clarity about who is responsible for the management of our city departments, our tax dollars, and our voter-approved ballot measures,” said Pecolia Manigo, executive director of Oakland Rising.

“The average resident believes that we already have a strong mayor system,” she continued. “However, this is simply not the truth in our City Charter. It is time for us to stop talking about the Charter changes Oakland needs. This is the first of many Charter reforms that are needed to improve conditions in Oakland, especially the flatlands. It’s time all voters start paying attention to who is making decisions for Oakland. This election allows us to say how we believe Oakland should be governed.”

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Business

Veterans Housing Project Proposed for South Richmond

According to the development team’s presentation, the project has an estimated total cost of nearly $158 million. The presentation outlines five phases encompassing entitlement and construction documents, community outreach, soil remediation and utility work, podium and building construction, solar technology integration, and interior buildouts.

Published

2 days ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

Artist’s rendering of the complex that will have xx units for veterans. Courtesy image.

A proposed mixed-use development at 338 Carlson Blvd. could bring hundreds of homes and support services for military veterans to South Richmond.

Led by the Richmond-based Veterans Resource Program in partnership with Eagle Environmental Construction & Development, the proposal covers an approximately 2.3-acre property the nonprofit acquired in 2018.

The proposal features a multi-building residential development with various apartment sizes, though city documents and developer materials cite conflicting totals ranging from 226 to 268 units.

The proposal also includes approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, about 200 parking spaces, and an entrepreneurial training and job-development component intended to connect veterans with economic and workforce opportunities.

Founded in 2011, the Veterans Resource Program provides housing assistance and other services to veterans, including those experiencing homelessness or transitioning from incarceration.

The proposal aims to advance Richmond’s affordable housing goals while connecting veterans with housing and supportive services. Details of affordability and veteran eligibility remain to be clarified.

The Richmond City Council was scheduled to receive an informational presentation on the project at its Oct. 6 meeting, following a continuance from Sept. 22. The item does not seek project approval or city funding. Any future request for city financial assistance or other public resources would require separate consideration and approval.