Community

Orson Aguilar to Transition Out of Role as Greenlining Institute’s President at the End of April

Published

5 years ago

February 8, 2019

Aguilar Spent 20 Years with Greenlining; Organization Begins National Search for New Leader

The Greenlining Institute’s Board of Directors announces that after nearly two decades with the organization, the last eleven years as its President, Orson Aguilar will transition out of this role at the end of April.

“Watching Orson emerge from Greenlining’s Leadership Academy as a young man two decades ago and go on to take a variety of roles and eventually become Greenlining’s leader has been remarkable,” said Board Co-Chair George Dean.

Under Aguilar’s leadership, Greenlining has grown significantly in size and impact. Greenlining has helped draft and pass critical legislation bringing new resources into communities of color, graduated over 150 Leadership Academy participants, established the Greenlining 360 Center as a hub for community organizing in Oakland, and seen its annual budget grow from $3.5 million to $7.3 million.

“Orson’s leadership has helped Greenlining become a powerful and influential organization, successfully mainstreaming racial equity,” said Ortensia Lopez, the Board’s other Co-Chair.

With Aguilar at the helm, Greenlining’s team of advocates have played a lead role in framing key economic decisions with a racial equity framework.

“Today, people look to Greenlining for bold, race-forward ideas and action to address economic inequality. I am so proud of the organization we have advanced together, and of our collective work to build a nation where communities of color thrive and race is never a barrier to economic opportunity,” Aguilar said.

During Aguilar’s tenure as President, Greenlining:

Worked in coalition with key allies to pass vital legislation bringing resources into underserved communities, including CA Senate Bill 535 (De Leon) and CA Assembly Bill 1550 (Gomez), which direct cap-and-trade funds to underserved communities; CA Assembly Bill 53 (Solorio), which created a system of reporting and transparency designed to encourage major California insurers to contract with diverse small businesses; and CA Senate Bill 1275 (De Leon), jumpstarting California’s effort to make the benefits of electric vehicles available to low- and moderate-income Californians.
Launched the Greenlining 360 Center in downtown Oakland as a hub for community gathering. Over half the building is leased as long-term affordable office space for community nonprofit tenants or provided as affordable community meeting space. In less than two years the building has provided free or low-cost meeting and event space for some 250 events put on by over 100 different organizations.
Graduated 43 Fellows and 114 Summer Associates from its Leadership Academy, and has seen Academy graduates rack up achievements including an appointment to the California Supreme Court, winning local government seats, running nonprofit organizations, and securing influential positions in all sectors.
Negotiated community benefit agreements with banks such as City National, Cathay Bank, Union Bank and Flagstar Bank to bring tens of millions of dollars in investment into communities of color.
Worked with the California Public Utilities Commission and regulated utilities to protect low-income consumers from power shut-offs, provide PG&E billing in Spanish and Chinese, and create electric vehicle charging infrastructure in disadvantaged communities.
Challenged multiple corporate mergers that could harm communities of color, including playing an instrumental role in arguing against the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile Merger in 2011.

Aguilar has also been asked to serve on numerous advisory boards to institutions such as Bank of America, J.P. Morgan Chase, BBVA Compass, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

Aguilar has not yet decided what will come after Greenlining. For now, he looks forward to spending time with his wife and three children before deciding on a next step in his career. “Although I am transitioning from Greenlining, my mission and Greenlining’s mission remain the same,” Aguilar said. “I am committed to fighting injustice and inequality throughout my career.” The community will celebrate Aguilar at Greenlining’s 26th Annual Economic Summit, happening April 26, 2019 in Oakland.

The Greenlining Board of Directors has begun a nationwide search for Greenlining’s next president and is committed to finding a successor who will continue the organization’s mission to build a nation where communities of color thrive and race is never a barrier to opportunity.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.

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Community

Opening Soon: Vibe Bistro Is Richmond’s New Hub for Coffee, Cuisine, Community and Culture

Vibe Bistro, located at 1503 MacDonald Ave., Suite B, Richmond, CA, is announcing its grand opening week, May 21-26, 2024. The café will be a hub where people can come together to enjoy coffee, cuisine, community, and culture, according to the establishment’s owner, Free Brown.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Vibe Bistro Logo

By Y’Anad Burrell

Vibe Bistro, located at 1503 MacDonald Ave., Suite B, Richmond, CA, is announcing its grand opening week, May 21-26, 2024.

The café will be a hub where people can come together to enjoy coffee, cuisine, community, and culture, according to the establishment’s owner, Free Brown.

“Vibe Bistro is Richmond’s neighborhood haven for soulful coffee, delicious food, and vibrant experiences. Vibe Bistro is not just a coffee shop; it’s a place where ‘coffee meets community” says Brown.

It occupies the space formerly known as the Richmond Food Hall, which was also the former location of OakStop Richmond.

During the grand opening week, folks are invited to join in celebrating the spirit of community. From Tuesday, May 21, Vibe Bistro will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, serving specialty coffees, convenient grab-n-go options, and delicious breakfast and lunch selections.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 23, from noon to 2 p.m., followed by surprise festivities that the owners say you will need to experience in-person to fully enjoy.

Vibe Bistro’s art exhibition opens May 23, through Sunday, May 26. It features a special artist talk led by renowned curator Jowhari Trahan, a story on glass, and a mural unveiling by Richmond’s own Nakari Syon.

Additionally, the community is invited to immerse themselves in artistic expression throughout the week with art and craft classes.

Get ready for ‘Feature Fridays’ at Vibe Bistro, where they will showcase the culinary creations of local food businesses. This initiative is not just about food, it’s about fostering a spirit of collaboration and community.

All local businesses are invited to be part of this exciting journey, says Brown.

For more information, visit www.VibeBistro.com, sign up for the newsletter to stay connected, and follow all social media platforms at @TheVibeBistro.