Activism
Greenlining Institute Receives Grant for Climate Work with Underserved Communities
Over two thirds of the money from this new grant will be designated specifically for local grassroots organizations in these communities, building infrastructure and connecting them with the technical expertise needed to develop climate resilience projects.
$10 Million from Bezos Earth Fund Will Boost Local Community Groups to Fight Climate Change and Build Resilience
By Molly Tafoya
The Greenlining Institute has received a $10 million grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to help communities of color most burdened by climate change and systemic discrimination forge the infrastructure needed to fight climate change and build healthier, more resilient communities.
Throughout our decades of advocating for equitable climate and energy policies, Greenlining knows that the communities with the greatest burdens and needs often lack the resources to even apply for and effectively use funding that exists for climate efforts.
Over two thirds of the money from this new grant will be designated specifically for local grassroots organizations in these communities, building infrastructure and connecting them with the technical expertise needed to develop climate resilience projects.
Such projects include energy and water efficiency upgrades, solar installations on single-family homes and multi-family housing complexes, green infrastructure, streetscape improvements, electric vehicle carsharing programs and more. This includes $1 million specifically for a catalytic climate action and racial equity fund to seed early-stage, community-led climate projects that will benefit the hardest hit communities.
“The Greenlining Institute is building on a 30-year track record of success to create a better, more just future for everyone,” said Greenlining Institute President and CEO Debra Gore-Mann. “Our work to build enduring, transformative new solutions is core to who we are, and we’re proud to have that legacy recognized by the Bezos Earth Fund with this grant. We are committed to bringing together diverse stakeholders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors to create dynamic frameworks of shared power for lasting change. And we are being very intentional in how we intend to spend the funds, including designating nearly $6 million for grassroots communities and their critical climate resilience work — because communities know best what their neighborhoods need to thrive.”
To learn more about The Greenlining Institute, visit www.greenlining.org.
Molly Tafoya is the communications director of Greenlining Institute.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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Activism
IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
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