Community

Sydney Roberts: New ASUC president shares her goals, inspirations

From a young age, I participated in the Los Angeles Women’s March and read Audre Lorde religiously. The summer before my senior year I took part in Girls State, a week-long immersive summer program that teaches 500 young women from different corners of the nation how to govern imitation cities and states.

Published

7 months ago

October 3, 2023

Oakland Post

In high school, before she became involved in student government, Roberts played varsity volleyball and soccer. “It was through my teamwork on the court and field that I learned how to be an effective leader,” she said. Brandon Sánchez Mejia/UC Berkeley

Her first goal is to increase students’ sense of belonging on campus, especially for those who are underrepresented.

By Gretchen Kell
UC Berkeley News

I’m from Long Beach, California, an incredibly diverse and urban coastal city. It is truly a melting pot of cultures, with a large and vibrant settlement of Filipinx and Hispanic people. My friends throughout middle and high school came from these backgrounds, among others. They taught me how beautiful of an experience it is to foster close relationships with people from different backgrounds.

I grew up in a household with my single mom and twin sister. My father joined the Marines right after high school and now works for the U.S. Postal Service. My mother went to college and nursing school and is a public health nurse for the city of Long Beach, specifically working with houseless senior citizens. She is a strong feminist who always encouraged us to pursue higher education and instilled in us that education is key to personal development and professional opportunity.

Growing up in a female-led household also taught me the value of independence. My mother sacrificed a lot to ensure my sister and I had myriad opportunities. Her selflessness shaped my idea of leadership. She went above and beyond to give others more and create joy.

In the Long Beach Unified School District, I found my passion for research. Although underfunded, like most public systems, I was able to take an AP seminar and AP research capstone. I focused my research on racial profiling after 9/11 and the different opinions about patriotism among baby boomers, millennials and Generation X.

The murder of George Floyd at the end of my senior year was a real turning point for me. People’s reaction to the Black Lives Matter Movement that resurfaced during the summer of 2020 changed my perception of politics and society. I was consumed by grief, but soon turned my emotions into political passion. I wanted to revolutionize how people learned about injustice. I used my social media presence to educate people on the prevalence of anti-Blackness and how to have tough conversations with family members with different ideologies.

I visited UC Berkeley the summer before my senior year of high school. It was my dream school. I was in awe of Cal’s history and culture. Learning that members of the Black Panther Party spoke here, and that the Free Speech Movement ignited here, inspired me. I wanted to be surrounded by changemakers and in a city with a strong culture.

I was on campus to attend the Berkeley Summer Experience, a weekend-long program that paired low-income or underrepresented students with admissions counselors to receive advice on their UC college applications. Although my test scores and leadership roles made me a competitive applicant, I was a student from an underfunded public high school and a family with only one college graduate. I attribute that program to why I was accepted to Cal.

I began attending Berkeley in the fall of 2020. My first year at Berkeley was characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a struggle to find community, but the ASUC and my sorority, Alpha Phi, aided my endeavor to make personal relationships.

In the ASUC, I served as chief of staff to Chaka Tellem, student body president for an unprecedented two terms. We created an environmental justice education program, sending students to local middle and elementary schools to teach younger generations about sustainability.

We negotiated the biggest discount with Princeton Review for students to receive 20% off all pre-professional test prep review materials. We designed a mentorship program for first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students with the Cal Alumni Association thats fully funded and staffed and has hundreds of participants.

I became chapter president of Alpha Phi in 2021. I aimed to increase involvement, diversify membership and foster belonging. Knowing what it was like to be a Black woman in a predominately white space made me determined to implement initiatives that would transform our chapter into a more inclusive space.

We celebrated culturally significant holidays like Juneteenth, Latinx Heritage Month, Diwali and more. I started an international night, where members decorated a part of our chapter room with items or foods special to their heritage. I also made financial and housing decisions that enabled flexibility for members in need.

This year, I’m a senior, graduating in the spring of 2024, and I feel very honored to be in the role of ASUC president. The presidential race was heavily contested, with five candidates. I ran on platforms of multiculturalism, environmentalism, career readiness, student wellness and campus climate.

My first goal as president is to increase students’ sense of belonging on campus, especially students who have historically felt excluded from higher education. Black students on this campus need more Black students, faculty, and staff.

It’s extremely hard to be the one or one of few Black people in your class, to have no professors who look like you or understand your background, or to know that there are few people within university administrative roles who share the experiences of the Black community.

I took a public policy course during my sophomore year where a small cohort of students went to the Alameda Probation Office to interview formerly incarcerated individuals and probation officers to research re-entry resources.

I also spent the summer before my junior year participating in the SURF SMART program as a research fellow for Caleb Dawson, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Education. A snippet of our research focus was understanding why Black students, faculty and staff pursue higher education or a career at Cal, and if they felt they had adequate support systems here.

Another goal as ASUC president is to increase pre-professional and academic opportunities on campus. I want all students to feel career-ready before graduation. A final goal is connecting students with the abundance of organizations and departments on campus that assist with their basic needs. Some of the biggest struggles facing students are financial stability, housing security and food security.

This past summer, I gained additional skills in politics working for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Wash., D.C., as a research intern in our Cal in the Capitol program. After graduation, I hope to work on a political campaign for the 2024 election or intern for a political consulting or research firm or committee. Later in life, I’m interested in returning to school for a master’s in public policy or/and a J.D.

The most popular question I get today is what my biggest goal is, now that I’m student body president. As a Black woman, I know this university wasn’t designed for me, and there are people in this world who don’t want me to succeed. So empowering others who look like me to take on positions of power and mentoring them in a meaningful and impactful way so they may go on to lead is my greatest hope.

Younger students, many other Black women, have come up to me and expressed how inspiring it is to see a Black woman at the forefront of this university. I tell them, “You’re next.”

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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

3 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

3 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

3 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.