Activism

Richmond Community Leaders Advocate for Accountability and Equity in Chevron Settlement Funds

“Now is the time for our community to have funding to solve the many problems that have been created over time,” said community advocate Antwon Cloird. “We now have no time to see politicians and the system get paid, while our community, year after year gets played.”

Published

4 months ago

September 14, 2025

Carla Thomas

25 Long Term Residents of Richmond Form Coalition led by Community Advocate Antwon Cloird at CoBiz in Richmond. Photo Courtesy of Antwon Cloird.

By Carla Thomas

Richmond’s historic $550 million settlement with Chevron is considered a major victory by local officials, environmental justice advocates, and union representatives to remedy the harm caused by the refinery’s long-term air pollution in the city.

However, still unresolved is how the money will be allocated to reach community members who need the most support.

Cloird says he has formed a new coalition of 25 long-term residents who are all professionals and contributors to the community. Along with his newly formed group, which held a meeting at CoBiz, he demands transparency, equity, and fairness in the distribution of the settlement funds.

Cloird says the city wants to hire a consultant for $1.5 million to assess the Black community’s needs.

But Cloird says Black communities in Richmond have undergone so many rounds of gentrification abuse that an assessment is wasted money and time on reparations that can be more clearly defined by community members.

Cloird is outraged by the City of Richmond’s history of harm toward its Black community. Since the 1980s, the community has suffered from racism, redlining, gentrification, and marginalization, he said, arguing that the manipulation of the city’s finances has sidelined the Black community for too long.

Cloird’s career and life experiences have led him to share how the Crack Epidemic, the prison to pipeline syndrome, and the many ways systemic racism has forced an outmigration of the City’s Black community to the more northern suburbs of Pittsburgh and Antioch, which are connected to the mismanagement of city funds and the marginalization of several Black neighborhoods in Richmond.

Mayor Eduardo Martinez has proposed plans to rectify city finances and expand public services. He says the money will be placed into the city’s general fund and be allocated through open budget meetings, with public participation.

Council members Claudia Jimenez, Doria Robinson, and Sue Wilson support using the settlement to transform the city’s finances and redirect millions in annual pension payments toward services like safety, road repairs, and staffing.

Local advocacy groups, including the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) and Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), had rallied for the now-rescinded “Make Polluters Pay” measure, but are now focusing on environmental justice and investment in community-led programs.

At present, residents and organizers remain cautious, wanting to ensure the funds are fairly allocated while Richmond faces a delicate balance of supporting those who have suffered most from the impacts of refinery pollution.

Cloird says he does not trust the proposed plans to direct the money into the general fund.

“There has been a pattern of money not reaching the communities that have suffered the most when money goes into the general fund. Our coalition will fight for our community, and I want ensure we will have a viable community moving forward.”

The $550 million settlement with Chevron Corporation ended a high-profile campaign to impose new taxes on the oil giant’s local refinery. Approved by the Richmond City Council in August 2024, the agreement provides the city with a decade of financial installments, starting in July 2025.

The settlement emerged after a grassroots campaign demanded stronger accountability from Chevron for decades of air pollution linked to increased health risks in Richmond. The 2900-acre Chevron refinery, which processes approximately 240,000 barrels of crude oil daily, has long faced criticism from residents for contributing to elevated rates of respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular disease.

In response, local advocates and city leaders moved forward with a proposed “Make Polluters Pay” ballot measure that would have set a new tax of $1 per barrel of oil refined in the facility. The measure aimed to raise funds directly from Chevron to address public health, infrastructure, and environmental concerns.

To avoid the proposed tax, Chevron agreed to a $550 million payout over the next decade. Chevron will deliver $50 million annually from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030, and $60 million annually from July 1, 2030, through June 30, 2035.

Carla Thomas

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

1 week ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.