Activism

Congresswoman Lee and Senator Padilla Hold Roundtable Discussion on Rising Gun Violence in Oakland

Published

2 years ago

October 14, 2022

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) join community roundtable discussion to address gun violence.

Oakland, CA – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) held a roundtable discussion with community leaders and local elected officials to address the recent rise in gun violence in Oakland, hear from attendees, provide legislative updates, and discuss federal support for local public safety initiatives.

“I am pleased that Senator Alex Padilla and East Bay community leaders joined me in a roundtable discussion today about the alarming rate of gun violence, crime and public safety concerns in Oakland,” said Congresswoman Lee. “Words cannot express my sorrow and condolences to the loved ones we have lost due to gun violence. Today, we discussed how systemic racism plays out in our communities. The majority of victims of gun violence are unfortunately Black and brown people. Our discussions today reaffirmed our commitment to fight for safe communities, support legislation to get guns off of the streets and deal with the root causes of crime. Our young people deserve investments in education, jobs, housing, mental health, social and racial justice efforts and more to ensure the quality of life they deserve. Actions speak louder than words. I thank all of the participants for their contributions to the discussion and look forward to lending federal support for many of the strategies proposed today.”

“We’ve seen devastating acts of gun violence play out across the country, and we can no longer let these events pass by without fighting for meaningful change,” said Senator Padilla. “Earlier this year, Congress passed the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly thirty years, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and we started to break the chokehold the gun lobby has held on Congress for decades. But we must continue building on this momentum. From expanding background checks to banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, there’s more we must do to get weapons of war off our streets and save lives.”

“There has been so much violence and pain recently in Oakland, but they say those who are closest to the pain are closest to the solution,” said Anne Marks, Executive Director of Youth ALIVE!. “With Congresswoman Lee’s leadership, we are closer than ever to real, lasting solutions through investment in community-led, cost effective strategies like ours at Youth ALIVE!. We can save lives using a public health approach to violence.”

In June, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The first major gun violence prevention legislation passed in nearly three decades, the law includes support for state crisis intervention orders; protections for victims of domestic violence; enhanced background checks for buyers under 21; anti-violence community initiatives; child and family mental health services; and stronger enforcement of gun trafficking and straw purchases.

Congresswoman Lee is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She serves as Co-Chair of the Steering & Policy Committee, former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chair Emeritus of the Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Task Force, and Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus. She also serves as Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. As a member of the House Democratic Leadership, she is the highest-ranking Black woman in the U.S. Congress.

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Activism

Oakland’s ‘Green the Church,’ Others, Host a Climate Revival

On April 20, Oakland’s Green The Church California (GTC) and the Center For Food, Faith and Justice will celebrate Earth Day and present a Climate Revival event titled “Growing Healthy Communities From Soil To The Soul” at McGee Avenue Baptist Church at 1640 Stuart St, Berkeley, CA. The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

Published

1 hour ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

The revival will take place at McGee Avenue Baptist Church in Berkeley on April 20. Courtesy image.

Growing Healthy Communities from Soil to the Soul in Berkeley

By Y’Anad Burrell

The day will include inspiring talks, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and a special panel on Food Sovereignty and Global Food Resilience.

The keynote speaker is Rev. Danté R. Quick, PhD, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, N.J. Quick is well known in the Bay Area, having served for more than 10 years as pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Vallejo, CA.

Green The Church, founded in 2010 by Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, Sr., and headquartered in Oakland, helps galvanize Black churches and their local communities and leaders to address issues critical to populations historically disengaged from conversations around pollution and health, climate change, and sustainability and energy efficiency.

The organization collaborates with major environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, and is committed to “creation justice”—care and justice for God’s people and the planet—and building the Beloved Community.

Environmental justice has long been a pressing concern for communities of color who bear the brunt of pollution and ecological degradation. Climate change exacerbates these issues, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities. Recognizing this urgency, Black churches across the country are taking action.

With deep roots in the African American community and its commitment to social justice, the Black Church has become an essential advocate for sustainable practices and policies.

Over the past 14 years, in a powerful collaboration with significant environmental, sustainability, food security, faith, and community-based non-profit organizations, GTC has created a cadre of Black churches engaging in the environmental justice, climate, and sustainability movement.

GTC presently works with more than 1,000 pastors and congregations across the U.S., and groups in the Bahamas, Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK, showing that we can make a difference together.

The partnership between environmental justice advocates and the Black Church extends beyond individual congregations. Green The Church provides resources and support for faith communities seeking to address climate change and promote environmental justice.

Through collaboration, initiatives such as energy efficiency programs, solar installations, and environmental education have been implemented in Black churches nationwide. These efforts reduce the carbon footprint and save money on energy bills, benefiting the congregations and their communities.

The involvement of the Black Church in the fight against climate change is not just a participation, it’s a powerful message that galvanizes action across communities.

By integrating environmental justice into their ministry, Black churches are demonstrating that addressing climate change is not only a matter of science but also of social and moral responsibility, inspiring change at a grassroots level.

For more information, go to: www.greenthechurch.org.