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Diana Becton Becomes First Woman and Person of Color District Attorney of Contra Costa County

Published

8 years ago

January 12, 2019

On Sunday, Jan. 6, while the rains deluged with torrential force, people from all over Contra Costa County, San Francisco, Alameda County, and the Bay Area converged upon the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond, where Rev. Dr. Alvin C. Bernstine serves as pastor.

People, from all walks of life, races, colors, creeds, and sexual orientation braved the downpour, navigated around the wreckages of hydroplaned cars, and endured the winter chill and twilight to join in an interfaith service of celebration, worship and thanksgiving to celebrate history in the making—the election and swearing-in of the Hon. Diana Becton, retired judge of the Superior Court of California as the 25th District Attorney of Contra Costa County.

It took 167 years and the forward-thinking citizens of Contra Costa County to seize the moment and elect Diana Becton, the first woman and the first person of color to hold the highest-elected office of law enforcement in the county despite formidable opposition with a sizeable campaign purse.

So they enthusiastically gathered within the intimate walls of her church to celebrate.

The interfaith service was a remarkable affair. Perhaps not since the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited Easter Hills United Methodist Church has such a diverse group of people gathered in Richmond. The ecumenicity of the celebration featured an invocation from Rev. Quentisha Davis Wiles, a Pittsburg United Methodist; scripture readings by Genesis Johnson, a fifth-grader from Eagle Peak Montessori School, Walnut Creek; Jason Hill, Saint Mary’s College High School, Berkeley; Oracion de San Francisco by Miguel Gonzalez, Jr., City College, San Francisco.

The Shema was cited by Mr. David Ratner, Congregation B’nai Tikvah, Walnut Creek, and prayers of blessings from Deacon Philip Arnold, Jr., The Bay Church, Concord; Ms. Loel Bartlett Miller, Executive Board of the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa; Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Islamic Center of Zahra, Pleasanton; Ms. Holiday Brugeman, Christian Science, Danville; Mr. Kevin Finklea, Victory Outreach Church, Pittsburg.

The celebration included soulful singing by the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church Choir, led by Dr. Donnell Thomas; a solo, “Oh Freedom!” by retired United Meth odist minister, Rev. Roger Kimble, III; a Jewish rendition of Pitchu b’chesed (Open up in justice and love) by Jennie Chabon, accompanied by Lisa Zieler, B’nai Tikvah, Walnut Creek, and a stirring rendition of “God Bless the Child That Has His Own” by Naomi Smith, Ujima Recovery Services.

Rev. Charles Tindsley, retired Chaplain of Contra Costa Juvenile Center and organizer of the event, was able to include youths Joshua Barlet, Jeffrey Chao, and William Ponce-Ramirez as featured readers of scripture.

Gigi Crowder, Executive Director of NAMI and Ms. Malkia Crowder, Probation Manager of Juvenile Hall, offered a spirited reading of Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman.”

However, the evening’s historical significance was powerfully elucidated in the sermon delivered by the inimitable Dr. Amos C. Brown of the Third Baptist Church, San Francisco.

Dr. Rev. Amos Brown. Photo by Joe L. Fisher

Dr. Brown, with encyclopedic acuity, challenged the crowd to ponder the racist legacy of Western Civilization, including America and the Christian church. His brilliance to quote substantive texts, and legendary thinkers, brought to bear the significance of the moment. After providing a scathing critique of what the “moronic” Trump presidency implies about America, he encouraged D. A. Becton, and the witnessing congregation, to embrace the mantle of the prophet Micah, “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

After being introduced by Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia, district attorney Becton graciously thanked the citizens of the county for entrusting her with the responsibility to serve. She offered historical perspective and shared an impressive account of noted accomplishments within the office, as well as her hopes and dreams within the office of the District Attorney. Pastor Bernstine read the Prayer of Consecration prepared by the Reverend Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr., the pastor of her early spiritual formation. The Sisters of Bethlehem provided an impressive assortment of culinary treats to complete a historical night in Richmond.

Dr. Rev. Alvin Bernstine

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PRESS ROOM: Transformative Justice Coalition 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception ‘Yesterday Is Today: The Battle For Voting Rights

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE –

Published

1 week ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

Featuring a Special Fireside Chat with 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sixty-three years after the bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist

Church shocked the conscience of the nation, Sarah Collins Rudolph—known as the “Fifth Little Girl”—will join the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC) for a special Fireside Chat examining the enduring connection between the civil rights struggle of 1963 and the battle for voting and civil rights in 2026.

The Fireside Chat, hosted in partnership with Attorney A. Scott Bolden of Reed Smith, LLP, will be a featured part of TJC’s 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception, held in commemoration of the September 15, 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

Collins Rudolph survived the bombing that killed four young girls, including her sister, Addie Mae Collins, and left her seriously injured. During this extraordinary conversation, she will share her firsthand experience of the bombing, its lifelong impact, and her continuing struggle for justice.

Her appearance comes at a consequential moment for voting and civil rights in America and offers a living reminder that the struggle against racial hatred, disenfranchisement, and injustice is not simply a chapter of history. Under the theme “Yesterday Is Today: The Battle for Voting and Civil Rights in 2026,” the evening will connect the sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement with the continuing responsibility to protect voting rights and advance justice today.

WHAT: Transformative Justice Coalition 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception

“Yesterday Is Today: The Battle For Voting And Civil Rights In 2026”

Featuring a Special Fireside Chat with 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor Sarah Collins Rudolph

WHO: Barbara Arnwine, Esquire, Founder/President/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Daryl D. Jones, Esquire, Board Chair/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition

Sarah Collins Rudolph, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Survivor

A. Scott Bolden, Esquire, Reed Smith, LLP; Sponsor of the Fireside Chat and Reception

WHEN: Wednesday, September 16, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Location will be emailed to registrants 48 hours before the event.

WHY: Attorney Barbara Arnwine, the President & Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition (TJC), and Attorney Daryl Jones, Co-Leader and Board Chair of TJC, said of Mrs. Collins Rudolph’s appearance that “TJC believes that it is critically important that people hear from the sole survivor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.” Arnwine and Jones further stated that “this event will provide people with an opportunity to hear, first-hand, the results of racial hatred through the eyes of Mrs. Collins Rudolph, who was in the church with the four little girls who were killed at the time of the bombing.”

Attorney A. Scott Bolden, the sponsor of the Fireside Chat and Reception to benefit the non-profit Transformative Justice Coalition, said, “I am proud to support the work of the Transformative Justice Coalition. This is an organization that is truly in the trenches fighting for social justice and voting rights in America.” Bolden continued, “I have been an advocate for social justice my entire life. I strongly encourage people to come hear Mrs. Collins Rudolph and support the work of the Transformative Justice Coalition.”

TJC will bestow its 2026 Voting Rights Champion Award upon Collins Rudolph in recognition of her courage, perseverance, and continuing struggle for justice.

Attorney Arnwine and Attorney Jones concluded that, “Mrs. Collins Rudolph’s determination, heart, and perseverance to survive is to be applauded. This is the reason why TJC is bestowing upon her the 2026 ‘Voting Rights Champion Award.’ The character that Ms. Collins Rudolph displayed in her struggle to survive exemplifies the depth of commitment we must have today to protect our voting rights and work toward building a more robust, multicultural, and inclusive society for the future.”

REGISTRATION & SUPPORT: Registration for the Fireside Chat and Reception is available through Eventbrite or TJC’s website. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law and are strongly encouraged. Proceeds will support the TJC John Lewis Make Good Trouble Vote Bus, which will travel across America to marginalized communities, register voters, and help take voters to the polls.

Founded in 2015 by Barbara Arnwine, president emeritus of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, where she created the national election protection program. Ms. Arnwine serves as President and Founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition, which seeks to catalyze transformative institutional change that advances justice and equality in the United States and abroad. Learn more at tjcoalition.org.

This story originally appeared on Black Press USA as “PRESS ROOM: Transformative Justice Coalition 2026 Voting Rights Champion Awards Reception ‘Yesterday Is Today: The Battle For Voting Rights”. Auto-delivered via NNPA Newswire.

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Locals Can Get Locally Grown Produce Delivered Through Urban Tilth

The standard price is $50 per week, which Urban Tilth says reflects the true cost of fresh, sustainably sourced, locally grown produce. Urban Tilth offers a subsidized “Food for All” price of $15 per week for individuals and families with extremely limited financial resources. Both options provide the same produce and service.

Published

1 week ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

A client receives groceries from a member of Urban Tilth. Courtesy photo.

By Richmond Standard Staff

West County residents can receive locally grown produce through Urban Tilth’s Farm to Table Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, with home delivery and pickup options available.

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia highlighted the program in his newsletter, pointing out that his district office in El Cerrito serves as a pickup location.

Weekly or bi-weekly subscriptions include seasonal greens, vegetables, fruits and herbs. Produce comes from Urban Tilth’s North Richmond Farm and farms within 200 miles of Richmond, including small family farms and those owned by BIPOC, women and LGBTQIA+ growers.

Subscriptions also support hands-on job training for local youth and volunteer opportunities.

The standard price is $50 per week, which Urban Tilth says reflects the true cost of fresh, sustainably sourced, locally grown produce. A subsidized “Food for All” price of $15 per week is available for individuals and families with extremely limited financial resources. Both options provide the same produce and service.

Gioia’s office is located at 11780 San Pablo Ave., Suite D, in El Cerrito. To sign up or learn more about pickup and delivery options, visit urbantilth.org/heal/csa.

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New Protections for Ticket Buyers: Gov. Newsom Signs Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Bill

OAKLAND POST — Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). File photo.

By California Black Media Staff

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.

Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.

Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.

The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.

Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.

“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you. This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups, and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”

Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.

“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets. Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”