Equity

Julie Chavez Rodriguez, ‘Visionary’ Berkeley Grad, to Run Biden Campaign

Twenty-five years ago, UC Berkeley Professor Harley Shaiken could not know the future that awaited undergraduate Julie Chavez Rodriguez. But even then, he was struck by her talent, deep commitment to social justice and modesty — and that was before he knew that she was the granddaughter of César Chávez, the iconic American labor organizer and civil rights leader. Now, President Joe Biden has named Chavez Rodriguez to lead his 2024 reelection campaign, and Shaiken sees how a student’s promise has grown into national influence.

Published

3 years ago

May 9, 2023

Oakland Post

Julie Chavez Rodriguez was named to lead President Joe Biden’s campaign for reelection in 2024. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2000 with a degree in Latin American studies. (AP photo by Evan Vucci)

By Edward Lempinen

Now, President Joe Biden has named Chavez Rodriguez to lead his 2024 reelection campaign, and Shaiken sees how a student’s promise has grown into national influence.

“Julie understood the realities in which we live — the lack of opportunities for so many people of color and poor white people, and particularly Latinos, particularly Black people and immigrants,” Shaiken said yesterday. “But she saw a better world and was willing to work tirelessly…. She had this moral sensibility and this conviction to see these things happen, that have always been impressive.”

As an undergraduate, Julie Chavez Rodriguez (third from right, in a white sweater) helped to organize a high-level conference at the UC Berkeley Center for Latin American Studies. She distinguished herself through her idealism, her commitment and her hard work, said Harley Shaiken, former chair of the center. (Photo courtesy of the UC Berkeley Center for Latin American Studies)

When Biden formally opened his campaign to win reelection in 2024, Chavez Rodriguez, 45, became the first Latinx woman in U.S. history to run the campaign of an incumbent president. In comments at his announcement on April 25, the president cited her experience and leadership, and the trust she has built across political communities.

“This election is a generational moment for Americans across the country to stand up and fight for our democracy and freedoms,” Biden said. “To win this fight, we need strong leadership that can build and expand our broad, diverse coalition from 2020.”

Chavez Rodriguez graduated from Berkeley in 2000 with a degree in Latin American studies, and the arc of her career since then has been remarkable. She volunteered with the first presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008, and then was hired into the administration.

She worked as deputy press secretary to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and later as special assistant to Obama and as senior deputy director of public engagement in the White House. In that role, she built high-level networks across a range of communities: LGBTQ, Asian American Pacific Islander, Latinx, veterans, youth, and labor.

After Obama left office, Chavez Rodriguez joined the staff of then-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, serving as California state director. When Harris ran for president, Chavez Rodriguez held a leadership post in her campaign, and then joined the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign as deputy campaign manager.

After Biden’s victory, she was one of a number of advisers with Berkeley connections to join the administration. She served as a senior adviser to the president and as director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

A lifetime of commitment, starting in childhood

In practical terms, however, Chavez Rodriguez’s career was directly shaped in her childhood.

Her grandfather came from an impoverished family of farmworkers; he would go on to be a labor organizer of historic importance and global impact.

Her father, Arturo S. Rodríguez, worked 45 years with the United Farm Workers of America, including 25 as the union’s president. Her mother, Linda Chavez Rodriguez, also was a major UFW figure before her death in October 2000.

At the age of 9, Julie Chavez Rodriguez and others in her family were arrested while demonstrating at a New Jersey supermarket. When she was 10, her grandfather went on a 36-day hunger strike to protest the use of pesticides on table grapes, and she joined his action for three days.

‘Social justice is not an abstraction to her’

Shaiken met her in 1998, when he was chair of Berkeley’s Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS). As an undergraduate, she had volunteered to help organize a CLAS conference that would explore economic integration, globalization and the future of U.S. and Latin American relations.

The event featured former California Gov. Jerry Brown, then mayor-elect of Oakland, along with a cadre of rising stars: future Mexican President Vicente Fox, future U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Adolfo Aguilar Zínser, who would serve as Mexico’s ambassador to the United Nations, and Sherrod Brown, who would become a U.S. senator from Ohio.

At the time, and for weeks afterward, Shaiken had no clue about her family background — she wanted to stand on her own, he recalled, and while she was deeply proud of her family, she didn’t mention them initially. Instead, he saw her idealism and her hard work.

“All I knew was that she was Julie Chavez Rodriguez,” he said. “She had a deep concern for other people, including the most marginalized and desperate people. But she was understated and open — she stood out not by being flashy, but by her deep social commitment, her courage, and her values…. She was a visionary.”

Shaiken, now a professor emeritus of geography and education, has stayed in touch with Chavez Rodriguez and followed her career, and he believes that her experience and her networks will be critical assets to Biden. Her idealism is now complemented by the pragmatism of experience, he said. Her knowledge of Latinx culture and politics could be essential in what may be a close contest with former President Donald Trump or another Republican nominee.

“She’ll face countless headwinds and storms — we know that,” Shaiken said. “But she’s a person who’s steady under fire and comes from a background where people did great things under the worst of circumstances.

“Social justice is not an abstraction to her. It is her North Star.”

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At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses. The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Published

3 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, was one of the speakers at the event. Photo by Shellee Fisher Photography and Design.

By Calvin Naito, Special to The Post

On June 4, a national nonprofit named the Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) – which aims to increase public construction contracting opportunities for small and historically underutilized businesses – held a day-long event in downtown San Francisco to rally supporters and build momentum to its cause.

It was attended by more than 100 individuals from public agencies, private firms, and other organizations committed to increasing contracting opportunities with governmental agencies, thereby creating more competition and lowering public costs.

The EIP event was held the Hyatt Regency San Francisco in conjunction with BuildIT, which aims to increase contracting opportunities for LGBT-owned businesses.

At the event, 16 entities signed the EIP pledge, vowing to take steps to increase public contracting opportunities in their spheres for small and historically underutilized businesses.

The pledge signees included Hub International, the Port of San Francisco, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, California High-Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Oakland, Robert Graham of Webcor Builders, Holder Construction, the Weitz Company, Sky Blue Builders, Hornblower, Swinerton, Luster National, Talson Solutions, Center for Community Wealth Building, and the Construction Contractors Alliance.

Following the workshop, BuildIT hosted a VIP evening reception honoring EIP, whose principals – Phil Washington, John Procari, and Rick Jacobs – accepted the award.

The event also set in motion the coalition’s efforts to implement recommendations from EIP’s “Procurement for Prosperity: A Playbook.”

The Playbook is a practical guide for public agency leaders and procurement and contracting practitioners to grow the capacity of small and first-time contractors, strengthen competition, and deliver better value for taxpayers.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), a long-time EIP supporter, also told attendees, “This is about commitment. This has been a life’s work. This is a tailwind moment.”

The event’s presenting sponsor was Hub International, one of the largest insurance brokerages in the nation, which was joined by partners Travelers Insurance and the State Compensation Insurance Fund.

After the pledge-signing ceremony, attendees participated in a workshop in which they examined the policies, practices, and programs needed to meet EIP goals, learned from practitioners, and identified next steps toward utilizing the Playbook.

Ingrid Meriwether, formerly of Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services (MWIS) and current president of Hub International’s Aligned Risk Management, MWIS, described the hard-fought lessons she and her MWIS team have learned over the last three decades administering contractor development programs (CDPs) for the City and County of San Francisco, Alameda County, City of Los Angeles, LA Metro, and other municipalities.

The CDPs help small and local construction firms win public infrastructure contracts with these government agencies. The program provides bonding assistance, contract financing, technical support, training, and other services to underrepresented businesses funded by public agencies who seek greater contracting participation with these firms.

Merriwether said programs like these “break down systemic barriers, create greater fairness, and save taxpayers money by enabling more competition. The contractor development programs have, cumulatively, over two decades, helped contractors access over $1 billion in bonding, supporting over $380 million in awarded contracts, and maintaining a loss ratio 250 times lower than the industry average – while saving participating municipalities more than $27 million in contracting costs as a result of enabling more competition.”

Rick Jacobs, EIP co-founder and co-chair urged attendees make plans to meet again in the near future “to continue building on this work, share progress on organizational commitments, and discuss how we can collectively advance the goals of the EIP pledge.”

For more information on the EIP and to access a copy of the Playbook, go online to https://equityininfrastructure.org/

Calvin Naito is communications manager for Equity in Infrastructure Project.

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Oakland Museum Presents Landmark Retrospective Celebrating Beloved Bay Area Artist Mildred Howard

“Poetics of Memory” coincides with a year of major recognition for Howard. In 2026, she received the California Arts Council’s 50th Anniversary Award, honoring artists whose work has shaped California’s cultural and civic life, as well as the Museum of the African Diaspora’s Artist Impact Award. In 2025, she was awarded a prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in recognition of her transformative contributions to American cultural life.

Published

3 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Mildred Howard. Photo by Christine Cueto for the Oakland Museum of California, 2025.

Special to The Post

The Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opened “Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory,” the first major museum survey of Bay Area artist Mildred Howard, on June 12.

The exhibition spans five decades of Howard’s influential work, bringing together immersive installations, found-object sculptures, archival materials, and new commissions that explore memory, identity, and power in American life.

Howard was born in San Francisco in 1945 and raised in the East Bay, where she went on to study Afro-Haitian dance, make and sell clothing, and experiment with collage and sculpture.

Her multimedia art practice emerged from these experiences, later becoming associated with West Coast conceptual art, San Francisco funk, and a vibrant community of artists like Oliver Jackson, Betye Saar, and Raymond Saunders. Since the 1970s, she has used found materials and family stories to explore memory—both individual and collective.

At OMCA, visitors enter “Poetics of Memory” through a series of intimate galleries featuring Howard’s early mixed-media pieces and sculptures, along with a large video projection of a number of her public artworks.

Together, they emphasize Howard’s interest in everyday objects as powerful carriers of individual and shared stories. Highlights include collages that remix images of the artist herself; found-object sculptures like The History of the United States with a few Parts Missing (2007) that address omissions in dominant narratives; and public works like “Locks and Keys for Harry Bridges” (2001) that transform urban space into a meditation on access and labor.

This culminates in a richly detailed “studio” environment, where works in progress, archival exhibition flyers, historic photographs of Howard and her community, postcards from fellow artists, and other materials offer insight into her creative process and daily life.

The exhibition then opens into a high-ceilinged, dramatically lit space that brings together Howard’s signature immersive installations. On one end, “Crossings” (1997/2026) – a field of hundreds of ceramic eggs leading to an ornate mirror – suggests cycles of birth, motherhood, and transition, while drawing on the emotional echoes of the Middle Passage. On the other end, “Blackbird in a Red Sky” (a.k.a. “Fall of the Blood House”) (2002) – a red glass shack bordered by a pond – also uses reflection and transparency to draw viewers into the work and prompt consideration of themes of identity and home.

Howard’s newest video installation, “Moving Stills” (2026), repurposes never-before-seen family footage she took as a teenager on a train trip to the American South. Projected onto cascading layers of translucent fabric that stretch across an entire gallery wall, the piece immerses viewers in a layered meditation on memory, migration, and time.

The “Mildred Howard: Poetics of Memory” exhibit will be on display through Oct. 11 at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak St., Oakland, CA 94612. Museum hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Fridays to 9 p.m.

This story is sourced from the Oakland Museum of California press office.

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Stop the Hate Symposium Brings Oakland Together Through Dialogue, Partnership, and Community Healing

More than a meeting and panel discussion, the annual symposium serves as a powerful example of what can happen when neighbors, community leaders, and organizations choose conversation over division, and unity over silence.

Published

3 days ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Speakers and guests at the annual ‘Stop the Hate Symposium posed with Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council ambassadors. Photo by Marcus Calloway.

By Dr. Maritony Jones, Special to The Post

With the purpose of creating safer, stronger, and more inclusive communities, and in partnership with the Oakland Private Industry Council and other community organizations, the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council (OCIC) hosted the ‘Stop the Hate Symposium’ on June 13 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

The free event featured keynote speakers, breakout sessions, cultural programming, creating a space where people from many backgrounds sat together with a shared purpose.

The turnout itself reflected the urgency and importance of the topic. The room was packed with community members eager not only to listen, but also to participate. Throughout the event, speakers shared data, personal experiences, research, and practical solutions designed to address hate, violence, social inequity, and community safety.

The keynote panel featured respected leaders and advocates, including Ray Bobbitt, founder of the African American Sports & Entertainment Group (AASEG); Ryan Takemiya from RAMA; Caheri Gutierrez from the Unity Council; honorary guest speaker Oakland City Councilmember at-Large Rowena Brown and City Councilmember Charlene Wang; representatives for Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon, with Gia Vang of NBC serving as moderator.

The symposium also offered multiple breakout sessions that addressed issues affecting communities across Oakland and Alameda County:

Session 1, 2, 3: Building Safer and More Inclusive Communities, led by Pastor Raymond Lankfort, CEO of Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC), Jessica Kang, research manager for Stop AAPI Hate, Kara Guerra of The Unity Council, and Gabriela delaRiva of the Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation
Session 4: Talk Story: Collective Healing and Relationship Repair, presented by Ryan Takemiya, executive director of RAMA
Session 5: Sexual Violence Prevention, presented by Tunisia Owens, interim deputy director of Realized Potential
Session 6: Violent Attacks on Teens, presented by MaryAnn Alvarado, program manager of Youth Alive

Every session contributed to an important truth: meaningful change begins within communities, through honest dialogue and a willingness to work together.

One of the strongest themes to emerge from the day was the need to create more conversations and stronger partnerships—not just during times of crisis, but consistently and intentionally. Relationships among organizations, neighborhoods, and community leaders often operate behind the scenes but are not always highlighted or celebrated.

Bobbitt spoke powerfully about this issue, noting that partnerships and relationships often go unrecognized despite being essential to community progress. He pointed to examples such as the partnership between OPIC and OCHIC, emphasizing that these collaborations deserve more visibility, investment, and expansion.

Perhaps his most memorable message resonated deeply throughout the room. Bobbitt explained that when a grandparent is attacked or harmed, the impact extends beyond race or ethnicity because today’s families and communities are increasingly multicultural and interconnected.

“We are not going to see our grandparents as just Latino, Asian, Caucasian, or African American,” he shared in essence. “We are going to see them simply as our grandparents.”

Those words reflected the heart of the symposium. Hate may target one group, but pain and loss are felt by everyone. Likewise, healing and progress are shared responsibilities.

For more information about the Stop The Hate Program visit the website: https://www.oaklandchinatownchamber.org/stop-the-hate (or) https://oaklandpic.or