The Advocate

This Tuesday, February 15, 6:30 PM, the San Leandro City Council will have its first work session on creating a police oversight program and we need the community to show up, show out, and make sure that the city takes decisive action. We need the City Council to direct staff to begin creating an oversight board that is independent, transparent, well-resourced, and diverse, without any further delay. Here's how you can support: 1. Forward this information to friends, family, and neighbors who are invested in making our police department more transparent and accountable to our community! You can also use the graphics embedded here in posts on social media. I have also put together a folder of educational resources courtesy of the San Leandro White Antiracism Initiative (SWAI) at tinyurl.com/SWAITools. 2. Use the link to the Oversight Action Packet to make a public comment on February 15 at 6:30! The meeting is virtual, and you can join by visiting tinyurl.com/oversight15 or visiting...

SWAI, the San Leandro White Antiracism Initiative (pronounced "sway") is having our next meeting on Wednesday, November 3, from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. This month's topic is reimagining public safety and mental health response. We will be having presentations from Justice for Steven Taylor, Unity in the Community, SLATE, and April Showers. Contact SWAI@googlegroups.com to join and get the Zoom link!

SWAI, the San Leandro White Antiracism Initiative (pronounced "sway") is having our next meeting on Wednesday, October 20, from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. We will be having a presentation from Neighbors for Racial Justice (N4RJ). Contact SWAI@googlegroups.com to join and get the Zoom link. Blurb by N4RJ — Confronting Racist Profiling: Committing to Safer Communities is a 90-minute presentation given by one person of color and one white person. This includes a facilitated dialogue. Learn how our conditioned racist beliefs undermine public safety efforts and drive profiling that brings devastating harm to our neighbors of color, especially those who are Black. The presentation includes personal storytelling and actions to confront racist profiling in your community. The content was created by Neighbors for Racial Justice under the guidance of a Black, women-led council.  About SWAI — We are a group of neighbors, organizers, and allies committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusio...

(Credit:  Boise Regional Realtors® ) California’s AB-1466 finally provides a systemic solution to remove racist covenants, conditions, and restrictions from property deeds and it is on Governor Newsom’s desk! Even though these CC&Rs were found to be unconstitutional and unenforceable since 1948, the offensive language persists. Seeing such blatant bigotry in escrow documents is painful, particularly for people of color. While we cannot and should not forget the history of racial exclusion in housing, there is no purpose in keeping this language in people’s property deeds other than causing further harm. It is past time they were removed for good. If you’re wondering about whether all of this is necessary, there are many examples of such covenants on social media local news that highlight exactly why. Here is just one example : "We hear a lot about racially restrictive [covenants] and systemic racism, but have you ever seen an example of it? Well, here’s a snapshot of propert...

I am pleased to share the recent presentation from the San Leandro White Antiracism Initiative! (SWAI) This month we look into the racist history of San Leandro, how it affected us then, and how it still impacts us today. Even more importantly, it serves as a step towards how we can repair the harm that was done, honor the history that has been ignored, and move forward towards a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive future. For more background, you can watch:  The Suburban Wall (1971)  and  The Invisible Wall (1981) Please reach out to SWAI@googlegroups.com to get involved! Take note and take care.

(SWAI, pronounced "sway.") We are a group of neighbors, organizers, and allies committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Our mission is to educate and engage White people into becoming active and effective antiracists. Our focus is hyper-local to the City of San Leandro because we believe change begins in our backyard.  New topics every month! September 9/8 & 9/22: Community History, To the Suburban Wall & Back Again October 10/6 & 10/20: Neighbors for Racial Justice, Confronting Racism Online & In Real Life November 11/3 & 11/17: Reimagining Public Safety & our Mental Health Response Meetings @ 7:30 - 9:00 P:M via Zoom. Contact: SWAI@googlegroups.com

I've come to realize that I end up repeating myself a lot when engaging with other people in my work. The hard part is that the topic that most frequently rears itself repeatedly is about my background. How dare I. Who am I. What do I know. What gives me the right. At this point, I'm just tired and bored of having to bare my soul every single time someone with a chip on their shoulder wants to try throwing it at my face. Like with most things in my life, I've chosen to write it down somewhere that people can read at their leisure and convenience. And, also, where I can finally get a little leisure and convenience. So, if you have questions about me then here are some answers. I do mean some. Not all. There will always be things I refuse to share except with my loved ones. Now... prepare for a Very Long Post! *** As a legal advocate, community organizer, civil servant, and experienced public administrator, I believe I possess a unique combination of education, experience, an...