Topic: Expanding our Reach at RPA 

We have upgraded our office to have the ability to host hybrid meetings. And though we were going to learn how to set up that technology, our guest speaker was not available so we shifted our conversation to assess our Roundtable format, what is working well, what hasn’t worked well, and what we might do next. Our aim has been to build community at RPA and discover how our Roundtable discussions might evolve.

This article was originally published on BeyondChron on July 8, 2024

Curious about the difference between instant runoff and ranked-choice voting? RPA member Steve Early covers how different municipal election rules can result in distinct outcomes for Richmond voters. 

Why This Matters

Primaries for local elections are not backed by any recognized voters’ rights organization and are not used by the great majority (95%) of California cities. The change is not good for democracy in Richmond.

Follow RPA for more information as these two campaigns progress.

City Council Moves Critical Ballot Initiative Forward

Making Chevron and other polluting industries pay their fair share of taxes has been a cornerstone of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) since its founding 20 years ago. 

June 18, 2024, marked a bold step towards progress for our community. The "Make Polluters Pay" measure is officially on the November ballot!

By Eduardo Martinez

Earlier this month, my team and I celebrated our first month in office. I am so proud my office is fully staffed with Chief of Staff Shiva Mishek, Deputy Chief of Staff Tony Tamayo, and Policy Director BK White. We’ve started strong! Our accomplishments as of our one month in office include:

• over 250 meetings with constituents and city staff held
• over 20 applications to boards and commissions processed
• over a dozen community events attended

By Jamin Pursell

George Washington Carver 

George Washington Carver did not invent peanut butter. America has a habit of creating myths about itself that hide the actual work of black people in building America. While Carver is widely known for his work with peanuts, he did not invent peanut butter, which traces back to the Aztecs. Carver, however, is recognized for his pioneering work in promoting the cultivation of peanuts as a profitable crop for farmers and his research into the many uses of peanuts and other crops, including over 300 products made from peanuts. While not primarily known as a political figure, Carver used his position and influence to advocate for important issues, such as education and the empowerment of African Americans. He was a member of the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. This organization worked to promote better race relations in the United States, and he used his platform to speak out against racism and discrimination.

By Justine Burt

Block Island Wind Farm

California has ambitious environmental policy goals in place. By 2030, 30% of our land and waterways will be conserved. After 2035, 100% of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks will be zero emission. By 2045, 100% of electricity will come from renewable sources.

Closing the gap between our goals and where we are today will require millions of new green jobs. Building offshore wind turbines, retrofitting buildings for all electric, and recycling waste materials into new products are just a few examples of the kinds of projects that will build a just, equitable, resilient and sustainable future.

The Richmond Green-Blue New Deal Workforce Development Plan team is currently seeking input from Richmond residents about which green-blue projects to prioritize.

By Nicole Valentino and Diana Wear

Kabir Kapur left an indelible mark on our RPA community when he died at the young age of 30 years old. He died of complications following an asthma attack that progressed to cardiac arrest. We are deeply saddened by this loss. Yet while we are bereft with his death, we are also left with some wonderful memories and profound lessons.  Kabir was a longtime, active member of RPA. Over the years, he worked on a number of committees and action teams including the leadership body of the RPA, the Steering Committee, as well as Membership and Council Action Team. He also participated actively with the Communications Team meetings urging coverage of relevant issues.

This playlist tribute to Kabir Kapur is a compilation of songs submitted by Kabir’s fellow RPA music lovers. Listen on Spotify, or as individual YouTube links.

Below are anecdotes and stories submitted by RPA members and allies. 

By Shiva Mishek

In this recent election cycle, the Richmond Progressive Alliance used a simple question to decide whether we would endorse local candidates: would the candidate commit to running a corporate-donation-free campaign? This question has been the bedrock of our organization since its founding in 2004.

But is it too basic a boundary issue?

By Diana Wear and Chris Broglio 

This month, the Membership Committee Co-chairs, collaborated with the Office Staff to address a number of needs we’ve been wrestling with in our post-election period as well as since the pandemic and acquiring our new office space at 12929 San Pablo Avenue.  We’ve devised plans to provide orientations for new members, ways for our community to have round table discussions and offer continuing education for RPA members.