Latinx Archives - Oakland News Now Blog

Vaccines and School Safety Latinx Family Session

March 11, 2021 by Zennie Abraham

Vaccines and School Safety Latinx Family Session From YouTube Channel: March 11, 2021 at 06:57PM ONN – Get your questions about COVID vaccines, safety in school reopening, ventilation, and other important topics answered by experts. These sessions will share up-to-date information to help people make the best decisions for their family. Presenters are the UCSF … Read more

President Biden Praises Oakland As One Of 441 Federally-Supported Community Vaccination Centers

March 6, 2021 by Zennie Abraham

In a press release sent to Zennie62Media, the President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris praised the Oakland Coliseum in its role as one of 441 federally-supported community vaccination centers. Here’s the news.

Since January 20, the Biden-Harris Administration has supported the establishment or expansion of 441 community vaccination centers across 37 states, territories, and the District of Columbia.

The Biden-Harris Administration has launched a comprehensive, whole-of-government effort to get more people vaccinated—by increasing vaccine supply, increasing vaccinators, and increasing the number of places to get vaccinated. As part of this strategy, the Administration is supporting and launching federally-supported community vaccination centers nationwide in places people know and trust: community centers, schools, and stadiums. These community vaccination centers help achieve the President’s goal of administering 100 million shots in 100 days and getting vaccines to Americans more rapidly and more equitably.
On his first day in office, the President set a goal of launching or supporting 100 community vaccination centers in his first month. Today, President Biden announced that since January 20, the federal government has provided critical support in the form of personnel, funding, and/or equipment to help establish or expand 441 community vaccination centers nationwide. As of this week:

171 sites are being supported by federal personnel: The Biden-Harris Administration has deployed 2,225 personnel nationwide to support vaccination operations, including expert logisticians, vaccinators and non-medical operational staff serving as greeters, clerks and other critical support roles. Personnel are assigned from agencies across the federal government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); U.S. Department of the Interior (DoI); U.S. Department of Defense (DoD); U.S. Coast Guard (USCG); U.S. Forest Service (USFS); Veterans Affairs (VA); U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
312 sites are being supported by federally-funded National Guard members under Title 32 orders: This means more people to deliver vaccinations, handle logistics, and coordinate the pandemic response. In total, the Administration is supporting 1,200 National Guard vaccinators across 43 states and territories.
177 sites have received federal funding: At the President’s direction, FEMA is reimbursing 100% of costs for vaccination operations. This funding covers critical supplies, staffing, training, and transportation needs that support increased vaccination distribution and administration. The funding flows to states, localities, Tribes, territories, and eligible non-profits.
62 sites have received federal equipment: From folding chairs to sharps containers to dry ice, the federal government has provided a range of equipment to meet state, local, Tribal, and territorial needs and help establish or expand sites.

Federal Pilot Community Vaccination Centers

Additionally, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced 18 federally-established community vaccination centers, with the ability to administer a total of 61,000 shots per day at full capacity. For these sites, the federal government is directly working with state and local partners from start to finish, to help select the location for, staff, and operate these sites.

The Biden-Harris Administration is placing equity at the core of the federal government’s strategy to defeat the pandemic. FEMA has partnered with CDC and state and local partners to locate vaccination centers in places that aim to reach hard-hit, high-risk communities, deploying CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index and similar state and local measures. Ensuring access is a priority in the design of the Federal Pilot community vaccination centers, with some featuring weekend and extended daytime hours, reserved slots for registration through faith-based and community-based organizations, and deployment alongside mobile vaccination units to help vaccinate surrounding communities.
Two sites opened in California on February 16, administering over 90,000 shots since opening, with additional vaccinations from the four mobile clinics based out of these locations and bringing vaccines directly to surrounding communities. Five other Federal Pilot sites opened this week, with three in Texas and two in New York. Additional sites announced in Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and North Carolina are launching in the coming weeks, with more to be announced.

Launched Federal Pilot Community Vaccination Centers:

Oakland Coliseum – Oakland, CA: FEMA partnered with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) to open the site on February 16, with the capacity to vaccinate 6,000 individuals a day. At the time of launch, 231 federal personnel were deployed to support site vaccinations and operations, including 125 from FEMA, 85 from USFS, and 21 from NDMS. The Coliseum is adjacent to the communities of Eastmont and Elmhurst, which have some of the lowest health scores in the state. The site operates 7 days a week with drive-through and pedestrian options. Appointments were reserved for faith and community-based organizations to register their communities.

California State University, Los Angeles – Los Angeles, CA: FEMA partnered with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) to open the site on February 16, with the capacity to vaccinate 6,000 individuals a day. At the time of launch, 256 personnel were deployed to support site vaccinations and operations, including 222 from DoD, 30 from FEMA, and four from USFS. The institution is one of the most diverse public universities in the country, serving a large Latinx community. The site operates 7 days a week with drive-through and pedestrian options. Appointments were reserved for faith and community-based organizations to register their communities.

NRG Stadium – Houston, TX: FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management opened this site on February 24, with the capacity to vaccinate 6,000 individuals a day. The 11-lane drive-through site operates 7 days a week, and the state is conducting targeted outreach to provide registration support. Harris County is highly diverse, home to the nation’s second-largest Hispanic and Latinx population of any U.S. county.

Fair Park – Dallas, TX: FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management opened the site on February 24, with the capacity to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day. The 12-lane drive-through site operates 7 days a week, and the state is conducting targeted outreach to provide registration support. Dallas County is highly diverse, with nearly two-thirds of its population Hispanic and/or Black.

Globe Life Field – Arlington, TX: FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management will open the site on February 26, with the capacity to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day. The site operates 7 days a week with drive-through and pedestrian options, and the state is conducting targeted outreach to provide registration support.

Medgar Evers College – Brooklyn, NY: FEMA and New York State opened the site on February 24, with the capacity to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day. The site is located in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. For the first week of scheduling, appointments were reserved specifically for eligible residents living in areas with low vaccination rates, before opening to all eligible borough residents. The state is additionally partnering with faith leaders to encourage sign-up, and the MTA is launching a pilot program to enhance bus service to connect New Yorkers to the vaccination site.

York College – Queens, NY: New York State and FEMA opened the site on February 23, with the capacity to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day. The site is located in Jamaica, Queens. For the first week of scheduling, appointments were initially reserved for eligible residents living in areas with low vaccination rates, before opening to all eligible borough residents. The state is additionally partnering with faith leaders to encourage sign-up, and the MTA is launching a pilot program to enhance bus service to connect New Yorkers to the vaccination site.

Announced Federal Pilot Community Vaccination Centers, opening soon:

Miami-Dade Community College (North Campus) – Miami, FL: With state partners, FEMA will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day.
Tampa Greyhound Track – Tampa, FL: With state partners, FEMA will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day.
Valencia College West Campus – Orlando, FL: With state partners, FEMA will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day.
Gateway Mall – Jacksonville, FL: With state partners, FEMA will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 3,000 individuals a day.
New York National Guard Armory – Yonkers, NY: FEMA and the State of New York will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 1,000 individuals a day and will operate with extended hours to better reach local residents.
Former Kodak Hawkeye Lot – Rochester, NY: FEMA and the State of New York will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 1,000 individuals a day and will operate with extended hours to better reach local residents.
Delavan Grider Community Center – Buffalo, NY: FEMA and the State of New York will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 1,000 individuals a day and will operate with extended hours to better reach local residents.
Washington Avenue Armory – Albany, NY: FEMA and the State of New York will open the site on March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 1,000 individuals a day and will operate with extended hours to better reach local residents.
Pennsylvania Convention Center – Philadelphia, PA: With state partners, FEMA will open this site as early as March 3. The site is expected to vaccinate 6,000 individuals a day.
United Center – Chicago, IL: With state partners, FEMA will open this site on March 10. The site is expected to vaccinated 6,000 individuals a day.
Four Seasons Center – Greensboro, NC: With state partners, FEMA will open this site on March 10. The site is expected to vaccinated 3,000 individuals a day.

A Statistical Example Of Anti-Black Racism By Berkeley Police

February 23, 2021 by Zennie Abraham

Berkeley Police Officers At Work (photo courtesy www.sott.net)

The following is part of an agenda report to the Berkeley City Council on police practices against African Americans by Berkeley Police. It’s by the Berkeley Mayor’s Fair and Impartial Policing Working Group. The Fair and Impartial Policing Working Group has received three contemporaneous studies of the BPD’s stops as published on the City’s Open … Read more

Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife Blasts Mayor Schaaf As White Supremacist In District Email

February 10, 2021 by Zennie Abraham

Carroll Fife (photo courtesy The Appeal)

The sad feud borne of a serious lack of leadership in Oakland just took another ugly turn with the District email that was issued by new Oakland District Three Councilmember Carroll Fife. To set the stage, watch my video from the awful Chinatown anti-crime event held by Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunado Bas almost … Read more

Dave Stewart: Oakland Athletics Star Submits Letter Of Intent To Buy Coliseum Land For $115 Million

June 18, 2023December 26, 2020 by Zennie Abraham

The baseball great and his development partner wants to team with a tribal lands developer for the light-on-specifics proposal focusing tribal casino and hotel development on the Coliseum land. Livestream above at 4:20 PM EST December 26th 2020. A source who wished to remain anonymous sent to this vlogger a seven-page copy of a document … Read more

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Statement On Latest COVID-19 Relief Package and Omnibus Deal

December 22, 2020 by CongBarbaraLee

Washington – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, today released a statement on the latest COVID-19 relief package and omnibus bill passed in the House of Representatives and expected to pass the Senate later this evening. This deal comes eight months after the House and Senate agreed on the first … Read more

Mayor Schaaf Announces New Affordable Housing Pilot to Recruit, Retain Teachers in Oakland

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 by Roger Robarts

Oakland – Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel, and non-profit Community Development Finance announced an innovative new pilot program that will provide affordable housing options for teachers and help keep educators rooted in Oakland. The pilot program offers ‘teacher-residents’ — graduate students training with mentor teachers while completing their teaching credential — the … Read more

Oakland In The White House: On Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Barbara Lee, and Oakland Elections – Pam Drake

January 9, 2021November 9, 2020 by Pamela Drake

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – Biden / Harris – Win!! I spent Wednesday morning, November 4th, at the ampitheater in the plaza in front of Oakland’s City Hall, masked and distanced but heartened by the crowd who sang and prayed together for a Just America and demanded that we count every vote! We ate … Read more

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Delivers Weekly Democratic Address

October 16, 2020 by Roger Robarts

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California delivered the Weekly Democratic Address. In this week’s address, the Congresswoman discussed the disturbing disparate impact of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis on communities of color and House Democrats’ demand for COVID relief that crushes the virus and helps working families. Video and audio of the Weekly Democratic Address can be downloaded here.

Below is a full transcript of the address:

“Hello, I’m Congresswoman Barbara Lee. I’m privileged to represent California’s thirteenth Congressional District, which includes Oakland and the East Bay area.

“I serve on the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives, Co-Chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and I serve as the Chair of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity.

“Today, I’d like to talk to you about what House Democrats are fighting for in order to crush the COVID pandemic and provide Americans with much needed economic help.

“Over 215,000 people have lost their lives to this pandemic, and unemployment rates are reaching record highs.

“This pandemic isn’t impacting everyone equally. If you are poor, Black, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander or Indigenous, you know you’re at much greater risk – both from the virus and from the disparate economic impact. Indeed, while the stock market continues to deliver value for wealthy Americans, many working families are struggling.

“A recent study shows eight million more Americans – many of them Black and brown – have been forced into poverty since May, which can be directly linked to Republican inaction. And contrary to the talking points from across the aisle, the majority of working-age adults on SNAP have employment. This pandemic has made an even bigger impact on America’s working poor.

“American families are in desperate need of leadership. The Trump Administration has utterly failed in its response to this crisis. The President and Mitch McConnell have stalled negotiations, played politics with people’s lives and refused to compromise.

“House Democrats have risen to the occasion and passed two pieces of legislation to achieve two goals: save lives and assist working people and their families, especially for our most vulnerable communities.

“This pandemic has had a terrible impact on communities of color. Black people are dying at two and half times the rate of white people in the United States. Indigenous and Latinx people are both 50 percent more likely to die from COVID than white Americans. Mortality rates within the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are also so high. Between January and July, the AAPI death rate rose 35 percent, compared to an increase of 9 percent for white Americans.

“Alongside Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, our Native American Democratic Members, and my House Democratic Colleagues, I have worked diligently to ensure that this does not go overlooked.

“We are fighting to ensure the COVID-19 testing and tracing efforts, which were included in the Heroes Act, are made specifically available for medically underserved communities and communities of color. It’s crucial that these communities receive support from organizations and non-profits that have experience and relationships with the people living in the communities they serve – people that live in their neighborhood and speak their language.

“But we know that this is an economic crisis just as much as a public health crisis. Families need direct payments, Unemployment Insurance, small business loans and much more to weather this catastrophe. As more time passes, the relief millions and millions of Americans have relied on to keep them afloat has dried up, and the White House and Senate Republicans have looked the other way.

“One way to reduce poverty is to expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit, which provides critical support for working families. However, Republicans and the Trump Administration would rather continue providing tax benefits for some of the wealthiest in America than give relief to those most in need.

“The latest White House coronavirus relief proposal takes one step forward but two steps back – it is not only insufficient; in many cases it would make matters worse.

“We urge Republicans to get serious about the health and economic crisis devastating millions, and join us to save lives, livelihoods and the life of our American Democracy.

“Thank you for listening, and please continue letting your representatives know how you feel. We are in this together.”

Post based on press release from The Congresswoman to Zennie62Media.

City Of Oakland, Center For Cultural Innovation Launch Grant Programs For Artists, Nonprofits

September 21, 2020 by Roger Robarts

Oakland, CA – The City of Oakland received $36.9 million in State of California CARES Act funding. Through the Oakland CARES Fund for Artists and Arts Nonprofits, $1.425 million of those funds will go to support individual artists and arts nonprofit organizations that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Oakland CARES Arts Organizational Grant will award grants of up to $20,000 to arts nonprofits, while the Oakland CARES Individual Artist Grant seeks to support individual artists with grants of up to $3,000 each. The application period for both grants opened today (Monday, September 21) at 9 a.m., and ends at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2020. Online applications in four languages are available at: cciarts.org/Oakland_CARES_Fund.html

“Our vibrant arts and culture community is a vital part of our community and contributes immensely to our collective sense of belonging, which is what makes Oakland a unique and special place,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “We know Oakland artists and arts nonprofits are struggling, and these CARES Act-funded grants offer financial help as we collectively work to help them survive this crisis.”

Individual Artist Grants

Current, full-time Oakland residents who make their primary income as freelancers or employees in the arts sector may apply. Applicants must make the majority (50%+) of their individual income from the arts sector through any combination of sales of art, freelance work, and/or employment. This includes fine artists, including literary, visual, and performing artists; musicians; teaching artists; culture bearers; artist members of collective-based or cooperative creative social enterprises; and specialized artist workers (e.g., lighting or sound designers, fabricators, and the like). Grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded to approximately 160 individuals.

Nonprofit Organizational Grants

Oakland-based 501(c)3 arts nonprofits; fiscally sponsored arts organizations; or 501(c)3 incorporated cultural land trusts with a primary function of arts and/or culture activities and services may apply. Eligible organizations must have a yearly budget under $2.5 million based on the most recently completed fiscal year that ended before March 1, 2020.

Grant amounts will be based on nonprofit’s actual budget size of the most recently completed fiscal year using the following tiers:

For budgets up to $999,999, grants will be up to $10,000
For budgets of $1 million-$1,499,999, grants will be up to $15,000
For budgets of $1.5-$2.5 million, grants will be up to $20,000

The arts nonprofit must not have received more than $20,000 through the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program or received a National Endowment for the Arts (CARES) award. Additionally, applicants, and employees or board members of applicant organizations, who have a conflict of interest (family or financial relationships) with the boards, staff, or directors of CCI or of City of Oakland’s elected officials and their employees are ineligible.

Both Grant Programs

Applicants for both grants will be asked to provide a detailed explanation of financial losses or incurred expenses due to COVID-19. Notifications to grant recipients are anticipated on Friday, October 30, 2020.

The grants will help prevent displacement among artists and closures of arts nonprofits. Artists and public-benefiting arts organizations are the backbone of the City’s diversity and vibrancy of cultural identity and expression. Distribution of the CARES Act grants for the arts is through a partnership between the Economic & Workforce Development Department’s Cultural Affairs Division and the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a trusted intermediary focused on the economic security of people in the arts.

“Artists, culture workers, and arts nonprofits need our support but are all too often overlooked. We are delighted to partner with the City of Oakland, with the knowledge that they understand how important the arts are to the civic life of communities,” said Laura Poppiti, Center for Cultural Innovation’s Grants Program Director.

To assist applicants, FAQs have been posted at: cciarts.org/Oakland_CARES_Fund.html Support for technical questions is also available. English-speaking applicants are asked to email [email protected] with the subject line “Oakland CARES Fund Tech Support” and provide your full name and telephone number for assistance. For those completing applications in Spanish, Chinese (Traditional), or Vietnamese, please email [email protected] or call (510) 238-4949.

The Oakland CARES Fund for Artists and Arts Nonprofits will distribute support to reflect the cultural and geographic diversity of the city of Oakland – including those in historically underserved communities that are especially vulnerable financially due to this economic crisis.

Although not factors in grant decisions, we strongly encourage the following with financial needs to apply: individual applicants of, or organizations that primarily serve, historically marginalized communities, which may include, but are not limited to, African and African American, Arab, Asian and Asian American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American and Indigenous, Pacific Islander; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Transgender, and Gender-Variant people; people with disabilities; women; and those who are low-income, have high debts, have difficulty obtaining or retaining sources of income, or live in immigrant and refugee communities.

This is the latest CARES Act-funded grant program launched by the City of Oakland. Grant programs for low-income renter and homeowner relief and an RFQ to fund support for low- and moderate-income renters and homeowners were announced earlier this month. Learn more about the $36.9 million in CARES Act Funding at: https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-cares-act-funding

Post based on a press release from City of Oakland to Zennie62Media.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Has New Oscars Representation And Inclusion Standards

September 9, 2020 by Zennie Abraham

Los Angeles – Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced new representation and inclusion standards for Oscars® eligibility in the Best Picture category, as part of its Academy Aperture 2025 initiative. The standards are designed to encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.

Academy governors DeVon Franklin and Jim Gianopulos headed a task force to develop the standards that were created from a template inspired by the British Film Institute (BFI) Diversity Standards used for certain funding eligibility in the UK and eligibility in some categories of the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA) Awards, but were adapted to serve the specific needs of the Academy. The Academy also consulted with the Producers Guild of America (PGA), as it presently does for Oscars eligibility.

“The aperture must widen to reflect our diverse global population in both the creation of motion pictures and in the audiences who connect with them. The Academy is committed to playing a vital role in helping make this a reality,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “We believe these inclusion standards will be a catalyst for long-lasting, essential change in our industry.”

For the 94th Oscars (2022) and 95th Oscars (2023), submitting a confidential Academy Inclusion Standards form will be required for Best Picture consideration, however meeting inclusion thresholds will not be required for eligibility in the Best Picture category until the 96th Oscars (2024).

For the 96th Oscars (2024), a film must meet TWO out of FOUR of the following standards to be deemed eligible:

STANDARD A: ON-SCREEN REPRESENTATION, THEMES AND NARRATIVES
To achieve Standard A, the film must meet ONE of the following criteria:

A1. Lead or significant supporting actors

At least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group.

• Asian
• Hispanic/Latinx
• Black/African American
• Indigenous/Native American/Alaskan Native
• Middle Eastern/North African
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
• Other underrepresented race or ethnicity

A2. General ensemble cast

At least 30% of all actors in secondary and more minor roles are from at least two of the following underrepresented groups: