Resident power
At the center of the Healthy Richmond network of collective campaigns is resident leadership and power. The first campaign in 2010, People not Prisons, was led by Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization(CCISCO) and Resident Leaders who had been impacted by the justice system led the way. Each year, the Healthy Richmond collective advances campaigns -Education Equity, Health4All, Economic Justice, and Community Safety- that include strategies to increase leadership capacity for community residents who understand the impact of policy decisions through their lived experience and individual expertise.
If you are a resident interested in working on campaigns in your community, there are many opportunities for you to get involved. Here are some of the opportunities:
Health4all
Community Health Advocates consult with local health care systems to advance health equity. Within our #OneContraCosta Coalition, the lead base building organization, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) engages its members to advocate for immigrants who remain uninsured. You can also join the Coalition and support efforts to ensure all Contra Costa residents have access to health care regardless of immigration status.
Education Equity
Join parent leaders who are actively involved in school district advocacy on our Schools & Neighborhoods Action Team advocating that education equity through the Local Control Funding Formula which is state funding allocated to local districts to close academic equity gaps for low-income, English Language Learners, foster care, and homeless youth. Parent leaders are also working on Positive School Climate goals to increase socio-emotional services for youth, support restorative justice practices, and ultimately stop the School to Prison Pipeline.
Economic Justice
Resident leaders have been actively engaged as YPlan consultants with the City of Richmond on issues such as workforce development, transportation, and engagement of residents in community development projects designed to ensure that residents are not pushed out of their neighborhoods during community development projects. Residents are also encouraged to join us in our work with the City of Richmond’s Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE) which provides a pathway for jurisdictions to begin racial equity work. If you live in North Richmond (NR), join the NR Resident Leadership Team as they advocate with the County on the redevelopment of their neighborhood to ensure that their Quality of Life recommendations are realized in partnership with County planners and future developers and businesses.
We also have sponsored residents in attending Urban Habitat’s Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) program where individuals learn about race and class analysis related to land use, gentrification and anti-displacement, equitable development, transportation & housing justice. Urban Habitat, based in Oakland, identifies, trains, places and supports low-income people and people of color for priority boards and commissions in the Bay Area.
Finally, right here in Richmond, our partner Building Blocks for Kids (BBK) provides the Community Educational Leadership Institute (CELI) builds a powerful and highly engaged network of parent leaders and advocates to increase accountability at the local and regional levels by bringing race, class, and social equity to the forefront of education and health policy decisions on boards, commissions, and committees.
Through engaging training sessions, CELI fellows build political and technical knowledge, as well as skills for effective public service and for practicing self-care. Guest speakers from across the educational, health, wellness and equity sectors expose fellows to diverse experiences and perspectives. For more information, go to CELI’s webpage.
If you are passionate about equity in Health, Education, Economics, and Safety, then reach out to us at: healthyrichmondbhc@gmail.com
