The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has been an institution within the LGBTQ community since 1978. Now, like many organizations, it’s scrambling to shift its focus to virtual events. The group’s annual gala, too, will be going virtual.
Category: “Civic” Podcast
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Social Justice
Professor: Governments, Residents Must Address Racist Attacks Against Asians
Nearly 2,500 cases of verbal and physical attacks against Asian Americans were reported between March 19 and July 22 to a tracking project called Stop AAPI Hate, a group representing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Dr. Russell Jeung, chair and professor of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University, has called on local, state and federal governments to reject racist rhetoric and commit to anti-racist messaging.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Public Safety
Sunnyvale’s Blended Fire, Police, Medical Department Gives Officers a ‘Caretaker’ Role
Sunnyvale’s Department of Public Safety includes fire, medical and police services and all first responders are trained across all three disciplines. Department Chief Phan Ngo said the different roles mean officers see themselves as caretakers, building their reputation as public servants with residents.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Health
Contact Tracers Prioritize Timely, Culturally Competent Calls as Coronavirus Surges
San Francisco has set a goal of communicating with 90% of the people here who test positive for the novel coronavirus and also reaching 90% of their close contacts. But in part due to a delayed trove of test data, the city has reached just 73% of the people for whom it received positive test […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Housing
Bay Area Housing Group Addresses Community Uncertainty, Finance Questions in Pandemic
When the fallout of the pandemic started to hit Richmond, the affordable housing organization Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services jumped into action, setting up a rapid response fund for families and making its money management and housing education courses virtual. Nikki Beasley, the organization’s executive director, spoke with “Civic” about inequities in housing and wealth in the Bay Area, how to think about financial and housing stability in a time of uncertainty and how crucial homeownership can be to that stability across generations.
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis, Homelessness
Photojournalist Documents Vehicle Dweller Communities While Living in RV
In the reporting series “Driving Home: Surviving the Housing Crisis,” photojournalist Yesica Prado documents life on four wheels in Berkeley and San Francisco. The project, in partnership with CatchLight Local, offers an intimate look at what it really means for home to be a vehicle in the Bay Area, whether it’s an RV with lots […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Government & Politics, Public Safety
Federal Enforcement Actions Recall Authoritarian Crackdowns for Central Americans in U.S.
Almost two weeks ago, protesters in Portland, Ore., were detained by federal police and taken away in unmarked cars. Five days later, President Trump said that he would send federal agents to a dozen other liberal cities, including Oakland. For some of the Bay Area’s Central American residents, there are parallels between this moment and […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Economy & Business
Working From Home May Drastically Change the Workplace Even After the Pandemic
Zoom meetings and other communications tools have made it possible for many white collar workers to remain employed as they work from home. Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom says what had once been uncommon, is now a necessity. “Before COVID, about 5% of working days were spent at home and that was done by about 15% […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Coronavirus, Essential Workers, Health
Months Into Pandemic, Physician Reflects on Developing Coronavirus Knowledge
In March, Dr. Monica Bhargava, a pulmonary critical care physician at the county hospital in Oakland, predicted on “Civic” that the novel coronavirus would deeply affect the region’s health care system for many months to come. That, and some of her other observations, turned out to be correct. In recent months, scientists and doctors have […]
Posted in“Civic” Podcast, Bay Area, Social Justice
Empowering Youth to Advance Justice in Vallejo
On June 2, police in Vallejo shot and killed a 22-year-old San Francisco man, Sean Monterrosa through the windshield of a police truck while Monterrosa was kneeling. Since then, the California attorney general has announced an investigation into the Vallejo police department. The detective who shot Monterrosa, Jarrett Tonn, was found to have been involved […]