Email on February 14: ALERT! Cancelled/POSTPONED: BCAMP’s February 16 Forum on Air Quality, Monitoring & Public Health Risks
Hello friends, one and ALL,
We of the BCAMP board —Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program— regret to announce that our Forum “Air Quality, Monitoring & Public Health Risks”, which was to be held this Thursday at the Benicia Public Library, is now cancelled, owing to unfortunate news learned this a.m. that one of our panelists has tested positive for Covid.
We plan to reschedule the forum and will let you all know the new date and time.
Thank you for your interest! Please stay tuned!
Best regards,
Marilyn
BCAMP board member
PREVIOUSLY… By Kathy Kerridge, February 6, 2023
What do you know about the health impacts of what you breath? A forum on Air Quality, Monitoring, and Human Health Risks will be held at the Benicia Library on February 16 at 7:00 pm in the Benicia library. This is sponsored by the Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP) and will feature experts on air monitoring and the health impacts of air pollution. [Flyer & about BCAMP to follow…]
[sta_anchor id=”more” /]About BCAMP (previously on the BenIndy)
It was a LONG time coming, and thanks to the vision, hard work and persistence of Benicia activists and volunteers, Benicia now has a state-of-the-art air monitoring station just outside the Valero Benicia Refinery.
A culmination of the more than decade-long efforts of the Good Neighbor Steering Committee and a recently established and highly effective Governing Board, the Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP) was unveiled to the public in a webinar on March 3rd.
Benicia videographer Constance Beutel recorded the March 3 webinar, and has produced several options for you to view now (see below).
First, however, I am so proud of my friends, neighbors and all involved, and I want to offer profound thanks:
A HUGE THANK-YOU from the BenIndy!
Good Neighbor Steering Committee: Marilyn Bardet, Constance Beutel, Mary Frances Kelly Poh, Kathy Kerridge, Nancy Lund and attorney Dana Dean
BCAMP Board of Directors: Chair David Lindsay, Kathy Kerridge, Marilyn Bardet, Nancy Lund, C. Bart Sullivan
Argos Scientific Team, Don Gamiles, President and Founder
Ruszel Woodworks, accommodating and providing the site [sta_anchor id=”video” /]
Via a zoom webinar, attendees celebrated the official launch of the Benicia Community Air Monitoring Program (BCAMP), a non profit community run state of the art air monitoring system. This slightly edited (2 hour) video captures the historic launch of this critical community resource regarding air quality.
This edited video (just over an hour) from the launch of the BCAMP community project provides an overview and introduction to BCAMP, the BCAMP Board members and zoom webinar panelists.
This four-minute video is an extract from the 3/2/2022 zoom webinar launching BCAMP in Benicia, CA. It describes the state-of-the-art air monitoring equipment that is being used.
On March 2, 2022, BCAMP was publicly launched with a zoom webinar. This 6-minute video is an extract from the panelist presentation about the partnership of BCAMP with AirWatchBayArea.org
This 12-minute video extract from the zoom webinar on Mar 3, 2022 demonstrates the features and functionalities of the the BCAMP website: https://www.fenceline.org/bcamp/
BenIndy highly recommends ‘Jumping Into Solutions’
Email from Pat Toth-Smith, February 10, 2023
Hi All, I’m so EXCITED to announce the start of a new YouTube and Spotify channel titled, “Jumping into Solutions” it was created by myself and a very skilled team of people (Kathy Kerridge, Bart Sullivan, June Mejias plus more).
We’ve had our first episode which features guest, Marie Knutson from Republic Services. It’s titled: What Can & Can’t be Composted? Exploring California’s New Composting Law SB1383 & More! (See below, or go to https://youtu.be/Q7PrASgvs2o .)
This episode clears up confusing things like: which bins do I put milk cartons, waxy take-out containers, paper coffee cups, or dog waste in? And it takes a deep dive into the new expanded compost law SB1383. Please check it out and let us know what you think!
ALSO FROM PAT:
A great video from the State about how this law (SB1383) reduces methane to help combat climate change. The goal is to remove 75% out of the landfills by 2025. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZoiQVyIW3M
The purpose of this channel is to explore climate solutions in meaningful ways, that can empower people to make changes in their lives to help our ailing planet.
Please help support our channel and watch the video/podcast, and if you like it… promote it, share it to your friends and family, and post & comment on it your social media feeds! Thank you for any help in getting this off the ground.
“The time is always right to do the right thing. Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
– The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968)
“The stones that the builder rejected are now the cornerstones of this experiment called America…When the rejected get together, we can in fact redeem America from hate and discrimination. When the rejected join hands, our togetherness becomes the instrument of redemption, and we can revive and ensure that the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and equal protection under the law, and care for the common good will never be taken away or forfeited for anybody, any time, anywhere.”
– The Bishop Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, III (2017)
February 6, 2023 By Sheri Leigh, a member of Benicia Black Lives Matter
February has been designated as Black History Month. It’s interesting that the public education system and the national government now sanction a month to focus on the history of Black people when Black history has been part of American and world history all along, as have women’s history, gay history, and the histories of other marginalized groups. Ideally, the history of these groups shouldn’t have to be singled out for special consideration. However, the designation does provide a good opportunity for everyone to reflect on the historical progress and continuing challenges Blacks and People of Color and marginalized groups face. Let’s take a moment to consider what progressive and much needed changes the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King’s efforts precipitated and the challenges he faced in the process, and compare that to where we are today.
The late Reverend King is much revered by many. With his organization and leadership skills, he orchestrated several momentous demonstrations that ultimately led to legislative changes that helped Black Americans access civil rights and made significant progress towards an equitable society. The ensuing Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were two of the most powerful pieces of legislation that brought an end to legal segregation, voting suppression, and an imbalanced workplace based on race. Dr. King’s efforts were not only directed towards rights for Black people, he also focused on jobs for everyone. One of the goals of his March on Washington in 1963 was to train and place unemployed workers, and the Poor People’s Campaign in 1967 sought to address solutions to poverty in general through better employment and housing. Dr. King embraced personal responsibility, urging people to judge others by their personal qualities, rather than by the color of their skin. This is why we honor Martin Luther King with a special day of commemoration. But what about his challenges?
Dr. King was largely despised while he lived. His leadership threatened the way of life for the white community and many of them, acting out of fear of losing their social advantages, treated him with utter disdain and hatred. He was arrested 29 times. The FBI pronounced him a threat to National Security. He was dismissed by other leaders of his own faith, both Black and white, who publicly (and with great hypocrisy) claimed that the Church should not involve itself in social issues. Despite his commitment to non-violent tactics, the marches he led were met with vehement and aggressive attacks, sometimes by white bystanders and sometimes by law enforcement. His marchers were frequently assaulted by activated fire hoses and trained attack dogs. Some were targeting children who were peaceably marching for the right to an equitable life in this country. Dr. King was stabbed, his home was bombed, and he was the target of an unsuccessful assassination attempt ten years before James Earl Ray finally shot and killed King on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.
But one of the most difficult challenges Dr. King faced was among his own race. Some members of the Black community preferred to keep the status quo in order to remain safe. Others believed that King’s commitment to non-violence was a strategy intended to bring a “Christian” ideology to his efforts and to wake up the consciousness of white “Christians,” rather than as an authentic practice. King’s early partnership with organizations such as the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) served to strengthen this viewpoint. The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading Black newspaper, claimed that “King was tragically misleading Black Americans.” A few prominent Black organizations, including the Congress of Racial Equity (CORE), did not agree with the passive protesting model. Several factions of Civil Rights advocates agreed with CORE and promoted defending themselves against the rampant violence inflicted on them by white individuals and mobs during the protests, as well as at other times, particularly when police stood by and did nothing to protect the protestors. As the “Black Power” slogan gained momentum, a rift developed between the followers of Dr. King and those who sought justice by fighting back. For a time, King was one of the most hated men of his time within his own community.
It was a complicated and dangerous time, and Dr. King was angry, as he had every right to be. What he endured was unfathomable. Yet he continued to channel his anger into leading a national, non-violent movement and making passionate speeches, which, seventy years later, we are still quoting. Today, he is recognized as the primary leader of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s. With his tremendous oratory and leadership skills, and his untiring commitment to civil rights and equity, he instigated tremendous advancement for People of Color in this country. Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize of 1964 as a tribute to the enormity of his efforts.
Today, there is still rampant and unnecessary violence against Black people. With the well publicized murders of Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and just last month, Tyre Nichols, to name a few – all Black and all killed by law enforcement officers for dubious reasons- it is obvious there is still a serious lack of decorum and training in many prominent law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Most states, including California, grant qualified immunity to law enforcement agents, keeping them protected from prosecution when they have injured or killed someone while on duty unless there is reason to believe that they knowingly violated that victim’s constitutional rights. This violation is often difficult to prove. It’s no wonder many People of Color don’t feel safe around those sworn to “protect” us. Systemic racism in schools, government agencies, and financial institutions remain a considerable roadblock to many individuals and families of Color towards obtaining equal opportunity and economic and social advancement.
The critical work of Dr. King continues to be carried out by leaders such as Bishop Doctor William J. Barber III, who is leading a campaign very similar to what Dr. King did in the 1960s. Dr. Barber is President of his growing non-profit organization, Repairers of the Breach, and a Senior Lecturer at several universities, including the Yale Divinity School. He is also Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. He served as President of the North Carolina NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) from 2006 -2017 and continues his work there on the Board of Directors. Through his organization, Repairers of the Breach, Dr. Barber is committed to a movement he calls Moral Fusion, which emphasizes grassroots protesting through non-violent civil disobedience and change through education, voting rights and engagement, much like Dr. King. And like Dr. King, Dr. Barber is focusing his efforts primarily in the deep South, where the damaging history of race-based slavery has created lasting racial discrimination and tension.
Black history, which is a significant part of American history, today is much like the history of seventy years ago. Although legislatively, we have come a long way, Blacks and other marginalized groups are still fighting every day to be free from discrimination, and for social and financial equity, public respect, and the right to a safe and happy life. The question is, what can we do, collectively and as individuals, to bring an end to this imbalance and injustice?
Benicia Black Lives Matters hopes that you will join us for our free upcoming Black History Month event on Sunday, February 19. We are sponsoring a children’s Scavenger Hunt to learn about Black historical figures along First Street from 1 – 4pm. The hunt will culminate at the Benicia library. For the first clue and more details on the Scavenger Hunt, please email: BBLMEducationTeam@gmail.com. There will also be a short program and a movie screening of the documentary, “We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest,” at the library in the Dona Benicia room from 3:30 – 5pm. Everyone is invited and welcome!
“Benicia Schools joined thousands of other schools around the country to commemorate and celebrate Ruby Bridges, who was one of the first African American children to attend an all white school in the segregated South.”
November 22, 2022 By Sheri Leigh, a member of Benicia Black Lives Matter
Last week, several of the Benicia Schools joined thousands of other schools around the country to commemorate and celebrate Ruby Bridges, who was one of the first African American children to attend an all white school in the segregated South. This was the second year that any of our schools participated in this important event. Last year, Benicia Black Lives Matters (BBLM) partnered with the PTA and the administration at Robert Semple Elementary School to hold the first march and celebration in Benicia to honor the young American heroine and her family for the brave decision to risk Ruby’s personal safety and comfort to help create a more equitable future for all American children. Every student at Robert Semple was present for readings of Ruby Bridges books and Ms. Bridges’ letter to students. The children were enrapt while listening to the readings and asked in depth questions about Ruby’s life. The event at Robert Semple was so moving and powerful that BBLM worked with the City and School District to make this an annual, City-wide event.
Ruby Bridges was born in 1954 during the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, shortly after , Brown v. The Board of Education was enacted. The famous Supreme Court ruling declared that separate public schools for white children, from which children of color were banned, was unconstitutional. The segregated schools had six years to integrate. Many of the southern states were extremely resistant, waiting until the end of the transition period or until they were forced into compliance by the US government.
In 1960, young Ruby was living in New Orleans, Louisiana, which was one of the last southern areas to enforce the federal mandate of integrated schools. As Ruby prepared to enter the first grade, her parents responded to a request from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and volunteered her to participate in the integration of the New Orleans schools. With the intent of continuing to keep Black children out, the Orleans Parish School Board opted to administer a rigorous entrance exam at their all-white schools. Ruby was one of six Black children who passed the challenging admissions test. Two of the other five children decided not to attend the soon to be integrated schools. Three of the others were transferred to McDonogh Elementary, and Ruby was sent alone to William Frantz Elementary.
On Ruby’s first day of school, the white community and nearly all of the white families protested by pulling out their children from that school and/or by gathering at the school entrance to shout at and threaten the small girl and her escorts. It was reported that Ruby conducted herself with dignity and stoicism. She did not cringe or cry, but simply ignored the threats as she bravely walked into the building. All but one teacher protested by refusing to teach. Although most of the children and teachers eventually came back, Ruby was taught in class by herself for the first year by Barbara Henry, a teacher from Boston.
The impacts of her bravery were harsh on Ruby and her family. Her father was dismissed from his job. Stores refused to sell goods to the family. Her grandparents in Mississippi lost their land. Her parents, under extreme stress, eventually divorced. But there was support as well. One family in the community donated clothing and supplies to Ruby to help aid her success. A local psychiatrist volunteered his time to provide Ruby with mental health support, and she remained strong and mentally sound despite the stress.
Today, Ruby Bridges (now Ruby Bridges Hall) still lives in New Orleans with her husband and sons. She is an activist for tolerance and equity and the chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation, which she formed in 1999 to promote “the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences.” Describing the mission of the group, she says, “racism is a grown-up disease and we must stop using our children to spread it.”
On Monday, November 14, with the help and support of members from BBLM and the community, the Benicia City Schools organized walks, pledges, displays and in-school activities to commemorate the tremendous efforts that were made by Ruby Bridges and others to provide a safe, integrated and equitable education for all children in this country. Robert Semple, Joe Henderson and several of our other schools participated with great enthusiasm. Although some of our schools sadly minimized the activities or did not participate at all, this is a tremendous step Benicia Schools have made towards the recognition and celebration of the history of all our families.
It was a LONG time coming, and thanks to the vision, hard work and persistence of Benicia activists and volunteers, Benicia now has a state-of-the-art air monitoring station just outside the Valero Benicia Refinery.
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