Formerly incarcerated students return to school

Last year in June, East Bay-resident Dieudonné Brou graduated from UCLA in African American studies. During his commencement speech, he revealed himself as formerly incarcerated. Even though higher education offers a chance to break the cycle of recidivism, barriers like financial difficulties and social stigma are high for formerly incarcerated people.

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Cal Day welcomes students from 35 Oakland elementary schools

Students and their families from 35 Oakland elementary schools toured UC Berkeley on Saturday.

Josiah Walton, a 9-year-old student who attends Carl B. Munck Elementary School in Oakland, told his mom as he woke up on Sunday morning,“Mom, today is the morning. We have to go!” His mom, Misty Walton, responded: “I already know we are going!” They were excited to join UC Berkeley’s Cal Day event, a day…

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Open mic highlights experiences of women of color

In Berkeley, the La Peña Cultural Center and the UC Berkeley Womxn of Color Initiative hosted an open mic night on January 26 called “Empowering Women of Color Open Mic.”  The event opened a three-show series intended to provide a safe space for women of color to express themselves.

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Bill Clinton visits Oakland for community service day

Former President Bill Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton recently came to Oakland on behalf of the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative. Volunteers made improvements such as gardening and painting the playground. The Clintons were also joined by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and local school officials.

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New portable sensor tests for gluten in minutes

Martha Benco, an Oakland native, knows what it’s like to rely on the truthfulness of labels and servers when it comes to checking whether there’s gluten in her food. “I have celiac disease,” says Benco, 35, who also has a way to test her food now. Benco says she’s been lucky so far—though she does…

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As more consumers choose alternatives to banks, Bay Area social enterprises rise to meet their needs

Monet Allen, 20, cashes her paycheck at Community Check Cashing, a nonprofit check cashing store and payday lender in Oakland.

Jose Rivera, 62, needed to cash two checks totaling $176—the fruits of a few days’ work as a gardener in Oakland. Though Rivera has a bank account with a small community bank chain based in San Francisco, he doesn’t deposit these or any other checks into it. Since the company closed its only Oakland location two years ago, Rivera has relied almost exclusively on fringe bankers, such as check cashing stores, to handle his financial affairs.

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