If you want to volunteer on the day of the event to help set up, register people, lead a tour, or more, click HERE

The post Shadow Day is returning in person on April 17th! appeared first on YWCA Berkeley | Oakland.

On January 7, 2023, Tyre Nichols was stopped by law enforcement, allegedly for reckless driving, and was subsequently murdered at the hands of Memphis police officers.  Our hearts break for Tyre and his family and for our Black communities.  Mothers of Black and brown sons continue to live with a sense of fear for our sons’ safety.  Many of us are in a constant state of grief for our communities as one devastating and brutal incident rolls into another and another. 

We are devastated by the police violence that continues to exist in our communities.  The over-policing of Black Americans and the deaths of Tyre Nichols and so many others before him at the hands of police are deeply intertwined with our nation’s long history of systemic racism and racial injustice.  

It’s past time to end the violence. These are not isolated incidents, and YWCA Berkeley/Oakland, as an organization dedicated to the elimination of racism and empowerment of women, joins our voices with those rallying across the country to call for an end to police violence against Black and brown communities.

Unless critical steps are taken, the trauma of police and racial violence will continue and reverberate across the next generations of children and families.  We join the call for Congress to reintroduce and pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct and end police brutality in our communities of color. We need to continue to support and vote for representatives who will get this legislation passed. 

We must also be careful not to traumatize or re-traumatize ourselves or others.  We urge self-care, including the decision by many to avoid the trauma of viewing videos such as the footage of Tyre Nichols traffic stop and other events like this, especially in our Black and brown communities who still suffer under this threat daily.

In solidarity,

The YWCA Berkeley/Oakland

The post YWCA Berkeley/Oakland Statement on the Police Murder of Tyre Nichols appeared first on YWCA Berkeley | Oakland.

As an organization whose mission is to support and advocate for the elimination of racism and empowerment of women, we believe this right to reproductive freedom, including the right to have an abortion and the right to choose or refuse contraceptives, is essential to the wellbeing of women and their families. These rights allow those persons most affected by their choices, and most able to evaluate the potential consequences of those choices, to make these critical decisions.

We urge each voter in California to consider carefully the impact of this vote and the need for these protections when you go to the polls or submit your ballot.

In solidarity,
Freda Statom-Greene
Executive Director
YWCA Berkeley/Oakland

The post YWCA Berkeley/Oakland Statement regarding Proposition 1 on the November 8, 2022, Ballot appeared first on YWCA Berkeley | Oakland.

Concessions and tickets will be available here and at the door! *Masks are required in attendance.

Watch the Movie Trailer here. Thank you for your support! We hope to see you all here!

The post Join us for a Black August Movie Screening on Friday, August 26th at 6pm! appeared first on YWCA Berkeley | Oakland.

We are deeply saddened, by the news that the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and an individual’s constitutional right to an abortion in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This generation will be the nation’s first in almost 50 years to come of age without a constitutionally protected right to abortion, turning back the clock to a time of limited rights and opportunities that no young person in America today has ever known. The YWCA Berkeley/Oakland stands alongside our community, and all communities affected by this decision. The fight is far from over!!!

Officials and abortion providers have made it clear that access to abortions in California will not change in lieu of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. A pregnant person of any age can seek an abortion for any reason at any time until the point where the fetus could survive outside the womb (‘viability’). 

*We cannot and are not offering any direct medical advice, as we are not Medical/Health Care Professionals. Instead we have compiled a list of resources and calls to action. 

In California, minors do not require parental consent to get an abortion. Click here to learn about what abortion laws will look like in each state. 

California is preparing to be a haven for abortion access for people elsewhere in the U.S. If you have family or friends in different states, use your access and state privilege to protect and best support them (safe housing, travel, funds, access to abortion pills).  

It’s okay to not be okay! It’s okay to mourn today and fight tomorrow! Remember that protecting your mental health is the MOST vital. 

In honoring our mission of empowering women and eliminating racism, we invite community members to join us in a wellness workshop and healing space on Wednesday July 20th between 12-2:00pm PST. More details available here. 

The post YWCA Berkeley/Oakland Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization appeared first on YWCA Berkeley | Oakland.