Restore Our Rights co-sponsored by BUS and All of Us or None

Berkeley Underground Scholars co-sponsored Restore Our Rights with All of Us or None on January 17 at Booth Auditorium. Our BUS secretary, Aminah Elster, moderated the event which focused on restoring the right to vote to people on parole. Other panelists included Dauras Cyprian of All of Us or None, Tiana Vargas-Edmond of Initiate Justice, Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, and Norris Henderson of Voice of the Experienced.  Watch a video from the event by clicking HERE.

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BUS Receives Community Action Award

BUS was recognized with a Community Action award at the Berkeley community gathering to honor Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, January 21st. Read about the event HERE.

Berkeley celebrates legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at community gathering

The annual breakfast is not only a time to award students and organizations for their contributions, but to remind the community that work is still needed in Berkeley to achieve economic and racial justice.

The brochure for Berkeley’s eighth annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Photo: Mark Coplan

The brochure for Berkeley’s eighth annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. Photo: Mark Coplan

By Frances DinkelspielJan. 22, 2019, 11:34 a.m.

Monday marked the eighth annual community breakfast in Berkeley honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Held at the Berkeley Adult School (unlike in previous years when it was at the now shuttered Hs Lordships), the gathering drew hundreds of people from all parts of the city.

Political leaders included Mayor Jesse Arreguín, City Councilwomen Lori Droste and Rashi Kesarwani, Berkeley School Board members Beatriz Levy-Cutler, Ty Alper, Julie Sinai and Ka’Dijah Brown, Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, Rent Board Commissioner Igor Tregub and City Auditor Jenny Wong. Police Chief Andrew Greenwood and Fire Chief Dave Brannigan also attended, as were city staff.

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There was a good turnout for the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday Jan. 21. Photo: Mark Coplan

L to r: Mayor Jesse Arreguín, Tasha Henneman and School Board member Ka’Dijah Brown. Photo: Mark Coplan

Religious leaders also came together to pay tribute to King — and to remind Berkeley that the city is not yet a just and equal community.

The Rev. Dr. D. Mark Wilson led the crowd in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and Pastor Michael Smith of the McGee Avenue Baptist Church gave the day’s main talk about working for economic justice.

Welcome our director Azadeh Zohrabi

Azadeh is an activist and strategist with extensive experience in public policy, leadership development, community organizing, and management. As the daughter of two formerly incarcerated parents, Azadeh is deeply familiar with the intergenerational impacts of imprisonment. She has been active in prison reform efforts and advocacy for nearly 20 years. Azadeh previously worked at Legal Services for Prisoners with Children leading the organization’s fundraising and program management. Prior to that she worked in leadership roles as a lawyer, advocate, researcher, and organizer on statewide and national campaigns including the successful effort to end long term solitary confinement in California. Her work has been cited by courts, attorneys, and scholars and has been featured in The New York Times, The Nation, The Guardian, Washington Post, The Atlantic, Ebony, Mother Jones and Al Jazeera. Azadeh earned her BA from UC Riverside where she studied Ethnic Studies and a JD from UC Hastings College of the Law. She is an active alumna of the Women’s Policy Institute, Soros Justice Fellowship, and New Leaders Council Oakland.

 
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New Transfer Students

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BUS would like to welcome its new students to UC Berkeley!

Aaron Harvey (San Diego City College)

Aaron Solorio (Santa Rosa Junior College)

Adam Belardes (San Jose City College)

Adam Solorzano (Grossmont Community College)

Aminah Colbert (Feather River College)

AnDrea Crawford (Laney College)

Apollo Rosas Hernandez (Palomar College)

Arlinda Perez (East Los Angeles College)

Corey Glassman (Coastline Community College)

Darcey Clark (Merritt College)

Fernando Rivera (Evergreen Community College)

Fernando Valtierra (East Los Angeles College)

Francisco Galvan (Diablo Valley College)

Gabriela Gutierrez (Merritt College)

Ginah Tran (Orange Coast College)

Irsyad Sjah (Berkeley City College)

Jamie Hein (Ohio University)

Jonah Moon (Glendale Community College)

Joshua Mason (Sacramento City College)

LeiTasika Faumuina (Contra Costa College)

Luis Lopez (Santa Rosa Junior College)

Mykele Javar Marbley (Laney College)

Tina McClain (Merritt College)

Victor Gomez (Los Angeles Trade Technical College)

Formerly Incarcerated Students & Alumni Network Conference a Success

The first statewide conference of the Formerly Incarcerated Students & Alumni Network (FISAN) was a success last April 6th and 7th at Cal State LA. The conference was organized by a large group that included the two co-founders of BUS, Danny Murillo and Steven Czifra. In addition, current director Violeta Alvarez was on a panel during the conference.

This year’s conference brought together a network of Formerly Incarcerated Students and Alumni from across the state and focused on developing strategy to advocate for educational and professional opportunities for currently and formerly incarcerated people. Several workshops concentrated on mitigating legal barriers, record expungement, employment preparedness, educational opportunity, advocacy, leadership development, and issues affecting individuals, families, impacted communities, and public health & safety.