Fighting Back II: How the people of Richmond defeated Chevron

Richmond, California, a company town long known for its high poverty and crime rate, recently won a smashing political victory against the mammoth Chevron Corporation. In last year’s elections, Chevron and its allies poured $3 million into a campaign to defeat the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA). Following up on years of strategic organizing and coalition building, the progressives won! They are now turning Richmond into a community that can confront and solve its problems.

How this all came about will be the subject of this month’s public forum. We will hear from grassroots activists how, in the face of immense corporate opposition, Richmond became a progressive success story during reactionary times.

Speakers:

Kathleen Wimer coordinates RPA's membership activities and most of its social media. Kathleen started working with the organization after learning that its candidates for City Council opposed a proposed Casino at Point Molate in Richmond, the last untouched headland on the Bay.

Zach Wear is a member of the RPA Steering Committee. Formerly a field organizer with the Obama '08 campaign, he joined the RPA in 2012, serving on the Field Organizing and campaign committees and working in various membership drive projects. Zach is also an Aspirant for the Unitarian Universalist ministry.

Jeff Kilbreth retired from high tech work in Silicon Valley three years ago and moved to Richmond, where he became active in the RPA. During the 2014 election he helped develop the campaign's messaging, which focused extensively on Chevron's role in the town. He is currently a member of the Richmond Planning Commission.

Sponsored by Progressive Democrats of America—San Francisco and Unitarian-Universalists for Peace and Justice—San Francisco