Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) Erupted in Richmond, California, and the City Would Never Be the Same
How did the RPA get started? By Juan Reardon Between the fall of 2003 and the fall of 2004 the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) erupted in Richmond, California, and the city would never be the same. Here are a few notes about the years 2003-2004 and why, how and who got the Richmond Progressive Alliance started that year. Why was it started? The short answer: to make our lives better, healthier, happier starting right here, in our city and communities. Many organizations existed already in our city before the RPA, and they continue, fortunately, to exist today. Charitable groups, churches, educational centers, and activists struggling for the environment, for equality, for justice, against police brutality, for immigrant rights and many other great causes. The good people involved in so many struggles were already transforming Richmond into a better place one struggle at a time, one stand at a time, one embrace at a time. Why add one more? As in the case of many other cities, the individuals and organizations doing good work to educate the community and improve the lives of residents were absent from the tables where the key decisions were being made. The vast majority of city council members, and the mayor, were individuals who were either placed in office by the corporate forces ruling our city (Chevron, developers, Police & Firefighters Union, and others), or were people who emerged with good intentions to improve our lives, but soon enough were convinced that to keep their seats and career prospects they had to bow to the mighty corporate dollar that ruled local politics.
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