1. Opening In honor of Black History Month –  Songs and history of Paul Robeson, a world renowned singer, humanitarian ambassador. some excellent zoom links from SF Panthers and others. Please share a your notable Black History lessons and links by email or chat. History needs making year-round!    
                                 
2. 1:45 Essential Care Giver Coalition - history and legislative action 
   
   Guest Speakers Teresa Palmer, MD (SF Gray Panthers) and Nancy Stephens will share their personal stories and how they became activists with the Essential Caregivers Coalition.    They are working to end the forced isolation of residents from family and friends in nursing homes and long-term care facilities under COVID lockdowns or future pandemics. They will discuss HR3733 The Essential Caregivers Act, currently stuck in Congress and a companion bill California AB2546, just introduced and still being edited. 

3. 3:10   3. Member/Chapter Announcements

   • June 22 - Poor People’s Campaign is planning a March on Washington, June 2022 Plans are underway for events in 48 states.  –  Liaison Carol Crooks. z
   • March 2 6pm – Proposal for Senior Shelter in Berkeley will discussed by Berkeley Panel of Expert on Homelessness for Prop P funding. Liaison: Betsy Morris for Carol Marasovic 
     
     
   • Other announcements from the floor and discussion. 
   • Wednesday, March 23, 2022 - Next EBGP Speaker Meeting – topic TBA

   
   3:30 Adjourn

   Extended time for socializing and discussion until 4pm
   
   

   SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND LINKS TO ISSUES OF CONCERN

   Go to www.eastbaygraypanthers for calendar updates, to sign up, join, and donate!

JANUARY SPEAKER MEETING (joint with Berkeley NAACP Members) featured a very fruitful discussion with Civil Rights Attorney Pamela Price, now a candidate for Alameda County District Attorney. Many of us told stories and Ms. Price committed to open a grand jury investigation into Probate Court systems and the repeated loss of family properties by Black homeowners and their heirs. Email Raines at ebgp@eastbaygraypanthers to request a link to the recording.

EBGP extends a warm invitation to all East Bay NAACP members - to address issues together while COVID keeps us apart.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF GRAY PANTHERS NETWORKS 

The Senior Housing (and nursing home) Subcommittee - Betsy Morris led a discusssion with Michael Kane, former ED of National Alliance of HUD Tenants. A summary is available; on the HOUSING issues page. 

Committee led by Randy Block (Detroit Metro Area) and the Senior Housing Subcommittee led by Jan Bendor (Detroit). 

HEALTH JUSTICE

Wednesday, February 23,  9 AM - 12:30 PM, Second to Last Healthy California for All Commission meeting before assembling its report on the use of "unified financing" to deliver equitable health care to all state residents. The report is expected to be finalized in April. Big turnout requested for single-payer/Guaranteed Healthcare for all.  Public comment is last on the agenda, so there's time to participate. Click here for the agenda and to register.  California Nursing Association's talking points for public comment are here.

EBGP is an active member of the National Council of Gray Panther Networks, the Issues Committee and Senior Housing Subcommittee. See link (to be inserted) Gray Paper by Chair, Jan Bendor, PhD of Detroit Gray Panthers on the Nursing Home Crisis  Transformation.

Transformation Tuesdays - New York Gray Panthers are hosting an excellent series of panels online. Feb. 14 was on the subject of Ageism in Nursing Homes, Who Really Cares? 

California LTSS4All Coalition Planning Meeting, Wednesday March 9, 1:30 to 3PM/ EBGP has endorsed and participates in planning sessions when possible. Increasing wages for caregivers and a new research project are becoming 2022 priority goals. Other members include Hand In Hand, Disability Organizing Project, SEIU, plus other allies. Get in touch if you’d like to be a EBGP liaison.    

SAFE and AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING

We’ve been asked to sign on to California Housing Now! Social Housing Campaign.  Their next zoom meeting is Feb. 24 thursday at 3pm.  Check it out and we’ll discuss at our next Board/Member meeting.    - liaison Betsy Morris

May is Affordable Housing Month. We are invited to create a special online/session. In the past we’ve been the member of East Bay Housing Organizations to focus on the concerns of tenants leaders and residents.

TRANSPORTATION/TRANSIT JUSTICE 

Board members, Helen Walsh, Daveed Mandell and Dave Blake are tracking multiple initiatives for us. [See our Transportation Justice Platform coming soon]

March 9  BART is hosting workshops to discuss accessibility and track plans for new development around El Cerrito, North Berkeley and Ashby stations.    Next meeting for Berkeley El Cerrito Outreach  Comments can be made directly on the link above.  

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The Berkeley Racial and Criminal Justice Reform Group, with NAACP Berkeley President Mansour Id-Deen request resistance to recent Berkeley City Council Member proposals that increase the policing budget with surveillance technologies known for their racial profiling, while delays continue for a long-promised mental health crisis unit and other successful community-based violence prevention efforts (Ceasefire, . Meanwhile the new Police Accountability Board created by Meaure II has not been asked to weigh in (EBGP endorsed the Measure II campaign and the implementation of the PAB. Contact We need volunteers to be liaison with this latest effort. Contact George Lippman or Elliot Halprin at the website above, if interested. Contact [email protected] if interested.

RACIAL EQUITY 

Sunday March 27, 2022 6pm-8pm: Berkeley Equity Summit #7 (BIPOC led). Will highlight Black Women, 6pm-8pm, featuring local poets, Alchemy, and Avotcja (ormer Berkeley Poet Laureate, musician, and radio host). NAACP Visionary Committee members Afi Kambon and Willie Phillips, members of Friends of Adeline, and EBGP Convenor Betsy Morris are part of the Equity Summit Alliance planning team. Email EBGP@eastbaygraypanthers to get on the Equity Summit notifications list; check our website calendar for updates.

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 - Next EBGP Speaker Meeting – speakers TBA

Go to www.eastbaygraypanthers for calendar updates, to sign up, join, and donate!

Volunteers needed to Issues and Resource pages.  Can be prepared or updated in formatted in Word or rich text files for loading online.  Get in touch with Betsy Morris or Angeles Gottheil.