Nearly two years after Brandon Bochat and Hagan Warner vandalized the Black Lives Matter mural in front of Santa Cruz City Hall, the men joined more than 50 community members to help repaint the mural and give a public apology. Santa Cruz City Councilmember Sonja Brunner and 3rd District County Supervisor Justin Cummings declared June 24 Abi Mustapha Day in honor of the local artist and SC Equity Collab co-founder.
Thairie Ritchie
Posted inPolitics & Policy
As Santa Cruz celebrates Juneteenth, activist Thairie Ritchie says city’s racial reckoning hasn’t gone far enough
In the three years since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, conversations reflecting the racial reckoning going on across the country began to take place locally in Santa Cruz, activist Thairie Ritchie says, but the movement gradually flickered out. Ritchie is organizing a Juneteenth event, March Towards Love & Courage, starting at 5:30 p.m. Monday at the downtown London Nelson Community Center, where he hopes attendees achieve some of this reflection on the movement.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
March at Lighthouse Point on Saturday hopes to raise awareness of missing women of color
UC Santa Cruz student Faith Brown is looking to combat “missing white woman syndrome” with a march Saturday at Lighthouse Point. The event starts at 2 p.m.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Where do we go from here?’: Activists will hold community forum to address racial, social issues
Activist Thairie Ritchie is hosting a discussion Saturday, seeking to engage the larger community about the traumatic issues Santa Cruz County residents have had to deal with this year. It will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. at Mission Plaza in Santa Cruz.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
A Juneteenth reawakening: Sights and sounds from a weekend of celebration in downtown Santa Cruz
At least 100 Juneteenth revelers packed Laurel Park over the weekend for an event dotted with booths: tarot readings, Black Health Matters, the MAH, and a long line for soul food that quickly sold out.
