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SFPUC Orders CCSF to Vacate Southeast Bayview Campus By Ellen Yoshitsugu egiese@mail.ccsf.edu

With one day’s notice, City College staff mobilized, in midApril, to clear college property from the Southeast Center campus at 1800 Oakdale Ave in San Francisco’s Bayview district. A March 30, 2023, letter from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) informed the college that due to needed repairs, the building was no longer usable and the college’s lease had been terminated. On April 19 and 20, during the few hours of allowed access, staff from the City College library, ITS and facilities departments were on site filling moving boxes with books from the library, and salvaging computer and network hardware. Both Cynthia Dewar from the Educational Technology Office and Alberto Vasquez from Facilities and Capital Planning directed questions to the chancellor's office. City College opened its campus at the Center in the early ‘90s, offering as many as 25 classes annually

according to Chancellor David Martin. Four classes were taught there in Spring 2020; the center has been shuttered since then. As early as last summer, ITS staff were told that no more classes were to be scheduled there. Inside, four floors of classrooms and offices surrounded a pleasant light-filled atrium. The library looked up-to-date; the computer lab did not. Dusty bulletin boards celebrated African American heritage. According to the PUC notice, the building requires seismic upgrades and ventilation repairs totalling more than the value of the building, and it is likely to be demolished. In the 1970’s, following passage of the federal Clean Water Act, the city undertook a major expansion of the wastewater treatment plant located in the historically black neighborhood. Powerful community protests won a mitigation agreement that led to the construction of the South East Community Center on Oakdale, adjacent to the plant. SFPUC continued on page 2

Mural celebrates the community activists who fought for and won the Southeast Community Center. April 19, 2023. Photo by Ellen Yoshitsugu/The Guardsman.

Call for Activism

City College Hosts Black Lives Matter Co-founder Alicia Garza for Talk on Social Justice and Equality By Ann Marie Galvan agalvan1@mail.ccsf.edu

Alicia Garza. Photo Credit: Marıa Esme del Rıó Instagram: @delriophotography

On Tuesday, April 25, social activist, writer and community organizer Alicia Garza visited the Mission Campus to deliver a talk on social justice and equality in the United States. The event was co-hosted by three departments: the African American Studies Department, the Labor & Community Studies

Department, and the School of Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences, Ethnic Studies and Social Justice. The event drew a crowd of students and community members, and Garza's speech was a powerful call to action for greater justice and equal rights. Born in Oakland, Garza co-founded Black Lives Matter (BLM) in 2013 along with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. BLM was created in response

to the acquittal of George Zimmerman after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, and gained national attention following the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York — both at the hands of police officers. Garza’s criticism of the criminal justice system and advocacy for Black communities has earned her recognition as one of Time Magazine's

100 most influential people in the world in 2020. Now, Garza works with the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the Black Futures Lab, an organization dedicated to advancing policies that improve the lives of Black Americans. The City College library had a table at the event, and librarian Lisa Velarde was there to help students check out books. BLM continued on page 2

Resolution to Bring Back Laid Off Employees Stalls By Renée BartlettWebber rbartle8@mail.ccsf.edu

On Thursday, April 13, the Board Budget and Audit Committee meeting failed to advance two measures calling for the reinstatement of all full-time faculty and classified workers who

were dismissed in last year’s layoffs, a total of 87 people, many of whom were tenured. The committee has three voting members: Chair Shanell Williams, Board Vice President Anita Martinez and Susan Solomon. Trustee Solomon, who authored the resolution, was absent. The two remain-

ing members had opposing views and the motions did not carry, which meant that the resolutions would not be forwarded to the full board. “I can’t support this resolution without amendments and the first author and other member of this committee is not here,” Williams

said. “It’s not that I want to shoot this down, but I want to make amendments and have further discussion.” The committee’s inaction will delay a decision by the full Board of Trustees on whether to direct Chancellor David Martin to recall all employees who lost their jobs

last year. Tensions rose as attendees debated policies for passing the resolution to the full board and the limitations of the board actions.

Before the vote, both Martinez and Williams said they believed these resolutions would be Resolution continued on page 3

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