Berkeley to end exclusionary zoning

 

Last night the Berkeley city council voted unanimously to end exclusionary zoning in the city, in a measure that was partially influenced by our research on the effects of single-family zoning in the Bay Area. In announcing the measure earlier this month city council member Lori Droste cited our extensive research on zoning, which shows how exclusionary zoning bolsters racial residential segregation.

 

The Berkeley city council measure spurred renewed interest in our research among media. See some of our recent coverage on the topic below:

• "Berkeley to end single-family residential zoning, citing racist ties" (Mercury News)
• "Berkeley may get rid of single-family zoning as a way to correct the arc of its ugly housing history" (Berkeleyside)
• "California Cities Rethink the Single-Family Neighborhood" (KQED)
• "Berkeley considers ending single-family zoning" (Mercury News)
• "‘A new standard’: Berkeley City Council hears quadplex zoning proposal" (DailyCal)
• "Opinion: Single-family zoning must be eliminated to end the racist origins of Berkeley’s zoning" (Berkeleyside)

Examining Plessy, 125 years later

 

Last week the Russell Sage Foundation published its latest Issue of the Journal of the Social Sciences, which was co-edited by OBI Director john a. powell. The issue focuses on Plessy v. Ferguson, a 125-year-old Supreme Court case which upheld the legality of racial segregation of public facilities. Director powell wrote an article for the issue which shows the embeddedness of structural racism in the American legal system, and the slow work done to untangle racism from the law.

 

Read professor powell's article on Plessy.

#RiseUp4Justice: White Supremacy: Infecting the COVID-19 Response and Corrupting Democracy

 

We're excited to announce the next installment of our popular #RiseUp4Justice livestream series, happening next Thursday, March 4 at 2pm, Pacific Time. A panel of experts will discuss how the far-right have used the pandemic to exacerbate racial othering and undermine democracy. They will also consider strategies to counter right-wing narratives and organizing strategies for racial justice. The panelists include:

• Denise Herd, Professor of Public Health and Associate Director, Othering and Belonging Institute, UC Berkeley
  
• Sky Allen, Project Manager, Inland Empowerment
• Art Reyes, Executive Director, We the People Michigan

Click to register for this event

Poll: Anti-maskers small minority of Inland Empire voters

 

On Monday we released the results of a new poll we conducted in southern California's Inland Empire region on the attitudes of voters towards masking. It found that the vast majority of the region's voters support face covering requirements inside public spaces, and consider it important that local public officials wear masks. Conducted in partnership with Berkeley's Institute for Governmental Studies, the poll showed that support for mask requirements was strong across lines of race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and household income levels.

 

See media coverage of the poll below:

• Poll: 4 in 5 Inland voters favor requiring masks to fight coronavirus
• Poll Data Shows Strong Support for Mask Mandate in Inland Empire
• Inland Empire Voters Support Covid-19 Restrictions

Click to read our press release summarizing the poll's findings. 

Other OBI updates

 

New releases:

• On Texas, the climate crisis, and a just transition to renewable energy
  Status message (blog)
• Structural Racism and Disparate Impacts in the United States (report to the UN's CERD)

Upcoming events:

• March 4: White Supremacy: Infecting the COVID-19 Response and Corrupting Democracy
• March 4: Black Mayors & Leadership in the United States
• March 5: 2021 MLI Symposium
• March 5: In the Shadows of Whiteness: Race, Religion, and Radicalization in the Time of Pandemics
• April 21: Othering & Belonging Summit

In the news:

• Faculty scholar Ian Haney Lopez was quoted in this article in In These Times, titled, “Privatization Would Doom Biden's Infrastructure Plan.”
• Institute Director john a. powell was interviewed in this Bioneers podcast, titled, “Why Equity is Good for Everyone: Changing the Story, Changing the World.”
• Faculty scholar Hilary Hoynes was interviewed for this article in WUSF Public Media, titled, “Lawmakers Consider 2 Plans For Monthly Payments To Address Child Poverty.” She was also interviewed for this article in CBR, titled, “How should the US approach further pandemic relief?”
• Faculty scholar Cristina Mora was interviewed for this article in the Los Angeles Times, titled, “New poll finds sharp decline in support for Sen. Dianne Feinstein in California,” and this article in The DailyCal, titled, “UC Berkeley poll reveals decline in US Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s approval ratings.” 

  Job opportunities:

• Senior Analyst (Community-based Equitable Transportation Planning project)
• Junior Analyst (Community-based Equitable Transportation Planning project)
• Belonging Coordinator

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Othering & Belonging Institute
University of California, Berkeley
460 Stephens Hall
Tel: 510-642-3326
Berkeley, CA 94720
United States

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