Winning Richmond

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Native American proverb A California Bay area city long ruled by its huge Chevron oil refinery become an award winning “Green & Clean” community. How did they do it? They won City Hall thanks to the power of the people, who organized a Progressive alliance on the grassroots level to seize political power and to fight the entrenched corporate interests, inspired by the wisdom of the original Americans who first settled in the Bay area. Gayle McLaughlin was at the center of that long-term struggle, organizing meetings, going door-to-door campaigning for City Council and eventually, serving as Mayor of Richmond California. This is her story. This is Richmond’s story.