Back in 2016, Bay Area native Sadakao Whittington needed to find a good job after 15 years of incarceration. He found few options because of discrimination. Through the West Oakland Job Resource Center (WOJRC) and the Good Jobs Policies won by EBASE and allies at the Port of Oakland, which require employers to hire locally, he found a good job. After working through the sprinkler fitter apprentice program, Sadakao became a union construction worker with a family-sustaining wage and healthcare. Since then, Sadakao has become a leader in his union, as an apprenticeship instructor and advocate for job opportunities. Sadakao shows the long-term impacts of expanding good job opportunities and bolstering worker leadership.
Guadalupe (Lupe) Tolento became involved with EBASE when her family, living in Concord, was unjustly evicted by a corporate landlord. She came to EBASE’s tenant clinic and we connected her to legal support. Lupe bravely fought her eviction and won her security deposit back! Through this experience, Lupe learned the power of organizing and coming together. She has since become the vice president of the Todos Santos Tenants Union and a part-time tenant organizer at EBASE. Lupe organizes tenants and helped pass Concord’s Rent Stabilization & Just Cause Ordinance in 2024 to ensure that no other families unjustly lose their home. Lupe’s development as a tenant leader and organizer reflects how we can build grassroots power and leadership.
Nikki Fortunato Bas’s leadership journey began with deep roots in the community, organizing Chinatown garment workers and fighting for fair wages and good jobs in Oakland. Nikki worked at EBASE from 2006-2014 and at PowerSwitch Action, a national network co-founded by EBASE, from 2014-2018, learning how to build long-lasting coalitions, lead strategic campaigns, and build people power. Since 2019, Nikki has served on the Oakland City Council, leading with her justice values and a commitment to co-governance and partnership. She has championed efforts to protect workers and tenants, reimagine public safety, and create equitable budgets. Nikki’s leadership shows us what is possible when community voices are centered in government.
Reverend Steve Hong, a pastor at Ygnacio Valley Presbyterian Church in Concord, has quickly become a core member of FAME. Rev. Steve frequently gives public comment in support of renter protections, including Concord’s Rent Stabilization and Just Cause ordinance, and speaks at events to recruit faith leaders into FAME. For Rev. Steve, fighting for justice is a moral imperative based on his faith. He shares, “Jesus is biased towards… any class of people that are disenfranchised, marginalized, or vulnerable. This is a moral issue, and if Christian, what your God demands of you.” Reverend Steve’s faith-rooted organizing is an example of people power in action.
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