Berkeley City College prez named to Biden panel

compiled by Cynthia Laird

The White House has announced that Angélica Garcia, the president of Berkeley City College, will be appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, where she will serve alongside celebrities such as Lady Gaga, George Clooney, and Kerry Washington.

President Joe Biden announced April 13 his intent to appoint the members of the committee, according to a news release from the White House.

Garcia, who identifies as pansexual and is the first Chicana to lead the East Bay community college, has a doctorate in education. She became president of the school in May 2020, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported. The school is part of the Peralta Community College District.

The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities was founded in 1982 by executive order to advise the president on cultural policy. In her role as a com mittee member, Garcia will contribute to advis ing Biden and the heads of U.S. cultural agencies on policy, philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, humanities, and museum and library services, according to a news release.

“I am deeply honored to be includ ed among brilliant, global-minded, and champions of the arts, humani ties, museums, and libraries,” Garcia stated. “Community colleges across this country are anchors of democracy that often serve as the cultural centers of diverse communities, in many cases being the only spaces where the arts, humanities, and libraries are acces sible.

“I am humbled by this appointment and am eager to be both learner and teacher on the committee,” she added. A number of luminaries were ap pointed to the committee, including Troy Kotsur, the Oscar-winning Deaf actor who starred in “CODA;” John Batiste, the Grammy- and Oscarwinning musician who served as bandleader for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert;” and award-winning actress Jennifer Garner. Co-chairs of the committee are Lady Gaga, who is bisexual, and Bruce Cohen, the gay award-winning producer who was nominated for a best picture Oscar for the 2008 “Milk” biopic.

Virtual meeting for Twin Peaks project

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department will have a virtual meeting on the Twin Peaks Improve ment Project Tuesday, April 25, at 6 p.m. A notice in Rec and Park’s news letter stated that staff will be provid ing people with the latest information about the upcoming project.

The Twin Peaks Access, Roadway, and Pedestrian Walkway Improve ment Project involves improving the trail system via more sustainable realignment, restoration of previ ously disturbed areas, installation of new steps as needed, and wayfinding signage. This is the third phase of the project; other work has been complet ed from 2013-2018.

To join the Zoom meeting, go to https://bit.ly/3L8Fx9S

CA Senate candidate Middleton coming to SF

Lisa Middleton, a trans woman who’s running for a Southern Califor nia state Senate seat next year, will be in San Francisco Friday, April 28, for a campaign fundraiser at the home of gay BART board director Bevan Dufty.

Middleton, an elected member of the Palm Springs City Council, an nounced last month that she was reviving her campaign for the 19th District Senate seat, which

If elected, Middleton would be the first trans member of the state Legis-

Tickets start at $100. To RSVP and receive the address, email nicole.ward. ca@gmail.com or bevan.dufty@gmail. com.

Movie night returns to Duboce Park

Free outdoor movie night returns to Duboce Park Saturday, April 29, with “Top Gun: Maverick,” starring Tom Cruise. The 2022 Oscarwinning action film is a sequel to the 1986 hit “Top Gun,” with Cruise reprising his starring role as naval aviator Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.

The movie, which was the highest grossing of 2022 and earned $1.487 billion, will screen at the park at around 8 p.m. on the upper lawn.

Friends of Duboce Park will have a refreshment booth with popcorn, healthy snacks, and cocoa, a news

BART seeks member for police panel

The regional Bay Area Rapid Transit system is seeking a member for the position on the BART Police Citizen Review Board. The person will be appointed by District 2 BART board member Mark Foley but applicants do not need to reside in his district, according to a news release. However, they must be a resident of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, or San Francisco counties, the release noted. Members of the citizen review panel work to increase the public’s confidence in BART’s policing services by: reviewing, recommending, and monitoring the implementation of changes to police policies, procedures, and practices; and receiving citizen allegations of on-duty police misconduct.

The citizen panel also advises the BART board, general manager, in-

Volume 53, Number 16 April 20-26, 2023 www.ebar.com

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