Although rarely credited, Berkeley became America’s first sanctuary city on November 8, 1971. This episode explores how an ancient idea was revived in protest of the Vietnam War and again to support Central American refugees during the 1980s. With sanctuary cities under attack by the Trump administration, learn how the sanctuary movement started—and triumphed over previous crackdowns by the U.S. government.
The first segment of this program features an interview with Phyllis Gayle and Ann Harlow of the Berkeley Historical Society about its current exhibit: “Building Bridges, Not Walls: Berkeley, America’s First Sanctuary City.” For more information on this exhibit and visiting hours, check out: http://www.berkeleyhistoricalsociety.org/
The second segment of this program features interviews with: Jose Artiga, Sister Maureen Duignan, Bennett Falk and Prof. Jennifer Ridgley.
Check out East Bay Sanctuary Covenant for more info about ongoing efforts to uphold Berkeley’s legacy as a sanctuary city: https://eastbaysanctuary.org/
To listen to more episodes of East Bay Yesterday: https://eastbayyesterday.com/
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Hosted by: Liam O’Donoghue
