The beginning of the 21st century brought about a plethora of changes in society, with more women graduating from universities or teacher training schools, advocating for the restriction of child labor and supporting legislation for pure milk. In the east of San Francisco Bay, the San Ramón Valley serves as a miniature representation of women's efforts to achieve equality in society. In small towns where no one had ever seen a suffragette, women's rights and the importance of voting were taught. In Contra Costa County, such an association was established in 1870, with a large number of members from Martinez County.
The San Ramón Hall was completed in 1911 and several San Ramón women promoted and raised funds for the Hall. In this episode, I will be speaking with Diana Becton, District Attorney for Contra Costa County, California. She will discuss how her lived experiences have shaped her view of her role as a district attorney, the resistance that people who wish to maintain the status quo have towards reform prosecutors who are women of color, and the larger national movement to reform the United States' criminal justice system. I would say that running for district attorney was not something I had considered when I was serving as a judge in Contra Costa County.
Funding was provided by CAL Vet, the California Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more about DA Becton and the work of the Contra Costa County District Attorney's office, please visit contracosta.
