Oakland Post, week of February 14 - 20, 2024

Dis Asm. Akilah Weber Introduces Bill to Protect

Terminally Ill Californians ... see page 2

Black Homeownership in California for 25-35Ed Dwight: Internationally Reknowned Artist and Are Stressed Out Brain Cells the Main Cause of Former Air Force Test Pilot ... see page 4 Neurodegenerative Disease? ... see page 7 Year-Olds Has Fallen More Than 50% ... see page 6

Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18

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Weekly Edition.

Edition. February 14 - 20, 2024

61st Year, No. 7

Mayor Sheng Thao Takes Turn at Round Table to Discuss Community Concerns

Who Are the Top Donors in the Alameda County District 5 Supervisor’s Race?

About $342,500, a little less than half of the approximately $705,000 raised in the race so far, has come from just 30 sources.

Supporters of a Gaza ceasefire led chants and called out names and ages of children killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. Photo by Ken Epstein.

Protesters Demanding Hearing on Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Shut Down Oakland School Board Meeting

A ballot drop box sits in West Oakland. Feb. 12. Photo by Zack Haber

By Zack Haber

Nine candidates are running to represent District 5 on the Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors.

District 5 covers West and North Oakland and includes Emeryville, Berkeley, Piedmont and Albany.

The five-member Board of Supervisors sets the county’s budget, governs its unincorporated areas, oversees the sheriff, Alameda Health System, and the mental health system.

Voting in this election has already begun. Most of those living in the district will have been mailed paper ballots. Residents can also vote in person on March 5, the last day voting is open. If no candidate gets more than half of the votes, the top two candidates will face off in the general election in November.

Candidates in Alameda County are required to report all of their campaign donations. The public can search these filings through an online portal.

Looking through the county’s campaign finance reports, we found that residents, businesses and other organizations, such as unions, have donated around $705,000 in total to all candidates as of Feb. 13. In three cases, candidates donated to their own campaigns, but we excluded these figures.

Of the nine candidates, John Bauters, the former Emeryville Mayor and current City Councilmember, has raised the most, about $167,500.

Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Ken Berrick has raised about $157,500. Piedmont resident and East Bay Rental Housing Association board member Chris Moore has raised about $129,000. Oakland City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas has raised about $130,000; and Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett raised about $103,500.

The other candidates, Omar Farmer, Gregory Hodge, Gerald Pechenuk and Lorrel Plimier have all raised much less than the other candidates. So far, Hodge has raised about 11,500 and Plimier has raised about $5,500. Farmer and Pechenuk haven’t reported receiving any campaign donations.

While there were over 525 donations to candidates in total, of these, about $342,500 or a little less than half of the about $705,000 in total donations, came from just 30 sources. For the purposes of this article, we’ve defined these 30 donations as large donations—$5,000 or more.

Bartlett, Bas, Bauters, Berrick, and Moore have received large donations, while Farmer, Hodge, Pechenuk and Plimier have not.

Below is a listing of each reported large donation, and information we could find about its source. We ordered the list in alphabetically by candidate name.

Large donations to Ben Bartlett: Mukemmel ‘Mike’ Sarimsakci of Millbrae donated $10,000. Sarimsakci is a real estate developer and the CEO of Alterra Worldwide, a commercial real estate company.

Man Hao Chen of San Francisco, CEO and founder of crop farming company Sunbber, inc., donated 5,000. Bao Le of Fremont, CEO of medical marijuana company Hemp. co, donated $5,000. Retired Berkeley resident Frank Brown donated $5,000.

Large donations to Nikki Fortunato Bas: Alameda Labor Council AFLCIO Unity, which represents about 135,000 healthcare, construction, service, education, and manufacturing workers, donated $20,000.

Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County donated $20,000. Quinn Delaney of Piedmont, founder and the board chair of Akonadi Foundation, donated $20,000. Wayne Jordan of Piedmont, husband to Delaney, Akonadi Foundation board member, landlord and founder and president of Jordan Real Estate Investments, donated $20,000. California Working Families Party, a “grassroots party for the multiracial working class,” donated $10,000. Bas also received a $5,000 donation from the San Francisco crop farming company, Sunbber, inc. Man Hao Chen, who donated to Ben Bartlett’s campaign, is the CEO of Sunbber. IBEW Local 595, a union representing about Continued on page 8

By Ken Epstein Parents, teachers, and community members shut down the Oakland Board of Education meeting Wednesday evening to protest attempts by several members of the school board to keep a discussion of a Gaza Ceasefire resolution off the board agenda for the past five months.

Hours into the meeting, protest leaders came to the front of the room, below the stage, leading the audience in chants: “We feel unsafe.

We feel unseen. We feel unheard!”

Ceasefire demonstrators beat a drum and called out the names and ages of children who have died in the Israeli army attack on Gaza.

Protesters said they were angry and frustrated that school board President Sam Davis, backed by former board President Mike Hutchinson and Jorge Lerma, blocked the discussion even though four of the seven members of the board have called for the Gaza resolution to be

(Graphic Designer Theodore Plair)

Photo caption: Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao joins Manny Yequtiel, owner of Manny’s restaurant and town hall, to address community concerns in Oakland. Credit: Magaly Muñoz

By Magaly Muñoz

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao met with a group of concerned Bay Area residents at Manny’s, a civic event space in San Francisco, to discuss the most pressing issues in Oakland.

Manny’s, located on the corner of 16th and Valencia streets in the heart of San Francisco, regularly hosts town halls featuring community leaders and elected officials.

Recently, it hosted a series of discussions with mayors in the region about how they’re addressing their city’s challenges.

The issue that most people in the room wanted Thao to immediately address is one she’s had to answer

for the majority of time she’s been in office: public safety and crime.

Thao refuted the notion that crime had surged suddenly after her election. Instead, she pointed out that crime had seen a steady incline for years, particularly after 2019.

“I want to be very clear that crime has been on an increase way before I got into the mayor’s office,” Thao said.

She referenced the six-year period from 2012 to 2018 where violent crimes had dipped after the creation of the ‘Ceasefire’ program that targeted gun violence. The program was credited with a 42% Continued on page 8

Faces Around the Bay

Rhem Bell. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer Rhem Bell has lived in various places around the Bay Area and served in several capcities as an activist and labor rights supporter since his arrival more from North Carolina more than 25 years ago.

A very private person, he preferred to speak about the place that shaped him and how it influenced his perception of opportu-

Black History is American History Many thousands of ministers and activists from across America and Alabama came to Selma to march with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Council and other Civil Rights organizations from Selma to Montgomery, the state’s capital city, to demand the right to vote. The words of Fannie Lou Hamer, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks echoed through Dr. King’s speech.

placed on a board agenda, as permitted by Oakland Unified School District bylaws.

Board members Jennifer Brouhard, Valarie Bachelor, VanCedric Williams, and Clifford Thompson, sent an email to Board President Sam Davis supporting placing the resolution on the agenda for a full discussion but were ignored.

The proposed resolution, originally submitted by Brouhard and Bachelor would read: “The Oakland Unified School District supports U.S. Congress Resolution H.R.786 and joins others in calling on our Congressmembers to demand: an immediate ceasefire; the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza; the restoration of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies to Gaza; and the respect for international law.”

The resolution continued: “OUSD encourages all staff to read and learn about the region to help Continued on page 8

nities here.

“My original home community, prior to relocating to California, was James City, a small town east of New Bern, N.C. James City was known as a Freedmen’s, Negro and eventually a Black village. Many of the people who reside there are descendants of former slaves who populated the area during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

“The village began with the seizure and subsequent occupation of New Bern by the Union Army in March, 1862. It was then that New Bern became a refugee center for thousands of North Carolina slaves who sought freedom and safety within Union lines.

In 1863, Captain Horace James established a camp for freedmen near New Bern. James City was named in his honor. The attributes Continued on page 8

East Bay leaders and law enforcement agencies announce a regional public safety and crime partnership at the Holiday Inn in Hegenberger Road Corridor, Oakland. Credit: Magaly Muñoz.

East Bay Leaders Launch Regional Public Safety Partnership

By Magaly Muñoz

East Bay leaders announced regional public safety and crime partnership at a press conference Wednesday morning along the Hegenberger Road Corridor as community concerns continue to grow throughout the area.

City officials and law enforcement involved in the partnership include those from Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville and San Leandro.

“This partnership will enable

greater coordination and regional strategies that prevent and deter crime, and hold these individuals accountable,” Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín.

Arreguín stated that the groups and individuals committing these crimes aren’t constrained by one jurisdiction, but typically will cross city lines and get lost in the system because of the lack of data sharing and collaboration between the municipalities.

Continued on page 8

Thoroughgood “Thurgood” Marshall became the first Black Justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court after many years of precedent-setting civil rights victories in many southern states. He argued and won the historic Brown v. The Board of Education. He inspired hundreds of Blacks to seek legal degrees to continue the legacy of Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.

(Graphic Designer Theodore Plair)

Black History is American History

THE POST, February 14 - 20, 2024, Page 2

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California Senate Candidates Discuss Representation in Forum with Ethnic Media

Pictured (left to right): Rep. Barbara Lee ( D-CA-12), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-30), and Rep. Katie Porter (DCA-47). Photos by Maxim Elramsisy (CBM).

By California Black Media On Feb. 8, the three leading Democratic California Senate candidates participated in a forum to discuss their campaign platforms and field questions from reporters about issues concerning California residents.

U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), Adam Schiff (DCA-30), and Katie Porter (D-CA47) – joined the virtual event that was hosted by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services.

An invitation was extended to former Major League Baseball player and Republican Steve Garvey to the participate but there was no response from his staff.

It is likely that one of the three candidates that took part in the forum will be California’s next junior senator, serving alongside senior Sen. Alex Padilla. That person will replace Sen. Laphonza Bulter, who is currently the only Black woman in the 100-member U.S. Senate.

One of the questions directed to all the candidates was about how they would ensure that Black women’s voices would continue to be considered in national debates and policymaking.

Lee said Black women legislators “fight for everyone.”

“It is important that they serve in the Senate to have that perspective or that lens that would be

missing in the United States Senate,” Lee said, talking about the point of view of Black women, who are the Democratic Party’s most loyal voting bloc.

“It is ‘not just on issues of racial justice, it’s also on issues of equity, economic equity. When you look at billionaires, we have to pass legislation which I’m championing with Senator Sanders, the oligarch Act, the CEO compensation act — bills that will force billionaires to pay their fair share,” said Lee. “A Black woman’s perspective on every single issue is very important.”

Porter said she would “work tirelessly” to make sure that Butler would not be the last Black female Senator when she finishes the interim term. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Butler after longtime Senator Dianne Porter said California’s next senator needs to be “a champion for communities of color, particularly for Black Americans.

“Washington has long overlooked the needs of hard-working Americans, especially communities of color, including long standing racial gaps in homeownership and education and healthcare. We know that Black Americans have worse health outcomes. They’re less likely to graduate from college. They’re more likely to live in polluted neighborhoods. The question is what is Washington

Nigerian Bank Chief Killed in Helicopter Crash on Way to Superbowl XVIII

Herbert Wigwe with his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, left, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, right. ENigeria Newspaper image.

By Post Staff

The co-founder of one of Nigeria’s largest banks died with his wife, son and three others when the helicopter transporting them from Palm Springs, Ca., to Boulder City, Nev. to attend the fifty-eighth SuperBowl at the stadium outside Las Vegas crashed on Feb. 9.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept., the crash occurred near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The poor weather conditions — rain, wind and snow showers—may have contributed to the accident, although the investigation is not complete. All six aboard were killed Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

More recently, Wigwe was planning to open a banking service in Asia this year after making successful expansions to other parts of Africa, including South Africa, Kenya, and Botswana.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu

described Wigwe’s death as an ‘overwhelming tragedy.”

Oakland resident and Nigerian immigrant Kayode Gbadebo agrees with Tinubu. He met Wigwe in Nigeria but crossed paths with him in London in 2006. Wigwe, he said, “took risks.”

He was young and people thought he couldn’t do what he intended, which was not so much about money but community.

“He was more like Jesus in washing the feet of the poor– Wigwe was culturizing community,” Gbadebo said.

“There will never be another like him. This is a deep, deep loss” and he hopes everyone will eventually “be comforted.”

He was also disappointed that a replacement has already been named even before Wigwe is buried. “It is not reasonable. You don’t want a vacuum, but it’s” not fair to the family, Gbadebo observed.

Wigwe had also been working to solve the migration issues from African countries, believing that “investing in higher education was key to controlling mass migration,

going to do about that?” asked Porter.

Schiff took a different approach to the question. He intends to appoint more Black women and people of color to the judiciary, cabinet positions, and intelligence community such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).

“In every aspect of policy, and every appointment I have to make, I want to make sure that we’re elevating people that look like America, that will be representative of every community in America,” Schiff said. “And that very much means Black women and Black men, people from the Latino community and the AAPI community, people in the LGBTQ community as well.”

Reporters from CBM, EMS, India Currents, and La Opinion formulated the questions for the briefing.

The candidates also fielded questions about the border crisis, funding Ukraine funding, single-payer health insurance, the expansion of the Federal Child Tax Credit, sponsoring bills to protect local journalism, legal immigration relief to essential undocumented workers, legal immigration relief to essential undocumented workers, climate change, reparations for Black Californians, among other topics. which “is destabilising countries across the world,” BBC News reported.

“We need to take a holistic approach to address global migration, starting with our traditional framework for international development,” Wigwe wrote.

To that end, according to BBC News, Wigwe was preparing to open Wigwe University in Niger, where he was from.

“The best place to limit migration is not in the middle of the Mediterranean or the English Channel or the Rio Grande.

It is in the home countries that so many migrants are so desperate to leave,” he wrote, saying his university was an opportunity for him “to give back to society.”

Besides Wigwe and his wife, Chizoba Nwuba Wigwe, and one son, two crew members and Bimbo Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, were also killed in the crash.

According to Wikipedia, three other children survive Wigwe.

In his statement reported in People magazine, Tinubu described Wigwe as “a distinguished banker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur.”

“I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed and ask God Almighty to comfort the multitude of Nigerians who are grieving and the families of the deceased at this deeply agonizing moment,” the president said.

He added, “Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension.”

Besides feeling the tremendous loss, Gbadebo fears the disorder and greed that will follow. “It’s a mess,” he said.

People magazine, BBC News and Wikipedia were the sources for this report.

Dr. Akilah Weber (File Photo)

Asm. Akilah Weber Introduces Bill to Protect Terminally Ill Californians

By California Black Media On Feb. 7, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) introduced legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 2180, designed to ensure that terminally or chronically ill people living in California can afford their life-saving medications.

If passed, the law would require California health plan providers, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to count the value of financial assistance provided by subsidy programs towards a terminally ill patient’s deductible and

out-of-pocket expenses.

“When insurers and PBMs do onto count the value of copay assistance toward cost-sharing requirements, patients often experience ‘a copay surprise’ at the pharmacy counter and may be forced to walk away without their needed medication because they cannot afford it,” wrote Weber in a statement.

Over 80 patient advocacy organizations, medical foundations and other groups applauded Weber for introducing the legislation.

“The All Copays Count in California Coalition commends

Dr. Weber for championing legis-

of record-breaking rainfall and snow.”

On Feb. 4, the Governor declared a state of emergency in eight counties: Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Diego.

On Feb. 7, Newsom followed up by requesting a major disaster declaration from the White House to support San Diego County as it recovers from the storms.

“The late January storm saw record-breaking rain in San Diego, where the worst impacts were felt in lower-income neighborhoods.

Many folks saw damage to their life’s work that can’t be recovered without federal support,” the Governor said.

On Feb. 10, the Governor’s Office for Emergency Services (CalOES) provided safety tips for returning home aimed at Califor-

nians who had to evacuate, including how to deal with accumulated muck, mud and debris.

In Sacramento County, a 63-year-old woman was found dead under a large fallen tree in her backyard.

Effects of recent storms can weaken trees, leading to falling branches or even entire trees, which can cause damage to homes, and vehicles and pose a threat to public safety, according to Cal OES. The sudden occurrence of toppled trees, fallen branches or uprooted trees saturated by standing water creates hazardous conditions for pedestrians, motorists, power lines and homes.

CalOES is urging Californians to stay informed about whether forecasts, and informed the public that it is still assessing storm damages.

lation that will improve patient ac-

cess to medications and protect the most vulnerable Californians from harmful and deceptive insurance schemes that raise patient costs,”

said Lynne Kinst, Executive Di-

rector of Hemophilia Council of

California (HCC), which is a cosponsor of the bill.

According to the HCC, an es-

timated 70% of patients “abandon their

prescription

medications

when their out-of-pocket costs reach $250 or more.

After Severe Storms Kill 12, State Warns of Ongoing Dangers

Photo: California Black Media.

By California Black Media State authorities and elected officials around California are thanking 8,500 first responders for their combined efforts over the past weeks to save lives during severe storms that killed 12 people, contributed to intense flooding, led to power outages, downed trees and caused more than $10 million in damages.

They are also directing Californians to resources to address losses they may have suffered during the storms and warning them of ongoing dangers.

“We mobilized an all-ofgovernment response, including our swift water rescue teams that have made 47 rescues,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom. “We’re grateful to our thousands of first responders who have saved countless lives and kept our state going in the face

She was born in Mississippi as Fannie Lou Townsend.

She was a community organizer and activist that fearlessly challenged the government to permit voting for Blacks, women and other minorities.

As an activist for voting rights, she showed Blacks how to gain power through voting. Even though she was a victim of forced sterilization, she relied upon her church networks and bible teachings to inspire millions “not to be afraid to call the wicked man wicked to the wicked man’s face.” (Graphic Designer Theodore Plair)

Black History is American History

THE POST, February 14 - 20, 2024, Page 4

Ed Dwight: Internationally Renowned Artist and Former Air Force Test Pilot

postnewsgroup.com The series, now consists of more than 70 bronzes that characterize the creation and evolution of jazz from its African and European roots to the fusion of contemporary music.

In 2005, Joyce Gordon hosted a one-man exhibit for Dwight in 2005 at her downtown Oakland art gallery.

“Ed Dwight is a phenomenal artist. His bronzes reflect the soul of Black Americans, their struggle, their resolve, their inner peace.” said Joyce Gordon. “His art re-

Ed Dwight and Joyce Gordon, at Joyce Gordon Gallery. Photo courtesy of Joyce Gordon Gallery.

Capt. Edward J. Dwight, Jr., the first African American selected as a potential astronaut, looks over a model of Titan rockets in November 1963. Bettmann Archive / Getty Images.

By Conway Jones Ed Dwight is an artist and former U.S. Air Force test pilot who was America’s first African American astronaut candidate.

Born in 1933, he grew up in Kansa City, Kansas, showing artistic talent and mechanical gifts early in childhood.

While in college in the 1950s, Dwight saw an article in a newspaper with an image of a downed African American pilot in Korea.

“I said, ‘Oh my God, they’re letting Black people fly,’” Dwight said. “I went straight to the recruitment office and said, ‘I want to fly.’”

“My first flight was the most exhilarating thing in the world,” said Dwight. “There were no streets or stop signs up there. You were free as a bird.”

Before entering the military, Dwight had earned an Associates in Arts degree in engineering and while training to become at test pilot near Phoenix, Arizona, he earned a Bachelor of Science de-

gree in aeronautical engineering in 1957.

In 1961, he was handpicked

by President John F. Kennedy’s White House to join Chuck Yeager’s test pilot program at Edwards Air Force Base in California’s Mojave Desert. He was the first African American to enter NASA’ astronaut training program.

Dwight’s path to NASA disappeared after Kennedy’s assassination. He was never selected for the space program, and he resigned from the Air Force in 1966.

Afterward, he supported himself. In various ways: as an engineer, real estate, a job with IBM and even opening a barbecue restaurant in Denver, Colo. But he continued to work with his hands, particularly and built things with scrap metal, according to Wikipedia.

Enter Ed, Dwight, artist.

In 1975, the Colorado Centennial Commission commissioned him to create a series of bronzes depicting the contribution of

Blacks to the American Frontier.

The series of 50 bronzes was exhibited for several years throughout the United States.

In 1979, he created a bronze series entitled “JAZZ: An American Art Form,” that portrayed the history and historical roots of jazz.

Ed Dwight sculpture from the Jazz, An American Art Form series. The Hardy Collection. File photo.

Continued on page 8

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THE POST, February 14 - 20, 2024, Page 5

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Report: Black Homeownership in Calif. for 25-35-Year-Olds Has Fallen by More Than 50%

By California Black Media

Photo courtesy California Black Media.

A report released last week by the California Community Builders Association (CBCA) presented a grim picture of home ownership for middle income Black Californians and other minorities.

The report, titled “California’s Missing Middle,” revealed that the rate of homeownership for Black Californians ages 25 through 35 dropped by more than half — from 50% to 23% over a four-decade period, beginning in 1980 through 2021.

During that same period, the rate of homeownership for Latinos also fell significantly — by 22 percentage points, from 52% to 30%.

According to CBCA, the study is based on Census data. It focuses on middle-income Californians because there are rapid shifts happening among that demographic and that sub-group gets the least attention in conversations about homelessness and housing affordability.

“Middle-income California is shrinking, and the drop is all in the lower-middle-income group, from 6.7 million in 2000 to 4.3 million in 2019, a staggering 35% drop,” reads a CBCA press release.

Middle-income Californians also receive the least amount of government funded subsidies aimed at making housing more affordable in the

state.

“We have no idea whether these people left the state or changed income brackets. In fact, we know little about the demographics and housing challenges of this group, but the ‘shrinking middle class’ looks real.

Knowledge gaps create policy gaps, and we have both,” the CBCA press release continued.

Among key findings in the study are nearly 60% of middle-income Californians are people of color and California housing prices have increased eight times as much as California incomes.

The report recommends that the state create a housing policy that con-

siders the needs of middle-income Californians. The majority of them, according to CCBA, earn too little money to compete in the housing market, yet their income is too high to qualify for income-based subsidies.

“Today, the needs of low-income families are often the primary source of discussion when it comes to housing policy and housing subsidy,” the report reads. “CCB agrees with this perspective and believes low-income families need far greater support than they receive today, but we also believe that the 17 million middleincome Californians also need care and attention, as our current housing market regularly fails them.”

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THE POST, February 14 - 20, 2024, Page 7

Are Stressed-Out Brain Cells the Root Cause of Neurodegenerative Disease?

UC Berkeley research suggests that constant stress triggered by clumping proteins is killing brain cells

An illustration of a brain cell in a person with Alzheimer’s disease, showing the accumulation and clumping of tau proteins (blue squiggles) in the cytoplasm of brain cells. Protein clumps, also known as aggregates, are thought to lead to cell death and dementia. New research suggests that such clumps may not cause brain cell death directly, but rather throw the cell’s response to stress off balance so that it never gets turned off. Image courtesy of the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health

By Robert Sanders UC Berkeley News Many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, are characterized by the accumulation of protein clumps, or aggregates, in the brain, which has led scientists to assume that the

protein tangles kill brain cells. The search for treatments that break up and remove these tangled proteins has had little success, however.

But a new discovery announced on Tuesday by University of California, Berkeley, researchers suggests that the accumulation of aggregated proteins isn’t what kills brain cells.

Rather, it’s the body’s failure to turn off these cells’ stress response.

In a study published online Jan. 31 in the journal Nature, the researchers reported that delivering a drug that forces the stress response to shut down saves cells that mimic a type of neurodegenerative disease known as early-onset dementia.

According to lead researcher Michael Rapé, the finding could offer clinicians another option for treatment for some neurodegenerative diseases, at least for those caused by mutations in the protein that switches off the cellular stress response. These include inherited diseases that lead to ataxia, or loss of muscle control, and early-onset dementia.

In addition, Rapé noted that other neurodegenerative diseases, including Mohr–Tranebjærg syndrome, childhood ataxia and Leigh syndrome, are also characterized by stress responses in overdrive and have symptoms similar to those of the early-onset dementia mimicked in the new study.

“We always thought that pro-

tein clumps directly kill neurons, for example by puncturing membrane structures within these cells. Yet, we now found that aggregates prevent silencing of a stress response that cells originally mount to cope with bad proteins. The stress response is always on, and that’s what kills the cells,” said Rapé, head of the new division of molecular therapeutics in UC Berkeley’s Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. “We think that the same mechanisms may underlie more common pathologies that also show widespread aggregation, such as Alzheimer’s disease or frontotemporal dementia, but more work is needed to investigate the role of stress signaling in these diseases.”

Key to the discoveries by Rapé’s lab was the researchers’ finding that stress responses need to be turned off once a brain cell has successfully addressed a difficult situation.

Rapé explained this finding to his son in simple terms: ‘You not only need to clean up your room, but also turn out the light before going to bed.

If you don’t turn off the light, you can’t fall asleep, but if you turn it off before you cleaned up your room, you would stumble if you had to get up in the dark.’

Similarly, a cell has to clean up

protein aggregates before turning off the stress response. If it doesn’t turn off the stress response, the cell will ultimately die.

“Aggregates don’t kill cells directly. They kill cells because they keep the light on,” he said. “But that means that you can treat these diseases, or at least the dozen or so neurodegenerative diseases that we found have kept their stress responses on.

You treat them with an inhibitor that turns off the light.

“You don’t have to worry about completely getting rid of large aggregates, which changes how we think about treating neurodegenerative diseases. And most importantly, it makes this really doable.”

In their paper, Rapé and his colleagues describe a very large protein complex they discovered and called SIFI (SIlencing Factor of the Integrated stress response).

This machine serves two purposes: It cleans up aggregates and, afterward, turns off the stress response triggered by the aggregated proteins.

The stress response controlled by SIFI is switched on to deal with specific intracellular problems — the abnormal accumulation of proteins that end up at the wrong location in the cell. If components of SIFI are mutated, the cell will accumulate protein clumps and experience an ac-

tive stress response. But it is the stress response signaling that kills the cells.

“The SIFI complex would normally clear out the aggregating proteins. When there are aggregates around, SIFI is diverted from the stress response, and the signaling continues. When aggregates have been cleared — the room has been cleaned up before bedtime — then the SIFI is not diverted away anymore, and it can turn off the stress response,” he said. “Aggregates kind of hijack that natural stress responsesilencing mechanism, interfere with it, stall it. And so that’s why silencing never happens when you have aggregates, and that’s why cells die.”

A future treatment, Rapé said, would likely involve administration of a drug to turn off the stress response and a drug to keep SIFI turned on to clean up the aggregate mess.

Co-authors with Rapé are postdoctoral fellows Diane Haakonsen, Michael Heider and Samuel Witus and graduate student Andrew Ingersoll, all of UC Berkeley, and Kayla Vodehnal, Takeshi Uenaka and Marius Wernig of Stanford. The work was supported primarily by the Stinehart– Reed Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (RF1 AG048131, T32MH020016-25).

1111 Broadway, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 208-7400 • www.alamedactc.org Request for Proposals (RFP) for 7th Street Grade Separation East Public Relations Services (RFP No. R24-0005) The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) is seeking proposals for a contract to commence services in July 2024, or as indicated in the RFP and/or appropriate addenda.

Key Dates: -

Proposal due date: March 12, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. PT

Proposals are subject to Alameda CTC’s Local Business Contract Equity Program. The Program goals for professional services are 70% for Local Business Enterprise (LBE) and 30% for Small LBE. For Program requirements and forms, visit Alameda CTC’s website. Any contract resulting from this RFP will be awarded without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or national origin.

All RFP documents are available Procurement Portal at https://alamedactc.bonfirehub.com.

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted via the Procurement Portal, no later than 3:00 p.m. PT on February 23, 2024.

Submittals must be made in accordance with the instructions in the RFP. Any contract awarded must be in compliance with the local, state, and/or federal requirements.

Born Isabella Baumfree as a slave, she became an abolitionist and an activist for women’s rights. She became the first Black woman to win a court case for custody of her son from a white man after she escaped with her daughter. While Harriet Tubman was helping Lincoln’s Union Army, Sojourner Truth, a Seventh-day Adventist, was meeting with President Lincoln on her diplomatic mission seeking Freedom for Blacks and women. Isabella Baumfree’s dream was to insure that future generations of Blacks would be born free. (Graphic Designer Theodore Plair)

Black History is American History

2024 Page 8 THE POST, February 14 - 20, 2024,

District 5 Donors ...

Continued from page 1 2,000 electric workers in Alameda and San Joaquin/Calaveras counties, donated $5,000. UA Local 342, a union representing around 4,000 workers in the pipe trades industries in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, donated $5,000.

Large donations to John Bauters: Maryam Asefinejad of Orangevale, board member of Teranomic Software, donated $20,000. Fred J Bauters of Lisle, IL, relative of John Bauters, donated $20,000. The International Association of Firefighters Local 55 donated $11,000.

State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks donated $10,000 from her reelection campaign. Nick Josefowitz of San Francisco, commissioner with the Metropolitan Transportation Commissionand co-founder of the nonprofit Permit Power, donated $10,000. Daniel Golden of Santa Monica, who works in sales at the pharmaceutical company Bausch Healthcare, donated $5,000. Marc Hedlund of Berkeley, founder of the investment company Tenuki Moves LLC and board treasurer of the nonprofits Bike East Bay and Code 2040, donated 5,000. The California YIMBY Victory Fund donated $5,000. Steven Berger of Berkeley, president of the company NYF Properties, inc. donated $5,000.

Large donations to Ken Berrick: Megan Salazar of Richmond, director of advocacy for the Bay Area based nonprofit, Just Advocates which Ken Berrick founded, donated $13,520. Christopher Ciauri of London, England, CEO of the software company Unily, donated $17,500. Betsy Maushardt, unemployed resident of Santa Cruz, donated $10,500. Christopher Seiwald of Alameda, member of the University of San Francisco’s Board of Trustees and investor with the Berkeley Angel Network, donated 5,000.

Large donations to Chris Moore: Quintin Anderson of Redwood City, Chief Operating Officer with Granite River Labs, donated $20,000. Madeline Moore, retired resident of Walnut Creek and relative of Chris Moore, donated $20,000. Philip Dreyfuss of Oakland, partner with Farallon Capital Management, a San Francisco based hedge fund, donated $20,000.

Fred Morse of Piedmont, landlord with Morse Management, donated $15,000 through individual and company donations.

Justin Wallway of Oakland, landlord with JDW Enterprises, donated $10,000.

East Bay Leaders Launch Regional Public Safety Partnership ...

Continued from page 1 city easily.

The leaders plan to meet quarJohnson reported that there were terly to strategize on preventing up to 85 break-ins a day before he and deterring violent and property took over in the area, but after six crimes, and ensuring accountabil- months, the break-ins have reduced ity. Their public safety goals also over 50% to 30 a day, which he acinclude: knowledged is still a fairly high • Leveraging regional consensus for legislative and fiscal advo- number.

The captain also mentioned that cacy • Aligning efforts on strategic the CHP officers that were deployed

by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week data analysis and sharing • Enhancing public communica- will continue to patrol the East Bay tion on crime trends and root twice a week until crime rates stacauses bilize. Newsom’s office announced • Coordination of the use of tech- Wednesday that the deployment nology in crime prevention and operation and temporary surge republic safety sulted in 71 arrests, 145 stolen cars • Aligning public health and berecovered, illegal firearms and havioral health initiatives with drugs seized. public safety strategies Other city officials of the East Oakland City Councilmember Bay joined the announcement of Treva Reid, whose district includes the Hegenberger Corridor, ex- the regional partnership, including plained that this area is a billion dol- Oakland City Councilmember Noel lar avenue with multiple businesses Gallo, who said while the collaboraand the Oakland International Air- tion was a good idea, they needed to port supplementing the revenue of start doing actionable initiatives in the region. the city.

“It’s an area of the city and coun“We have an emergency in this ty that carries the crippling weight city that we need to address. We can of crime and public safety attendo all the policies and talking about tion,” Reid said.

She added that a lot of invest- it, but that’s not gonna change anyments have been made in that area thing,” Gallo said.

Gallo stated that public safety of the East Bay to boost the livelihoods of those residing there, in- should be the number one concern cluding the Rise East $100 million for every city, county, state and private investment to address sys- country, and called for the National temic issues facing Black Oakland- Guard to come to Oakland’s streets ers and the 30,000 jobs created by to handle the rising crime. the African American Sports & “Look what Joe Biden and ConEntertainment Group as they build out plans for the Oakland Coliseum gress are doing. They’re sending $80 billion around the world for sports facility.

Reid stated that Oakland has al- safety, but they can’t take care of ready implemented walking patrols their own neighborhood,” Gallo and invested in more technology to told the Post. catch suspects of crimes, including Gallo is urging governmental highway patrol cameras through bodies at the local, state and fedAlameda County and CalTrans. eral level to take action now instead In regards to the law enforce- of sitting around the table talking ment aspect of the regional partnerabout the same strategies they’ve ship, OPD’s Captain Casey Johnson been discussing for years. He also shared that the Hegenberger and 98th Avenue area has seen signifi- blames the absence of an OPD chief cant rises in burglaries and robber- for over a year as a show that there is ies due to its proximity to the air- a lack of political leadership that is port, which allows for tourists and needed to keep the city under concriminals to travel in and out of the trol.

Black History is American History Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was born in 1913 in Tuskegee Alabama. She as an activist and seamstress, chose to remain seated in the front “whites only” section of a Montgomery, Alabama bus on Dec. 1,1955. Her refusal to move to the rear of the bus was the catalyst of a civil rights movement that was seething from the murder of Emmett Till earlier that year.

Her action led to the selection of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as the spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa sat so many other Blacks could stand up for their rights.

(Graphic Designer Theodore Plair)

postnewsgroup.com

Mayor Thao Addresses Community Concerns ...

Continued from page 1 decrease in homicides during that time, but slowly began to lose its effectiveness in 2019.

In response, Thao requested an audit of the program, which included new recommendations for maximum effectiveness, and now ‘Ceasefire’ has been revived by the city, with possible budget support from Oakland City Council.

Thao further explained that a lot of work and money have been invested in helping reduce crime, including funding six police academies, installing new tech around the city and the recent partnership with Gov. Gavin Newsom to dispatch 120 CHP officers in the East Bay to combat organized crime.

In response to queries about the absence of a police chief for the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and former chief LeRonne Armstrong’s lawsuit against her, she said, “that’s active litigation and I can’t comment on that.” However, she made it clear that she would not consider reinstating Armstrong to his previous role.

With reports of downtown resembling a ghost town due to the departure of many businesses in the last few years, Thao countered that nightlife in Oakland is actually growing, with an addition of 15 new bars that have opened over the past two years.

She blames the media for only reporting on the bad things happening in the city and creating a false narrative for those who don’t venture into downtown at night.

Despite Thao’s claims of booming nightlife, small businesses in Oakland have expressed their frustration with how crime has been handled in the business corridors.

Last fall, this dissatisfaction culminated with a one-day strike over public safety in the city.

Business owners were reportedly disappointed with OPD’s apparent inaction in responding to retail crime right before their eyes, giving them little hope that city officials want them to succeed.

Thao explained that OPD has a ‘No Chase’ policy, meaning they have been instructed to not pursue suspects at the time of a crime because a chase would result in putting more of the public at risk of getting hurt in the crossfire.

In addition to crime, Thao stated that the homelessness crisis is also a top priority in her office. She shared that $200 million has already gone toward building affordable housing and that 50% of the built units will be for the formerly unhoused.

According to recent counts, there are over 5,000 people experiencing homelessness in Oakland, making up half of the unhoused population in all of Alameda County.

Thao’s chief of staff, Leigh Hanson, confirmed that there were “thousands of approved units” already in motion to be built for the administration’s housing initiative.

Thao shared that one of her goals is for cities in the surrounding Bay Area, like San Francisco, to come together and collaborate on issues they’re all experiencing. She wants to create a regional task force center for public safety so that cities can access each other’s resources to handle mutual concerns like crime and homelessness.

“We need each other … It’s not just one person called ‘The Mayor’ that is going to come up with all the solutions,” Thao said.

Inheriting the Mantle: Who Will Carry the Legacy of John George?

John George became the first African American to hold the District 5 seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. He was followed

by Warren Widener and then Keith Carson who decided not to seek re-election in December 2023. File, Facebook and campaign photos respectively.Ogunbanjo, right. ENigeria Newspaper image.

By LV McElhaney

This Black History Month, voters in Alameda County will be deciding which of eight candidates will succeed Supervisor Keith Carson in the District 5 race. Long considered a civil rights seat, this may be the first time in 30 years that there won’t be a Black leader at the helm since John George became the first African American elected to the Board of Supervisors in 1976.

Black political representation in Oakland and Berkeley was spurred by the Black Panther Party’s political organizing which began with the support of Shirley Chisholm’s bid for president in 1972 and an effort to elect Bobby Seale as mayor and Elaine Brown to City Council.

Before helping George, a young Black attorney who had sued Oakland over voter disenfranchisement and to create district elections, win a seat at the all-white Republican Board of Supervisors, the Panther organization was instrumental in electing Oakland’s first Black mayor, Lionel Wilson to office in 1977.

George was succeeded by another African American, Warren Widener, who served three terms from 1989 – 1992. Widener also broke the color barrier when he became the first Black mayor in Berkeley. Widener would become a pioneer in what would become the affordable housing sector when he developed a program to build military housing on vacant land owned by the government working with his classmate, retired Navy Rear Adm. Robert Toney. That program produced more than 3,500 housing units throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and became a model for the nation.

When he sought a third term on the Board of Supervisors, Widener was defeated by newcomer, Keith Carson, a young mentee of Ron Dellums, who was viewed as more progressive than Widener. During his 30 years in office, Supervisor Carson was known as a steady lead-

er who sought to build an inclusive and accessible government.

He created AC Impact, a program that provides permanent supportive housing and services to chronically homeless adults in Alameda County and was instrumental in funding community-based organizations to deliver services for people returning home from prison.

Carson, who was set to run unopposed, decided in December not to seek reelection to the Board of Supervisors. The decision shocked many in the African American community who are concerned that Black leadership is under pressure from neo-progressives and social democrats who pursue policies that threaten Black land and business ownership.

Among the eight competing to succeed Carson are two Black men, Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett, and former Oakland School Board member Greg Hodge. This diverse district includes the cities of Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, and large portions of Oakland, namely the West Oakland, North Oakland, Rockridge, and Montclair neighborhoods, as well as portions of the Dimond, Bella Vista, and San Antonio districts.

Also running are Emeryville Councilmember Jon Bauters, Oakland Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas, and social worker Ken Berrick, who previously served on the Alameda County Board of Education.

L.V. McElhaney served twoterms on the Oakland City Council and was the first Black woman to serve as Oakland Council President. She championed the establishment of the Department of Violence Prevention to channel investments into community-led solutions to eradicate gun-related violence and violence against women and children. McElhaney holds a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley and PhD from Mills College.

Oakland School Board Meeting ...

Continued from page 1 students understand the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the historical context, and the impact on all communities and, in the process, to create an environment in our schools and classrooms that encourages open, respectful, and well-informed discussions on Palestine and Israel, enabling students and staff to build empathy and compassion, and engage in constructive dialogue, where no student or staff member feels singled out for their identity, ethnicity or religious affiliation.”

Board President Davis and Vice President Hutchinson have issued a statement in which they said they spoke for the board, even though they only spoke for themselves.

They supported peace in the Middle East and backed Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza, but at the same time shut down public discussion.

“The board does not intend to take further legislative action at its meetings this year,” their statement said.

Mona Lisa Treviño, a parent activist who works with OUSD Families and Community for Palestine, said the meeting was shut down because the district and several board members ignored democratic norms, refusing to allow a public discussion of the ceasefire resolution to be discussed at a board meeting.

“We went through all the proper steps to get on the agenda,” she said.

“We had four board members who agreed. Still the board president refused to [have it] agendized. To discuss it with the board, we scheduled multiple meetings (with the board leadership), but they cancelled at the last minute.

“Arab students and families are experiencing harassment and bullying in this district from district staff and other students,” continued

Treviño. “Arab staff have been targeted by the district. Some students have been called into the office, where the felt like they were being targeted because of their heritage.”

Lara Kiswani, a member of the local Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), speaking to the board, said she understood that some board leaders were trying to decide whether a discussion of a ceasefire was a legitimate local issue. “It’s not your decision as local policy makers to decide if this is a local issue, your constituents can tell you when it’s a local issue.”

“Your Black students, your Palestinian students, your Muslim students, your Jewish students and allies and teachers, staff, and parents across the district have been begging you to honor and respect them and their lives and their needs, including the lives of children being massacred in Gaza. You have been dismissing that and disrespecting the very simple demand to put it on the agenda and have a discussion.

How do you think you can continue to ignore a community?”

Teacher Gabriel Kahn, who also works with OUSD Families and Community for Palestine, told the Oakland Post he was impressed that so many people came to the board meeting to support the peace resolution on Valentine’s Day, despite the rain.

“This shows that this movement is based on love and there is massive community support in Oakland for a ceasefire resolution,” he said.

“All we’re asking at this point is for people to hear, discuss and [hold a public] vote on this resolution. It’s incredibly disrespectful for the resolution to be ignored for five months in a row.

“The silence (of the board) is a different kind of violence,” he said.

Continued from page 1 of having been reared and educated in the legacy of freedmen continues to run deep in my soul,” Bell said.

“Throughout the San Francisco Bay Area are reminders of my hometown: of micro-cultures or villages amongst and just outside of the urban experience.

Hailing from a small town under Jim Crow and segregated schools left an indelible impact that fueled Bell’s determination to honor ancestral and deep fam-

ily roots steeped in the spirit of freedmen.

“It did not take long, upon arrival in California, for me to realize that the San Francisco Bay Area was a place to pursue a career, invest in educational opportunities, build deep relationships with family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and continue the legacy of my village, my community…a place to call home,” Bell said.

His life motto is: “Keep the Faith and Build a Life of Service.”

Faces Around the Bay ...

(L-R) Del Handy, John Handy, Roger Glenn, and Joe Warner celebrate John Handy Day at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Oakland. Photo

by Lady Bianca.

Oakland Jazz Great Offers Master Class as City Declares “John Handy Day”

By Conway Jones

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city.

Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

“John Handy is a jazz icon and an inspiration to musicians everywhere,” said Ayo Brame, a 16-yearold Oakland tenor saxophone player who is enrolled at the Oakland School for the Arts.

In celebration of this day, the reception in downtown Oakland at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle was a

gathering of artists, young and old, coming together in his honor and celebrating his 91st birthday.

Handy presented a Saxophone Colossus free masterclass for musicians. This class afforded a rare opportunity to learn about the saxophone from an aficionado. The class was free and open to all - saxophonists, vocalists, aficionados, students, and casual listeners.

“As a longtime friend for over 60 years, and fellow musician who has had numerous opportunities to share the stage with John, it has always been a pleasure performing with him and hearing his creative interpretations of the music and his gift of ease inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians,” said Roger Glenn, a multi-instrumentalist.