Oakland Post, week of April 26 - May 2, 2023

Oakland Post

“Where

By Ken Epstein

Several hundred people attended a rally last Sunday on the steps of the Alameda County Court House by Lake Merritt and live on social media to rally in support of newly elected Alameda County District Attorney Price, who already faces blistering establishment attacks for carrying out her campaign pledge to end mass incarceration and to meet the desperate needs of both crime victims and victims of the criminal justice system.

District Attorney Price shared her vision and determination to fulfill the goals of the historic civil rights movement, to work with the community to end violence, support victims of crime and end the institutionalized injustice that plagues criminal justice in Alameda County and this country,

“I stand before you as the first non-appointed, non-anointed district attorney of Alameda County in over 100 years,” said Price, who began her remarks by underscoring her determination by singing one of the anthems of the Civil Rights Movement the 1950s and 1960s, “I Ain’t Going to Let Nobody Turn Me Around.”

Among the speakers were diverse Alameda County residents and leaders who support Price, including Berkeley resident Paola Laverde, a member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, District 15.

“Like the 228,721 people who voted for her in November, I believe she is the right person to be Alameda County’s top prosecutor,” said Laverde, who has worked as a translator for the courts.

“I support Pamela Price because she’s a Black woman who had the audacity … to challenge and stand up against the status quo in Alameda County, where the district attorney has been handpicked by politicians and not by the people (for decades).

“For over 30 years she has fought for the victims of sexual assault and harassment, victims of retaliation, victims of discrimination, regular people like you and me, nurses, doctors, electricians, teachers, office workers, security guards and police officers, working class people, victims of unscrupulous employers and systems that depend on maintaining the status quo,” Laverde continued.

“She is a trailblazer (who) ran a people-powered campaign for district attorney,” she said. “She refused to take money from corporations – she returned the donation from the biggest landlord in Berkeley.”

Norman Birkenstock, who described himself as a senior leader in the Asian American and Philippine-American community, introduced Price.

“I stand beside our minister of justice, Pamela Price,” Birkenstock said. “We stand strong, resolute, unwavering, for social justice, and public safety for all Asian Americans, all African Americans, all Hispanic Americans, (and) for all white Americans.”

Ron Curtis, Oakland firefighter and paramedic for 19 years, focused on some of the attacks on Price.

“All the negative things that have been said about Pamela Price and the negative press have been a lot of lies, a lot of misinformation,” Curtis said. “We’re having a war on injustice, and they’re having a war on us. They’ve been having a war on us for how many past generations. And Pamela Price gets into office for four months, and they’ve already started.”

By Post Staff

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s new vision of justice was inspired by a movement of progressive prosecutors like Boston’s Adam Foss and Chicago’s Kim Foxx.

Foss captured the imagination of millions in a 2016 TED talk, Price said in a recent interview. The second catalyst for Price was the election of Kim Foxx as District Attorney for Cook County in Chicago in 2016.

With major street creds -- raised by a drug addicted mother, surviving the crack epidemic and Chicago police brutality in the Black community -- Foxx brought a new paradigm to the role of district attorney by shifting focus to restorative justice over the white male version of “law and order.”

Price’s vision models Foxx’s,

she says, re-examining positions on money bail, youth incarceration and more.

“The 21st century prosecutor model questions… position on bail reform,” she said. “Do you believe money bail is appropriate or not?

Youth incarceration. Should youth under the age of 18 be incarcerated without the possibility of parole?”

Under the Clinton Administration in the 1990s, Black or Brown youth were criminalized and incarcerated for life, she said, but “as a 21st century prosecutor, we recognize the brain science (regarding) our youth. We recognize they operate on a level totally different from adults.”

Youth are impulsive, easily influenced by their peers, and their ability to make good judgment calls and good decisions is limited,

lost a remarkable man today,” said Lee. “Harry Belafonte was a living legend, transcending racial barriers and making music history while fighting relentlessly for justice. His spirit and our friendship over the years will always be a blessing to me. Rest in Peace & Power, Mr. B.”

Harry Belafonte, Artist and Political Activist, 96

By Wanda Ravernell

Harry Belafonte, singer, actor and, above all, champion for social justice has died. He was 96.

Born in Harlem, N.Y., in 1927 to poor West Indian immigrants, Belafonte catapulted to fame with a rendition of the “Banana Boat Song” in 1956, kicking off the American craze for Caribbean music.

Handsome and charming, Belafonte broke through racial barriers in ways that previous Black performers – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Paul Robeson -- had not. His Calypso album, which included the hits “Day-O,” (aka “The Banana Boat Song”) and “Jamaica Farewell,” topped the Billboard charts upon its release and sold 1 million copies. He eventually became the highest paid Black artist in history, appearing in venues across the country.

Nonetheless, his introduction to show business was as an actor not a singer. He fell in love with theater after seeing a play by the American Negro Theater and took acting classes with contemporaries Marlon Brando and Sidney Poitier garnering starring roles in two films in the early

1950s.

After his success as a singer, Hollywood came calling and Belafonte appeared in several films, one of which, “Island in the Sun” stirred a lot of controversy as it implied a romantic relationship with a white woman, very much a taboo at the time.

Belafonte became a ‘race man’ so to speak when he was encouraged to read the works of W.E.B. DuBois and other Black authors by college educated Black sailors when he was in the Navy in 1944. A Hampton Institute student further introduced him to further literature on Black history and culture. He married her, Marguerite Byrd in 1949.

So, early on, Belafonte determined he would not just ‘shut up and sing.’

He was an admirer of Paul Robeson, a highly regarded athlete, actor and opera singer who was blacklisted because of speaking out on discrimination and support of the Communist Party. It could be said that Robeson was one of the first ‘artivists’ who used his fame and art in social causes. Unlike Robeson, Belafonte’s activism didn’t result in long-

leaders’ commitment to maintaining the HNU campus, including as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU):

By Ken Epstein

Oakland teachers have voted overwhelmingly to conduct an Unfair Labor Practices strike against the Oakland Unified School District. A walkout could come as soon as Monday, May 1.

In an online announcement, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) said 87% of members participated in the strike vote last week, with 88% of them voting in favor of authorizing a walkout.

The union says this action is a last resort after six months of fruitless negotiations with the district.

According to OEA Interim President Ismael “Ish” Armendariz, “OUSD’s bad faith bargaining has been disrespectful to our educators and our community. Oakland educators and our community deserve better.”

Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, OEA second vice president, said, “We’re bargaining for safe, stable, and racially just community schools.

Our proposals for wages are to provide the kind of stability our schools [need] by demanding OUSD pay our entire bargaining unit a living wage. Educators need enough money to be able to stay in Oakland.”

She said union proposals include “using vacant OUSD properties to house unhoused families in our district. We know that students thrive when their schools and their home lives are stable.”

The union also seeks to increase the number of counselors

and psychologists and improve school-site safety.

“We need OUSD to remove the strings from their salary proposals and partner with us to improve student support,” said Taiz-Rancifer.

District officials had asked the state Public Employees Relations Board (PERB) to rule that a strike would not be legal at this time and issue an injunction against it, but PERB refused to stop a strike.

School officials told PERB there is “no compelling state interest that would justify a violation of students’ constitutional rights, especially as this strike activity is based on threadbare allegations of harm.”

Among community leaders in Oakland who are backing the teachers’ union are Cat Brooks, leader of the Anti Police Terror Project, and George Galvis, executive director of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ).

By Ken Epstein

The Board of Trustees of Holy Names University (HNU), which has shown little interest in working with educational institutions or city leaders to maintain the campus a site for higher education, is now telling potential partners that a previously unmentioned deadline for submitting proposals has already passed, as of last Friday.

The trustees had hired a real estate firm to sell the nearly 60acre property in the Oakland Hills

for top dollar to a developer of high-end housing.

But the City of Oakland staff recently told HNU that such a development would violate the city’s general zoning regulations and is not permitted.

Despite opposition of the trustees, many community leaders and city officials are moving forward for an educational future for the campus.

In a statement released this week, Councilmember-at-Large

Rebecca Kaplan reiterated city

“The Holy Names University site can, and should, have an educational future to provide jobs, opportunity, train teachers and others for vital community needs, and preserve the intended purpose of the land, and the funding they have received.

“I am honored to join together with community members, including alumni, students, and faculty of HNU, and many neighbors and others who are worried about the loss of vital educational programs. I am pleased that we have been able to identify the removal of all of the barriers to continued educational use, including verifying that neither the Attorney General, nor the lender, are requiring HNU to select a for-profit buyer, and there are educational users interested in acquiring the property,” she said.

“In addition, given the Oakland general plan (zoning) designation of the site, and the intentions of the donors to Holy Names, it is appropriate to pursue an educational fu-

there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18 postnewsgroup.com 60th Year, No. 17 Weekly Edition.

Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

Pamela Price, shown with Mayor Sheng Thao and former Alameda County School Board Director, Gay Plair Cobb, campaigned on many iissues, including: re-examining cash bail, youth incarceration, victims’ rights, police accountability and services for the formerly incarcerated. Photo by Post Staff.,

COMMENTARY: Financial Illiteracy is Hurting California Students

By Prof. Mark Harris and Tatiana Howell, Special to California Black Media Partners

The issue of young people being unprepared for adulthood is often attributed to a lack of financial literacy.

However, we believe that the root of the problem lies in the fact that many adults in California are themselves financially illiterate and therefore unable to impart this knowledge to the younger generation.

Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) has introduced legislation to address this problem, Assembly Bill (AB) 984. The bill aims to correct this travesty by mandating that instruction on personal finance be integrated into California’s K-12 public schools.

AB 984 has the full support of California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, among many others.

The bill is currently under review in the Assembly Education Committee.

Being financially literate is a crucial skill that everyone should have. It involves understanding and managing personal finances effectively, including skills such as budgeting, saving, investing, managing debt, and comprehending financial products like loans, credit cards, and insurance.

A study conducted by the National Financial Educators Council found that only 24% of American adults have a basic understanding of financial literacy. This lack of knowledge can result in poor financial decisions, leading to debt, and financial instability.

Financial literacy is especially critical for young people. High school students are often ill-prepared to manage their finances

when they enter college or the workforce.

Many students take on student loan debt without fully understanding the long-term implications of their borrowing. This lack of knowledge can have lasting consequences, including difficulty repaying loans, damaged credit scores, and limited access to credit in the future.

As a lecturer on the subject, I have had the opportunity to stay connected with many of my former students through social media after they graduated.

It’s not uncommon for me to offer them comfort when they discover that a salary close to $100,000 doesn’t stretch as far as they anticipated after accounting for taxes and living expenses.

This is without even factoring in the weight of student debt, which cannot be eliminated through bankruptcy and can impact their credit for many years.

Unfortunately, this is a harsh reality that catches many students off guard.

According to a recent study conducted by SmartAsset, a person would need to net over $84,000 in annual salary to live “comfortably” in the San Francisco Bay Area.

They would need to net $80,000 to live in San Diego or Chula Vista, and almost $77,000 to live comfortably in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Those markets would require a person to earn a “pre-tax” annual salary of more than $100,000, which for a recent college graduate, is near impossible.

Financial illiteracy can have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the individual.

When people make uninformed financial decisions, it can have a domino effect on the economy.

For example, during the 2008 financial crisis, many people lost their homes due to subprime mortgages, which were offered almost as freely as candy at Halloween. This triggered a recession that impacted the economy on a larger scale.

For all of these reasons, financial literacy education should be a priority in K-12 schools, community colleges, and universities. And besides the basics, they should be taught how to protect their identity and avoid fraud.

Further, we think that promoting financial literacy education should not be confined to the classroom. Employers can also play a role in educating their employees about managing their finances.

Companies can sponsor financial education programs, including workshops and seminars. Additionally, employers can offer access to financial advisors and other resources to help their employees make informed financial decisions.

We hope the California Legislature will adopt AB 984 and forward it to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature.

AB 984 will go a long way in correcting this pervasive problem.

About the Authors

Mark T. Harris, Esq. is a continuing lecturer, Management and Business Economics at the University of California, Merced.

Tatiana Howell is a junior majoring in Student, Sociology & Management and Business Economics at the University of California, Merced.

Harris served as the Undersecretary for Business, Transportation and Housing under Governor Gray Davis and Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Department of Commerce, under The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton.

McClymonds High School Transforms Library, Creates Learning Haven for Africana Studies

By Carla Thomas

On, Tuesday April 18, McClymonds High School hosted the grand opening for its newly redesigned library, which includes a makerspace, a cafe and the school’s new Africana Center, created in partnership with Merritt College.

The first of its kind in the

College completed the unique Africana Center that houses an original curriculum with four interactive museum-quality learning modules that students engage through visual, touch screen, and e-portfolio lessons about African American history.

The modules for the center were produced by award-winning

Brumfield shared details on the center’s programming.

“The videos will also include Oakland’s rich Black history and current issues like migration and education,” said Brown. She also expressed her passion about Black people connecting to their own culture in the U.S. and Africa.

African masks of wood and

Oakland Unified School District, the library is a model for all high schools as a beautiful and comprehensive space to embolden cooperative learning that reflects and empowers the diverse community and inspires self-exploration through multimodal learning.

The Department of African American Studies at Merritt

filmmakers with an interactive curriculum including content entitled “Classical African Civilizations: Nubia, Mali, The Dogon”; “The Maafa: Slavery and Colonialism of African people”; and “Pan Africanism: WEB DuBois, Marcus Garvey.”

The center’s producer, Dr. Siri Brown, and teacher Jonathan

bronze decorate the center’s walls. An artifact in the shape of the continent of Africa dangled among other textiles from the motherland. Every book in the library from Nat Turner to Jay Z, represented Black culture and African roots.

During the celebration, con-

Continued on page 5

Tatiana Howell and Mark Harris Esq.

Community Celebrates McClymonds High School remodel in West Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

Dr. Allie Whitehurst and Joyce Gordon Gallery owner Joyce Gordon tour the New Africana Center at McClymonds High School in West Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

COMMENTARY: What’s Color Got to Do With It?

By Daktari S. Hicks, PsyD and Brandy M. Fayemi Hicks, PsyM

Old Black people use to say, “You so Black, you been kissed by the Sun.” What does it mean to truly be sun-kissed? Why is it that we tend to feel better just by being in sunlight?

The radiant energy and light of the sun has innumerable healing powers for our spirit, especially for Afro-diasporans, Black folk, and melaninated peoples.

Our Kemetic ancestors worshipped all of nature, but especially the Sun, whom they referred to as “Ra.” The original name for Egypt is “Kemet,” which means “the black land.”

They believed that shining rays of sunlight through colored crystals could penetrate the body and cure various ailments. They even erected temples and painted them specific colors to enhance the colors’ healing properties and to home in on their own specialized powers. For, color could cure, conjure, and restore.

The Ancient Kemites (socalled Egyptians) ascribed to activating aspects/properties to color. The color black (“kem”) in ancient Kemet has been associated with hair, skin color, fertility, new life, regeneration, resurrection of the dead, and the underworld. Our ancestors ascribed growth, new life, regeneration, vegeta-

Black and Green: Environmental Stewards Say Protecting the Planet Involves Race and Equity

By Jaivon Grant California Black Media

April is Earth Month. For African American environmental stewards like California Environmental Voters (CEV) and environmental justice advocates groups around the U.S. like the National Black Environmental Justice Network, it is a time to highlight the tireless work they do year-round, and an occasion to amplify some of the most pressing environmental challenges Black communities face.

Aaron McCall, who coordinates federal advocacy for CEV, believes that the movement to protect the Earth’s environment has been

FOUR SEASONS ARTS Annual Founder’s Concert

Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams

in Tribute to Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, the Founder of Four Seasons Arts

tion, foresight, joy, protection and healing to the color green; chaos, fire, destruction, life and protection to red; heaven/water to blue; sun/perfection to yellow; and sacredness/purity to the color white.

Colors do impact how we feel and how we move through the world. Our African “ancestars” were way ahead of their time in practicing “color therapy” or “chromotherapy.” Chromotherapy recognizes that each color is associated with different bodily/ psychological responses.

Wavelengths and electromagnetic radiations of visible colored light can restore physical, spiritual, and emotional balance. In its most simple form, chromotherapy can be done by using colorful LED lights in the comfort of your abode.

We, as Black people, should know that chromotherapy lighting can be combined with infrared saunas producing the same infrared radiant heat as the sun to penetrate deeply into the body’s skin, tissues, joints, and muscles to provide pain relief, boost the immune system boosting, eliminate dead skin cells, regulate hormones, decrease muscle tension, and increase metabolism.

Using color to heal and restore was our ancient African science. The modern-day use of the color spectrum, when isolated, has

viewed primarily through a whitecentric perspective.

McCall is committed to shifting this paradigm.

By incorporating environmental justice issues into the national and state-level discussions on climate and conservation, McCall believes he can make a difference.

He is also committed to drawing attention to the unique challenges Black and other minorities face as technology rapidly evolves to mitigate the effects of climate change and pollution.

“I really have a passion for environmental issues, specifically because in Oak View, there are a lot of oil rigs and trash refineries. This means the air quality for people living there is a lot lower -- mainly Black and Brown people,” said McCall who is a resident of Costa Mesa in Orange County, but frequently visits Oak View - a coastal city in Ventura County located about 82 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

According to McCall, environmentalists, who are predominately wealthy and white, often overlook the damage inflicted on Black and minority communities.

Also, businesses pollute minority communities while ignoring the negative impact on both people and the environment, justifying their actions by claiming they “are giving Black people jobs.”

“The priorities are mainly rich and white [people], which leads to Black people not being at the table to talk about these issues. So, we are often the first to suffer,” McCall added.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

many benefits.

Bright white full-spectrum light is used to treat alcohol/drug addiction, cancer, eating disorders, and insomnia. Chromotherapy has been found to offset the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a cyclical mood disorder that occurs around the same time each year when there is less sunlight. SAD elicits anxiety, despair, depression, fatigue, hopelessness, and social withdrawal.

Blue-light chromotherapy is used to treat SAD symptoms and non-seasonal depressions. The blue-light treatment promotes serenity, peace, inspiration, and communication and helps to regulate our circadian rhythms (natural biological clocks) during Fall/Winter when we are unable to absorb the amount of sunlight we are used to soaking up in Summer/Spring.

The treatment also helps to suppress the overproduction of melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep cycle.

Below is a list of colors and some of their associated benefits:

• Green: balance, harmony, grounding, relaxation

• Orange: energy, focus, happiness, mental clarity, new ideas, wisdom

• Red: activation, comfort, energy, love, passion

• Violet: divine wisdom,

(D-CA-12), who is running for U.S. Senate to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein, says the effects of climate crisis are evident in California.

“Drought, record heat waves, and wildfires have devastated entire communities. As the United Nations and scientists around the world have made clear, we can still preserve a livable climate for future generations. But that window is closing fast,” Lee said in her Earth Day statement.

“We also must recognize that justice has to be at the heart of our fight against climate change. This crisis is disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities around the world,” Lee added.

McCall says many Black communities remain on the frontlines of environmental pollution.

“There is currently lead in our water. There are kids who have been born that are now in middle school and have never had clean water in their homes,” said McCall. “There needs to be more equity and justice when it comes to investments and corporate accountability.”

Climate change, a result of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, is often perceived as a distant threat. However, evidence shows that the world is already experiencing changes in seasonal temperatures and weather patterns.

For instance, Montebello, a city in Los Angeles with a predominantly minority population, recently experienced its strongest tornado in 40 years. This event forced over 15 businesses to close and likely spread pollutants from nearby waste facilities into the air

imagination, love, relaxation, spiritual growth

• Yellow: energy, happiness, inspiration, optimism, purification

For many, color is a form of communication, whether it be conscious or subconscious. Almost everyone copies Black people’s sense of style and the use of color in dressing up. The colors we adorn our bodies with each day often communicate how we feel about ourselves and/or what we may need for ourselves on any given day.

As Black therapists/restorers, we invite you to reclaim your ancient African understanding of color and to tap into the full spectrum of color and the many benefits it has to offer you. Color and our color do matter.

The Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi-Bay Area) is committed to providing the Post Newspaper readership with monthly discussions about critical issues in Black Mental Health.

The ABPsi-Bay Area is a healing resource and can be contacted at baabpsi@gmail.com. Readers are welcome to join us at our monthly chapter meetings every 3rd Saturday at PranaMind @ 10 a.m.

and water.”

When environmental disasters occur in disadvantaged communities, residents often lack the resources and information necessary to protect themselves and their families.

The solution to this issue is complex. Black environmental advocates often highlight that it is easy for privileged individuals to suggest that others simply relocate without considering their struggles and limitations.

An initiative that has become a national priority — and one of the biggest pushes for California state government — is the transition to electric vehicles.

Black eco-activists argue that while the adoption of zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs) is crucial, in the rush to adapt to them, advocates fail to consider the costs and potential impact on minorities and/or lower-income communities during the transition.

“It’s not as easy as saying ‘buy an electric car to save the environment,’” says McCall. “There are quite a few significant factors to think about, especially for Black folks. Where are we going to charge it? Is the infrastructure in place? What are the limitations of the grid?”

“Black people have been involved in conversations about equity from the very beginning. There are many ways for us to continue to be involved and for our voices to be heard,” added McCall.

Amadi Azikiwe, Violist and Violinist

AMADI AZIKIWE, Violist and Violinist

MIKAEL DARMANIE, Pianist

Saturday, May 13 – 3:00 pm

St. John’s Presbyterian Church; 2727 College Avenue, Berkeley

Program: Beethoven and Blues

Beethoven: Sonata in E flat, Op. 12, No. 3

David Baker: Deliver My Soul

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson: Blue/s Forms

Beethoven: Sonata in A Major, Op. 47 “Kreutzer” THIS

To order tickets, go to: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5566292

Daktari S. Hicks, PsyD & Brandy M. Fayemi, PsyM

McClymonds High School Transforms Library, Creates Learning Haven...

Continued from page 2

By Jaivon Grant California Black Media

Prejudice, loneliness, isolation, rejection by their peers, high rates of bullying, low social integration and learning difficulties are just some of the negative experiences autistic people live through every day, researchers who study autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report.

Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the rate of ASD occurrence is increasing among African Americans across the country—and here in California, too.

tributors to the new space, McClymonds’, faculty, staff, and the community-at-large were honored with the presence of San Francisco Bay View Newspaper Editorin-Chief, J.R. Valrey; education trailblazer, Dr. Allie Whitehurst; and 46-year veteran educator Dr. LuPaulette Taylor.

“We want our students to develop a love for reading and throughout the library students can see people that look like themselves on the cover,” said McClymonds Principal Jeffrey Taylor.

He credited the power of librarians for building the projects momentum especially former District Librarian Amy Cheney and McClymond’s Teacher-Librarian

Leah Jensen. Cheney and Jensen shared their journey of the remodel beginning with fixing the water heater to coordinating dedicated volunteers, parents, and eventually funding to create an environment the youth, school, and community deserve.

Brandon Williams Thomas, a McClymonds senior, recited his poem about being a Black man in America. Williams will attend George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., after graduating and plans to major in electrical engineering.

Oakland muralist Daniel Galvez, painter of the McClymond’s library’s “Mack Town Rising,” mural was on hand as well. The mural arches above the entrance to the new maker-space beside the library, featuring digital art machines, a 3-D printer, and wood carving machines among

other tools.

Maker-space consultant, Jeadi Vilchis proudly provided a tour of the space where Nicole Wells, OUSD project manager, shared the plans through 2028 for McClymonds’ $65 million transformation.

Other attendees included Fredrika Newton, widow of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton and president and cofounder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation; activist-author Oba T’Shaka, and Hip Hop journalist

Davey D who spoke on the importance of libraries with diverse books and the current controversy of banning books in American schools.

Guests dined on hor d’oeuvres of skewered chicken, eggplant, and stuffed eggs in the quaint cafe space accented by walls in warm orange and walnut red.

The cafe space was inspired by a student survey allowing McClymonds’ young adults to express the desire for a space to eat and relax, like Barnes and Noble bookstores.

ASD advocates say those findings are alarming because Black families have historically been excluded, overlooked and underinformed when it comes to receiving resources and services for their loved ones living with the condition.

According to the latest analysis from the CDC, one in every 36 eight-year-old children in the United States has been diagnosed with ASD.

While all previous CDC reports show higher rates of ASD in white children compared to Black or Hispanic children, the latest report shows the opposite.

This is the first year that overall rates of ASD were consistently higher among Black (2.9%), Hispanic (3.2%) and Asian or Pacific Islander (3.3%) children compared to white (2.4%) children.”

According to the Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 1 in 22 (4.5%) children in California are diagnosed with autism. That number is significantly higher—almost double— than those stated in a December report, which stated 1 in 44 Golden State children are autistic.

April is Autism Acceptance Month (AAM). During AAM, especially on World Autism Day on April 2, individuals and organizations around the world educate the public about autism spectrum

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disorder (ASD) and the stigma people living with the neurodevelopmental condition and their families face. ASD is a disability that can inhibit social interactions and make learning difficult, depending on the severity of the autism.

The Autism Society declared the first National Autism Awareness month in 1970. Over the last five decades, advocates have organized fundraisers, walks, public forums and social media conversations to raise public awareness around the neurodevelopmental condition.

Although there are programs across California (and the United States) that try assisting in the destigmatization of autism diagnosis among minority communities, rates among Black Californians are becoming alarmingly worse.

Advocates hope increased awareness will help the people become more sensitive, inclusive, and empathetic to autistic people and the myriad challenges they and their loved ones navigate each day.

Areva Martin, an awardwinning civil rights attorney and special-needs advocate, says that it is common for African American

families to struggle getting accurate diagnoses or early intervention for their children’s ASD.

“The awareness of the racial disparities in families with autistic spectrum disorder is becoming more,” says Martin. “But I would not say that we have seen a vast improvement across the board in the way that African American children are provided a diagnosis, let alone early interventions.”

Martin pointed out that Black families must often hire private attorneys to help them navigate through the services that are supposed to be freely provided to families who have autistic members.

“I have seen and heard many parents with horror stories about trying to access free public services through their children’s schools, but it is a hassle for them because the process can be too bureaucratic,” added Martin.

Black families, historically, have faced numerous obstacles to accessing resources that are easily available to others. This difficulty can be attributed to numerous factors, such as a bias against helping the Black community, challenging environmental circumstances, or

needlessly complicated processes that can prove overwhelming for those who are unaware of where to turn.

This suggests there is an even larger number of Black individuals who have not been diagnosed and/or have never received the necessary services to thrive going forward.

If experts and practitioners agree that an earlier diagnosis leads to more effective interventions, then the process to receiving that diagnosis should not be tedious and discouraging. It is undeniable that when it comes to autism in the Black community, more can be done—and it can be done better.

Janet Jones-Jordan, senior director of Community Inclusion for the organization known as Autism Speaks points out some disparities in access to care and equity of resources.

“The cost of diagnostic tests for autism can be an issue because they cost $4,000 to $6,000, and most private facilities do not accept insurance for those initial tests,” says Jones-Jordan. “Food insecurity can also be a barrier because if families are more concerned about their housing needs and how they’re going to feed their families, healthcare may be delayed to ensure other pertinent needs are addressed.”

Autism Speaks has an Autism Response Team comprised by a trained team of individuals who provide information, referrals and access to no-cost resources and tools for all autism-related needs.

“It’s a fact that more work needs to be done and researchers will need to create better pipelines to gather the data to create sustainable change within the community,” said Jones-Jordan.

This California Black Media report was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

Merritt College Professor Dr. Siri Brown, former District Librarian Amy Cheney, and librarian/teacher Leah Jensen shared how they transformed McClymonds High School Library into an extraordinary haven of learning and belonging. Photo by Carla Thomas.

Image courtesy of California Black Media.

REPORT: Black Families with Autistic Loved Ones Face Greater Challenges in Getting Diagnosis, Care

The Hon. Gwen Moore Legislative Reception Celebrates Black Political and Civil Leadership

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

On April 19, the California African American Chamber of Commerce (CALAACC) hosted the “Honorable Gwen Moore California Legislative Reception.”

The event celebrated the former California state assemblymember with fond memories shared by colleagues, family, and friends. Moore, who passed away in August 2020, served in the California State Assembly from 1978 until 1994.

The reception took place in the ballroom of the Sheraton Grand

Hotel in Sacramento. Former California state Sen. Roderick “Rod” Wright and former California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown discussed Moore’s extraordinary accomplishments in the political arena.

Brown, 89, explained that Moore did not vote for him when he became the first Black Speaker of the State Assembly in 1981. She thought he was punishing her when he assigned her to an Assembly committee that Black lawmakers typically did not serve on.

Brown told the audience his in-

tention was to place Black individuals in non-Black chairmanships. He said during his speakership, he was determined to expand the roles of Black lawmakers beyond traditional committees.

Brown shared that Moore eventually expressed her gratitude to him saying, “I am indebted to you for life. You have just given me the opportunity to do something that no other Black person in the history of California has had the chance to do.”

Wright,70, said he met Moore before she served on the Los Angeles Community College District Board in 1975. He worked on Moore’s campaign for the countywide position.

Like Moore before him, Wright served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce, which oversees telecommunications, electricity, private water corporations, natural gas, and other issues related to exchanging goods and services between businesses.

“It was one of the things that I looked forward to doing. Gwen would say to me, ‘Let me tell you how this committee works,’” Wright said. “Because, unlike everyone before me, I had to chair (the Committee on Utilities and Commerce) in the middle of an energy crisis. Gwen Moore was a true asset to me as a Chair of the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce.” Former California-Hawaii State Conference NAACP Presi-

dent Alice Huffman could not attend the conversation portion of the reception. A statement was read in her absence.

“Gwen was a loyal member of NAACP, serving both on the state’s executive committee for several years as well as on the National Board of the NAACP,” Huffman stated. “She was a loyal and dedicated member and gave her all to each of the boards she served. She embodied the true spirit of loyalty and dedication.”

The reception was attended by former and current lawmakers, business leaders, and members of the California Legislative Black Caucus. The event was hosted by KOVR 13’s Darla Givens and the Rev. Tecoy Porter, senior pastor of Genesis Church Sacramento, provided the invocation.

Timothy Alan Simon, CALAACC’s chair, provided an indepth update of the business chambers’ goals for 2023 and introduced members of his organization and the California Legislature.

CALAACC is the state’s largest Black business chamber organization. Its mission is to “drive economic opportunity and wealth creation for African American businesses, connect and harness the collective strength of our statewide network of member organizations to elevate fiscal health,” according to the group’s website.

Simon highlighted that Moore was the architect and political force behind California General Order

156. This state supplier diversity program helped to strengthen and stabilize many California Blackowned, women-owned and other minority-owned small businesses by assisting them in securing lucrative state contracts.

“In 2022, the total spent under General Order 156 with our California investors’ own utility was $14 billion, 30.1% classified as diverse and 18.44% minority,” Simon said. “African American businesses received close to $2 billion in utilities contracts.”

Sponsors of the two-hour reception included AT&T, California American Water, Sempra, SoCalGas, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs, and Southern California Edison.

CALAACC Government Relations Chair and Rialto Mayor Deborah Robertson and State Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) welcomed guests and speakers on behalf of the organization.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt (10th District) introduced Moore’s family members while praising her accomplishments.

“She fought in the Assembly (and) she fought alongside iconic Speaker Willie Brown, and she also fought for small businesses,” Hutt said. “She was the queen of diversity, and she was the person to think about small businesses and how businesses can do business with other businesses.”

During the reception, a special

award ceremony recognized African American individuals whose ideas, leadership, business acumen, and political advocacy have improved the lives of people in communities across California.

The CALAACC presented the Gwen Moore Legislative Impact Award to Sen. Bradford, representative of the 35th District and Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus; the Outstanding Advocacy Award went to Carolyn Veal-Hunter, partner at Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates; and Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media, received the Aubry Stone Outstanding Business Award.

The Gwen Moore California Legislative Reception Committee members Pat Watts, Ahmad Holmes, Caliph Assagai, Larry Bradshaw, Cheryl Brownlee, Deanna Roberts and Robertson were acknowledged by Simon for their efforts in organizing an event in the name of an influential lawmaker and businesswoman.

“I’m honored to be here, not only because of the achievements of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, but the legacy of Gwen Moore,” Bradford said. “The impact that she had, not only on public utilities, but the Legislature as a whole. The work that Gwen Moore started 30 years ago is still needed today.”

The CALAACC presented the Gwen Moore Outstanding Advocacy Award to Carolyn Veal-Hunter (Partner at Sloat Higgins Jensen and Associates). CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Moderator Fleetwood E. Irving ‘A Living Legend’

It’s a celebration for a legendary pastor who has been in our Bay Area for the last 60 years in ministry. On May 7, 2023, at Second Baptist Church, 5:00PM, our honoree is none other than Dr. Fleetwood E. Irving. Moving forward in his younger years from military service to accepting the Master’s Mandate to preach the Gospel, our honoree has touched an untold number of lives with his prophetic word, his powerful prayers, and his soul stirring singing.

His ministry was afoot when Dr. I. H. Lewis asked Dr. O.P. Smith (Dr. Irving’s pastor) to allow him to assist at Harmony Missionary Baptist Church. Soon thereafter, Dr. Irving was called to the newly organized Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church. Dr. Irving served there for 10 years, increasing the congregation exponentially from 23 to more than 1100 members.

In 1978, the great call came from Second Baptist Church was made to Dr. Irving to the pastorate. The church flourished under his leadership, adding ministries, Evangelistic training, ministry workshops, and a food program

YOU’RE INVITED

that continues to feed hundreds monthly. The membership grew from 200 to 800 within the first two years. During the past 45 years of pastoring Second Baptist Church, he still shared the Word as a revivalist from San Francisco to San Antonio, from Portland to Philadelphia, from Dallas to Chicago, from Phoenix to Houston, and from Oakland to Los Angeles. His recordings of Gospel music (9 CDs) afforded him the opportunity to spread God’s Word through song. He is a household name in Gospel music in the Midwest with many of his songs being in regular rotation in some gospel radio stations in Illinois and Michigan. That talent catapulted him into a

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Stella Nomination for “Healing Hands.” He can be heard at your convenience on his Pandora station - Pastor Fleetwood Irving, radio.

He’s always taken the time to share with and encourage young preachers. Being the Moderator of St. John Missionary Baptist District Association, Inc. since 2013, has given him a platform of availability to and for young preachers.

“Preachers, we must not forget God has trusted the church with a divine opportunity to renew our commitment; to return to our first love; to rekindle our fire and compassion for and align our plan with the Kingdom’s agenda. We must be about moving to a place of effective and creative ministry. We must sanctify ourselves in preparation for all that tomorrow holds. I believe that tomorrow is about opportunity and the demonstration of Heaven’s Best.” These are words shared by our Moderator in our 101st Annual Session of the St. John Missionary Baptist District Association, Inc. “What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? My hallelujah belongs to Him!”

Belafonte’s Movement Activism Motivated Bay Area Leaders

“The world lost a remarkable man today. Harry Belafonte was a living legend, transcending racial barriers & making music history while fighting relentlessly for justice. His spirit and our friendship over the years will always be a blessing to me. Rest in Peace & Power, Mr. B.” — Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Address Factors

Contributing to Spike in Suicide Rates Among Black Men

By Aldon Thomas Stiles California Black Media

@CACommunityColleges @CACommColleges

@californiacommunitycolleges

The Oakland Police Commission Needs You!

We need residents committed to reform to apply to be on the Police Commission. You must be over 18 and live in Oakland, and you can’t be a police officer or City employee. You do not need to have a high school diploma or work history. Formerly incarcerated individuals are encouraged to apply.

The job of Commissioner is rewarding, but It is not an easy one! Are you ready to spend time in meetings, meeting preparation, and committee work? Are you ready to face occasional resistance from City Hall and criticism from the community?

Can you work with people you disagree with? Can you disagree without being disrespectful? Are you ready to be part of public meetings that are recorded and shown on KTOP (the City’s cable station)? Are you willing to learn more? If this sounds like a fit, see below!

To apply, go to www.oaklandca.gov/policecommission. If you don’t have access to the Internet, or if you have any questions, call Selection Panel member Lorelei at (510) 368-5598 between 10:00 am and 8:00 pm, any day. Applications are due May 31, 2023.

Last year, America mourned the tragic suicides of two Black men who were celebrated for their exceptional talents and renowned for their achievements in the entertainment world and their links to Hollywood.

The first was Stephen “tWitch” Boss, a co-executive producer and guest DJ on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. The second was Ian Alexander Jr., who was the son of Academy Award-winning actress Regina King.

Away from national headlines, tens of thousands of families across the United States are grieving over loved ones who took their own lives – with men outnumbering women 4 to 1 as states across the country –including California – report alarming suicide rates every year.

Among Black Americans, suicide is having a unique impact on Black men.

This fact is well-known to Etienne Maurice, the founder and CEO of WalkGood LA, a community wellness-focused organization based in Los Angeles and led by Black and Brown individuals.

“When I was going through my psychosis and I was manic, I did have suicidal thoughts. I never thought I was going to actually commit to doing it, but the thought was scary enough,” Maurice told California Black Media (CBM) at his Black men’s healing circle event in Los Angeles, titled YouGood.

The high-profile suicides deaths of Boss and Alexander and the rising suicide rate among Black men

– while tragic and unsettling – are not surprising to Jamal Averett, an actor and attendee at YouGood, who told CBM many Black men are “screaming inside.”

Data from the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, indicates that the suicide rate for Black individuals in California rose by 31.1% between 2010 and 2019, a substantial increase when compared to other ethnic groups.

What makes this crisis unusual, and alarming is that in a one-year period – between 2019 and 2020, the suicide rates for non-Hispanic white people decreased by 4.5%, while the rate for non-Hispanic Black people increased by 4% according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

“I think in order for us to really get those rates down, we have to build community with other Black men,” Averett said.

YouGood brought in 181 Black men to participate in guided yoga, meditation, journal-ing and exercises designed to encourage expressing their feelings.

One of the goals of the event was to challenge the stigma of emotional vulnerability among Black men.

“Growing up, we’re always taught to hold it in. Just be tough,” Averett said.

The organizers stated that another significant objective of this monthly event is to create a safe and supportive community for Black men, who have been conditioned to exhibit stoicism from a young age, to initiate the process of healing

from the historical and daily traumas they have experienced.

Maurice explained how traumas, left unchecked, can take hold of someone’s life, and spiral out of their control.

“I’d be in bed and be arguing with my mom, because I didn’t want to get out of bed,” Maurice said, sharing memories of interactions with his mother, the actress Sheryl Lee Ralph of “Moesha” and “Abbott Elementary” fame. “And I didn’t know why because I wasn’t that person -- my mom never raised me to be that person, and she didn’t know me to be that person. So, it can be frustrating on all levels.”

Maurice noted that there is evidence that his inability to express his inner turmoil is something that some other Black men who have struggled with suicidal ideation have experienced.

“I didn’t even have a language for mental health. I think what drove me to that point was not having control,” Maurice said.

Rodrego A. Byerly is the president and CEO of EVITARUS, California’s only Black-owned-and-led public opinion and market research firm. He echoed Maurice’s point.

“There are a number of contributing factors I would point to, first and foremost a need for greater education and resources at our fingertips for how to cope with stress in all of its forms in life,” Byerly said.

Shakari Byerly, managing partner and principal researcher at EVITARUS, pointed to racism and social unrest as a potential explanation for this phenomenon.

Mayor Ron Dellums confers with Belafonte on his visit to Oakland.

Photo by Gene Hazzard

Belafonte (center) and Gus Newport (right) visit the Oakland Post and publisher Paul Cobb.

Gay Cobb talks with Belafonte about her civil rights activism as a freedom rider and her participation in the March on Washington for Jobs and Peace.

Right to left: Gus New port and wife Kathryn Kasch with Harry Belafonte. Gus met Harry in 1979 during his first Berkeley fundraiser. As senior activists, they participated in many causes including apartheid, preventing youth violence, voter registration and many other civil rights causes. Photo courtesy Gus Newport

Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Harry Belafonte. Rep. Lee with Belafonte, Julian Bond (far right) and Cornel West (left).

Neighborhood Wellness Foundation, hosting a healing circle in Sacramento, CA. CBM file photo.

Harry Belafonte...

Continued from page 1

term blacklisting.

Belafonte was an early and ardent supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, befriending Martin Luther King, Jr., and spending thousands of dollars to bail out protesters and bequeathed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee more than $40,000 to start its work registering voters in the South in the 1960s.

He appeared on the podium with King at the March on Washington in 1963 and marshalled his fellow actors, singers, and musicians to participate in marches, including cross the Pettus Bridge in 1965.

According to Wikipedia, he later recalled, “Paul Robeson had been my first great formative influence; you might say he gave me my backbone. Martin King was the second; he nourished my soul.”

Although the Civil Rights Movement seemed to sputter after King’s death, Belafonte never stopped supporting and promoting social justice.

He was a frequent critic of U.S. foreign policy, from the Vietnam War to the Iraq War. “I was an activist who became an artist,” Belafonte told PBS in 2011. “I saw theater as a social force, as a political force.”

He was part of the anti-Apartheid movement until its fall in the 1990s and had befriended South African President Nelson Man-

dela. He even joined student protesters in Florida when Trayvon Martin was killed in 2012.

He predicted his long-term devotion to social just and politics in a 1967 CBC interview.

“The reason that I hang around is to make sure, in my old age, if I live to see it, that I’ll be able to say that in my lifetime I did all that I could with what was at my disposal,” Belafonte said. “Because I would hate for my children to look at me and to say, ‘Where were you during the moment of the great decision?’”

Belafonte received innumerable awards: three Grammys, one Emmy, one Oscar and one Tony Award. He was honored by the Kennedy Center in 1989 and received the National Medal of Arts in 1994. He was awarded the NAACP’s highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, in 2013, and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame last year. He was a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF from 1987 until his death.

Belafonte, who died of congestive heart failure at his home in New York City, is survived by his third wife, Pamela, his children Adrienne Belafonte Biesemeyer, Shari Belafonte, Gina Belafonte, David Belafonte, two stepchildren Sarah Frank and Lindsey Frank and eight grandchildren.

Wikipedia, The New York Times, The Guardian and CNN Entertainment were the sources for this report.

See additional photos on page 9...

(Secret) Deadline Has Passed to File Proposals to Save Campus...

Continued from page 1

ture for the site,” Kaplan said.

In an interview, Oakland Post publisher Paul Cobb said, “I have spoken to prospective developers and buyers of the Holy Names Campus. I have noticed that some white developers have been given true financial information while some Black applicants have not.”

“Since HNU leaders have misrepresented the role and advice of the California Attorney General

Pamela Price...

Continued from page 1

The rally was chaired by civil rights attorney Walter Riley, who has a long history of working for justice in Oakland.

“(Pamela Price) has the tenacity, the toughness and the experience to bring equity and justice to a badly broken system,” said Riley.

“She has the mandate to carry out the reforms she has been talking about (and campaigned on), and our community supports that,” he said. “Now, for the first time, we have someone right here (in the district attorney’s office) who we can support and fight for.”

Speaking to the crowd from the courthouse steps, DA Price said she had just returned from a civil rights tour of the South.

“I had the privilege of standing in places, like Montgomery, (Alabama) where the modern civil rights movement for this country was born in 1955. (Today,) there is triumph in Montgomery, just like there is triumph in Alameda County.”

Many Black people in those days died fighting for their rights, but they were not deterred because they understood he vote meant they could change who ran the country, she said. “Just like in November 2022, we knew that if we vote we can change who runs Alameda County.”

Less than a month after the historic March on Washington, where Dr. King spoke of his dream, racists blew up a bomb, murdering four Black children in Birmingham.

She said, there is a lesson in that: “When you show up for freedom and justice, you have to be ready for the backlash.”

She presented some statistics of racial injustice in Alameda County: A Black person in Alameda County is 20 times more likely to be incarcerated than a white person;

50% of the people on probation in the county are Black;

66% of the people in Santa Rita County jail are Black;

86% of juvenile arrests in Al-

DA Pamela Price: A New Vsion of Justice...

Continued from page 1

she observed, “so they’re going to make a lot of mistakes, and in certain situations, deadly mistakes.”

With the old view, prosecutors charged young people as adults. Prosecutors charging youth, especially Black and Brown youth, came with consequences.

In 2016, California voters passed Proposition 57 to stop prosecutors from charging young people as adults. Proposition 57 put prosecutors in check, with the goal that they could no longer abuse their discretion.

Now, Price can charge youth as adults, but it is not her sole discretion: she has to plead her case before a judge.

Another paradigm Price is addressing is accountability for the police. In the past, police got a pass when it came to wrongdoing. With her predecessor, Nancy O’Malley, local police and sheriffs were never charged with anything: no DUI’s, domestic violence, etc.

are proven guilty and they are seriously vetted upon release. “We hold them accountable; we are not letting people walk out without scrutiny or accountability” she said.

“We interview them, and they make a commitment to this office that they will follow the DA’s guidelines. Our No. 1 concern is public safety.”

In Oakland, as many as 70% of the murders go unsolved. “That has nothing to do with my office,” Price said. “That is because the police do not make an arrest.”

Veteran Homicide

Bonta’s office with the disposition of the property and its potential future, I will ask Bonta, the Alameda County District Attorney, and the Oakland City Attorney to jointly investigate the inaccurate marketing of this vital educational institution,” he said.

“Since HNU graduates many of our teachers and health professionals, we must make sure that there is full transparency,” he continued.

“I also recently informed Cardinal Turkson from the Vatican that we plan to save HNU and add a Black College to help serve the area’s needs.”

ameda are Black or Brown children;

• Of those in the county sentenced to life without parole under the age of 21, over 82% are Black.

Price said that when she took over the DA’s office, she found “an organization in chaos.”

“There was no transition plan,” she said. “This is (former DA) Nancy O’Malley’s shame, leaving an organization totally unprepared for change. We entered an environment filled with employees either traumatized or toxic.”

In her first 75 days, Price has put many changes in place.

Her office started with improving victim services. Only 40% of the victims in this county receive services they are entitled to, she said.

Her office is rebuilding “collaborative courts,” providing mental health units. “We listened to the families of the seriously mentally ill for the first time,” she said.

She successfully found places for almost three dozen people with serious mental illnesses, “who were languishing in Santa Rita County jail,” she said.

She created a public accountability bureau with more lawyers, paralegals, and investigators to investigate in-custody deaths, “to enforce the constitutional rights of every resident of alameda county.”

She seeks to reform “racialized justice mechanisms,” establishing new guidelines and procedures for charging, sentencing and plea disposition.

Her office is creating community-based commissions to advise on “how to transform this broken system,” a mental health commission, a re-entry commission, a victimwitness advocacy commission and a gun violence task force.

Concluding her remarks, District Attorney Price said, “I’m not fearing the backlash that they call a recall, because I believe in the engagement and the activism of this community. In Alameda County, we know what democracy looks like.”

For a copy of the report produced by her volunteer transition team, go to https://bit.ly/41II5ld

Sheriff misconduct caused huge problems at Alameda County’s Santa Rita jail, as there was no accountability. Price says, “We are looking at in-custody deaths, in and out of jail. How the Sheriff’s deputies are following procedures in the jail and whether they’re violating people’s rights. In my office there is no double standard.”

Price cites a case where she recently charged Oakland detective Phong Tran with perjury, and now having more than 125 cases reviewed to see if he violated anyone’s rights and caused the DA’s office to convict the wrong person.

Price says, “I think of how many lives are impacted when a person is convicted, not just the person, but their family and community as well. This is a prosecutor’s worst nightmare to convict the wrong person.”

But Price is tough on those who

Police cannot make arrests without enough evidence. That failure to arrest “is the reason people don’t feel safe,” Price explained. “We know that the police are only as good as the information they receive, and people are afraid to come forward. I hope that changes with Acting Chief [Darren] Allison taking all threats as credible and really protect people.”

However, Price said, her office is also doing its part by improving witness services. “We are hiring more victim/witness advocates to look beyond the usual scope.”

Price is also investigating Oakland officer Hector Jimenez who was promoted to homicide detective after killing two unarmed Black men, Andrew MoppinBuckskin and Mack ‘Jody’ Woodfox in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Jimenez got his job back after the City of Oakland paid the Woodfox family $650,000 for his wrongful death.

“My vision of new justice in Alameda County includes a level playing field for all perpetrators, regardless of what side of the law they are on,” Price said.

OPINION: Coalition for Police Accountability Calls Town Hall to Address Oakland’s Commitment to MACRO

addressed by the City Council or MACRO administration.

CPA maintains that the community needs MACRO to be the effective alternative to 911 police response that Oaklanders envisioned and designed. The questions to be answered include: Have our leaders forgotten the community’s vision for MACRO?

The Coalition for Police Accountability (CPA) is calling a virtual Town Hall on Saturday, April 29, 2023, to address concerns that the Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland (MACRO), an alternative to the armed response of police to emergency calls, is not meeting the goals set by the community.

This MACRO town hall is timely as a progress report is due to be made public within the next few weeks and CPA has called the community meeting to address structural problems needed to bring MACRO back to its original mission.

MACRO was envisioned by Oaklanders as an alternative community response for low-level 911 and emergency calls to relieve the Oakland Police Department (OPD) of calls that don’t require an armed response.

The pilot program designed by and for Oakland residents was intended to be an integral part of a public safety system that works for us. MACRO has been operating for over a year with many successful interventions and people have been pleased with their individual interactions with the program.

CPA, along with many other community and religious groups, was key in advocating for MACRO‘s adoption, nevertheless, in important aspects, MACRO is straying from its original purpose.

Significant work went into gathering ideas from the community, and now we feel obligated to see that the community’s vision is not lost. Our concerns have been raised repeatedly, but not

Is there a plan for the parties involved, i.e, OPD, Oakland Fire Department, Oakland City Council, City administration, and the community to have regular collaboration to make MACRO successful?

• What training have MACRO employees received and what is the future training plan?

• Why are only six calls a day sent to MACRO from OPD dispatchers & have dispatchers been trained as to the criteria for appropriate calls?

• Is there an evaluation component to MACRO, and, if so, what is it and what are the criteria used?

• What is the role of the Community Advisory Board and is it transparent and available to community feedback?

• What is the hiring plan, and does it include residents from impacted communities?

Oaklanders support MACRO’s original community design.

Let’s review how to get it back on track with the support needed to survive and enhance the work. We are reaching out to all parties involved to address these concerns.

Please join the MACRO town hall Saturday, April 29, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Zoom!

For more information, please send an email to Oaklandcpainfo@gmail.com.

Register in advance: https://bit.

ly/MACROtownhall

The steering committee for Coalition for Police Accountability is responsible for this commentary.

Detective

Charged with Perjury, Bribery in 2016 Murder Trial

By Kiley Russell

Bay City News

Alameda County District At-

torney Pamela Price on Tuesday announced perjury and bribery charges against an Oakland police homicide detective over his alleged interactions with witnesses in a 2016 murder trial.

Price said Officer Phong Tran is facing two counts of felony perjury for allegedly lying under oath during the 2016 trial and a 2014 preliminary hearing in the killing of Charles Butler.

Tran is also charged with subordination of perjury under oath, bribery of a witness and attempted bribery of a witness, all felonies, according to Price.

“Lying and manipulating a witness are serious violations of the public trust, and Officer Tran will be held accountable,” Price said.

In addition to the charges, Price said her office will work with the Northern California Innocence Project to review at least 125 cases that Tran was involved with as a homicide investigator “to assess the impact of Officer Tran’s misconduct on the justice system,” according to a news release Price sent out Tuesday.

“When the integrity of a conviction is at issue in one case, it raises questions in every other case that officer has investigated,” Price said. “The people of Alameda County need to have confidence in the criminal justice system, and these charges are a step forward toward regaining that trust.”

Price accuses Tran of falsely claiming he didn’t know a key witness in Butler’s 2011 North Oakland shooting death and of sometimes giving her cash payments from his own money.

She also claims that after two men were convicted of Butler’s murder, Tran allegedly admitted he had known the witness and had given her money.

“It turned out that this key witness was not a witness at all and was asked by Officer Tran to testify against the two men,” according to Price.

Tran is also charged with attempted bribery of another witness in the same case, allegedly in exchange for help with her son’s criminal case, according to Price.

In 2022, after 10 years behind bars, both men’s convictions were overturned “as a direct result of Officer Tran’s misconduct,” Price said.

Oakland police officials directed all questions to the District Attorney’s Office but released a statement saying they are aware of his charges.

“The Oakland Police Department was made aware that an arrest warrant was issued for one of

our officers,” police said. “The department is fully cooperating with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.”

Tran’s lawyer said the charges against his client are baseless and worrisome.

“The DA treats murderers like heroes, looking for every possible excuse to keep them out of jail.

Yet, real heroes such as Oakland Homicide Detective Tran -- who has dedicated and risked his life to try to keep the city safe -- are treated like criminals,” attorney Andrew Ganz said in a statement.

“He is being prosecuted for having the audacity to investigate, arrest and bring to justice the killers who terrorize Oakland. These charges are baseless and should gravely concern every Alameda County resident that desires a truly equitable criminal justice system,” Ganz said.

Tran’s union, the Oakland Police Officers’ Association, said previous investigations by police and the District Attorney’s Office have already cleared the veteran detective.

“We are confident that this officer will be vindicated once a competent court reviews these unfounded charges,” said OPOA president Barry Donelan.

“This case is not about seeking justice or ensuring public safety; rather, it appears to be an attempt by District Attorney Pamela Price to undermine the credibility of dedicated public servants and facilitate the release of convicted murderers,” Donelan said. “Such actions will undoubtedly jeopardize the safety of Oakland and Alameda County residents.”

Butler was shot and killed in his car on Dec. 22, 2011 near 46th and West streets but it wasn’t until a woman came forward in 2013 saying she was a witness that Cartier Hunter of Oakland and Giovante Douglas of Richmond were arrested for his murder.

Security camera footage played at trial showed the three men interacting, possibly arguing over a fender bender, a short distance from the crime scene but there was no footage of the killing itself.

Both men were eventually convicted with the help of witness testimony, with Hunter getting 50 years to life in prison and Douglas sentenced to 26 years to life.

During the trial, defense attorneys said there were problems with the way the police investigated the case and that the prosecution witnesses who identified Hunter and Douglas as the suspects weren’t credible or accurate.

After their convictions were overturned, Hunter and Douglas were released from prison in 2022.

Officer Phong Tran. Photo: Oakland Police Department

DA