Vote Kamala Harris, President
Adam Schiff, U.S. Senate Lateefah Simon, Congress
Vote ‘NO’ on Mayoral Recall and D.A. Recall
(See page 16 for Voter Guide)
Oakland Post
“Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18 postnewsgroup.com Weekly Edition. October 30 - November 5, 2024
Says Homicides Fell By 33% and Violent Crime By 19% in 2024
‘Yet some media refuse to report it because it doesn’t fit their Oakland script,’ says Paul Cobb
By Ken Epstein
Oakland has seen a “huge drop” in the numbers of homicides and violent crimes, including aggravated assaults, rapes, and robberies, according to journalists reporting on a new police report.
The Oakland Police Department’s most recent crime report
indicates that homicides in Oakland are down by 33% compared with the same time last year. Throughout Oakland, 67 homicides occurred so far this year, while at the same point in 2023, there were 100 homicides.
The number of violent crimes has declined by 19% in the city in 2024 compared with same time last year.
“This is not an accident,” said Mayor Sheng Thao, quoted in Oaklandside, speaking at a press conference. “This is by design. We have reversed a four-year trend of higher crime and more homicides.”
Local reporters point to the magnitude of the decline in crime.
Jaime Omar Yassin, a popular independent online reporter published as the Oakland Observer, wrote on X: “Going into (the) election, Oakland hasn’t had a murder in three weeks, only one
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Reflects on Historic Moment Less Than One Week from Election Day
Special to The Post
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) today released a piece on Medium reflecting on Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic presidential campaign 50 years after Lee worked on the presidential campaign of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm:
“As Election Day approaches, I’m reflecting on a few dates and numbers that mean something to me.
Zero: the number of Black members in Congress 56 years ago. Next Congress, we hope to swear in over
60 members in the Congressional Black Caucus.
Three: The number of Black women to ever serve in the United States Senate since the first Congress in 1789.
Two: The number of Black women that will be elected to the Senate this year alone if we do our job.
1972: The first time a Black woman, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, ran for president in one of the major political parties of the United States.
Zero: the number of Black wom-
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s Open Letter to Philip Dreyfuss, Recall Election’s Primary Funder
Special to the Post
Publishers note: Oaklanders Defending Democracy, a group opposing the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, shared an open letter she wrote to Philip Dreyfuss of Farallon Capital, a coal hedge fund.
According to Thao’s supporters, “Dreyfuss is the primary funder of the recall effort to remove her from office.
He has not explained his motivations or answered one question about why he's funding the recall or what his agenda is for Oakland.
“All we know about him is his firm has invested over $2 billion in coal since 2022. Farallon Capital is a global hedge fund with $39 billion capital under management, headquartered in San
Francisco, the supporters say. The effort to recall Mayor Sheng Thao was built on top of an argument about a crime wave, pinning the blame for it on a newly elected mayor. Now that crime has dropped massively, recall proponents are left with no compelling argument.
Oct. 30
Dear Philip Dreyfuss, We haven’t met. As you know, I’m the Mayor of Oakland, elected in 2022 to serve and protect this city. Since stepping into office, I’ve tackled rising crime, homelessness, and budget challenges head-on, working tirelessly for Oakland’s future.
You are a hedge-fund manager
ganizations, investment funds, and purpose trusts.
Working in the D.A.’s new administration since 2023, Kassan was most recently assigned to the Organized Retail Theft Prosecution team.
Kassan has a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She received a National Science Foundation Fellowship from Yale Law School, and graduated from Yale Law School in 1995. She earned her B.A. in Psychology with a minor emphasis in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley.
Oakland Students Reflect on Their Journey Voting for the First Time in Local Elections
Special to The Post
On Monday, District Attorney Pamela Price announced Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Kassan as the new director of the Community Support Bureau.
Kassan has over 25 years of experience as an attorney and advisor for mission-driven enterprises including benefit corporations, lowprofit limited liability companies, nonprofits, cooperatives, hybrid or-
Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain LongTerm Solutions Addressing Homelessness Pamela Price Appoints Deputy D.A. Jennifer Kassan as New Director of Community Support Bureau
By Post Staff
Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.
This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent
Kassan’s education, extensive legal background, list of notable accomplishments and impressive resume includes helping to found and lead multiple organizations to support community wealth building including: Community Ventures, a nonprofit organization that promotes locally-based community economic development,
• the Sustainable Economies Law Center, a nonprofit that provides legal information, training, and representation to support sustainable economies
• the Force for Good Fund, a nonprofit impact investment fund
• Crowdfund Main Street, a licensed portal for regulation crowdfunding
• Opportunity Main Street, a
By
In less than a week, Oakland students will have crossed the final step in their five-year journey to voting in local school board elections. The energy that the teens have had over the last year has been “nothing short of exciting,” many have said.
In 2020, the measure that allowed youth voting, Measure QQ, passed with 68% of the vote but was delayed for four years at the
county level while the Alameda Registrar of Voters figured out a plan to implement the right voting software that recognized teen voters. Students wanted a voice in district decisions that directly impacted them, such as school closures, which was what prompted the fight for teen voting.
Other problems that students raised concerns with involved
D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case
housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy. By Conway Jones
Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial
The San Francisco Foundation celebrated the 76th anniversary of its founding in1964 on Thursday, Oct. 24, at The Pearl in San Francisco.
Over 150 people came together with members of the SFF community whose intent was to fulfill the promise of the Bay: democracy, racial equity, affordable housing, and more.
A fireside chat featured SFF CEO Fred Blackwell, in conversation with KQED Chief Content Officer and SFF Trustee Holly Kernan.
including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully completed and received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Justice to combat organized retail theft. Price added another $2 million to bolster the Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA)
Special to The Post
District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on Oct. 30, in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/ Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023. Radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers were indicted by the Alameda County criminal Grand Jury in June 2024.
Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the Radius Recycling/ Schnitzer Steel defendants in court for causing delays in the prosecu-
tion of this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.
The court made it clear that the defendants will not receive any more extensions on their arraignment and plea.
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team expressed appreciation to the court for making it clear that future delays by Radius will not be
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: the past couple years have been tough. From uncertainty about the future of our nation, to ongoing wars and violence globally, to Supreme Court decisions that rolled back decades of work on racial equity and reproductive rights – it’s easy to become cynical and fatigued,” said Blackwell.
“Resolve is what is necessary to keep us moving forward in the face of attacks on DEI and affirmative action, of an economy that undervalues arts and caretaking, of a housing shortage that keeps too many of our neighbors sleeping in the streets,” he continued.
Poetry was provided by
Youth Speaks, and a musical performance by Audiopharmacy, a world-renowned hip-hop ensemble and cultural community arts collective.
The San Francisco Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the United States. Its mission is to mobilize community leaders, nonprofits, government agencies, and donors to advance racial equity,
Oakland Youth Vote signage encouraging students to register to vote in the local school board director races. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee. File photo.
Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.
Alameda County Deputy District
Jennifer Kassan. Courtesy photo.
Alameda County Court House.
Courtesy photo.
by Conway Jones.
Magaly Muñoz
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
California Attorney General
Rob Bonta emphasized the critical need to protect the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), mandating that hospitals provide emergency care to all patients regardless of their ability to pay.
In a recent statement, Bonta highlighted the potential threats to this essential legislation amid ongoing discussions about healthcare accessibility in the U.S.
“EMTALA ensures that no one is denied access to emergency medical care, including abortion care, and this federal law is more imperative than ever following the overturn of Roe v. Wade,” said Bonta.
The attorney general highlighted that EMTALA is vital for ensuring that no individual is turned away from emergency services based on financial status or insurance coverage. Bonta stated that the law has been a cornerstone of emergency healthcare for decades, providing peace of mind to millions of Americans who might otherwise hesitate to seek urgent medical attention due to cost concerns.
This decision to support the
federal government’s case comes at a time when many healthcare providers are facing pressure from rising costs and legislative changes that could undermine existing protections. Bonta called on lawmakers to reinforce EMTALA’s provisions and to combat any efforts aimed at weakening the act, asserting that equitable access to emergency care is a fundamental right.
He urged both state and federal governments to ensure that all Americans, particularly marginalized communities, have the necessary access to emergency services without fear of financial repercussions. The brief indicates the coalition’s commitment to healthcare equity, emphasizing that maintaining strong protections under EMTALA is crucial for safeguarding public health.
“People have no idea what the vision is for the next district attorney, or where the office will go if I am, in fact, recalled,” she continued. “I’m just running against a billionaire” who does not show his face in public, she said. Courtesy photo.
‘Criminal Justice Reform Is the Signature Civil Rights Issue of Our Time,’ says D.A. Pamela Price
By Ken Epstein Part Two
District Attorney Pamela Price, facing a recall that began before she took office in January 2023, explained in an exclusive interview with the Oakland Post how she came to dedicate her life to transforming a deeply flawed criminal justice system into one that provides equal justice and public safety for all and ends mass incarceration for African Americans and other working-class people.
about trauma and fortunately survived all of that, and as a survivor learned some important lessons, and I brought all of that with me into the law and have been able to become a civil rights attorney in Alameda County,” she said.
“That’s been the joy of my life; I’ve lived every lawyer’s dream,” she said.
“Years ago, when I first decided to run for district attorney, I realized that mass incarceration was so destabilizing to our communities,” she said.
that actually make our communities worth living in.”
Speaking about the destructive impact of mass incarceration,
Price asked people to consider “how many children have incarcerated parents, where the practice has always been to isolate and eliminate connections between people who are incarcerated and their children and their families and the community. So, when we bring people home, they have no more connection.”
of mass incarceration, when there was an explosion of prison construction in California.
“Prosecutors like my predecessor were the ones who filled (those prisons) up. She became a leader in the office around 1990. And what is very important for the public to know is that prior to becoming the district attorney in 2009, she was the chief assistant district attorney for 10 years under Tom Orloff.
“O’Malley worked very closely, hand-in-hand with him for the period of time that included the illegal conduct or the unconstitutional exclusion of Jewish people and Black people from death penalty juries.”
Commenting on the recall campaign against her, she said that had not a handful of multimillionaires and billionaires “put millions of dollars into this, we would not be having this recall. It is not a grassroots movement. It’s a platinum movement.”
“People have no idea what the vision is for the next district attorney, or where the office will go if I am, in fact, recalled,” she continued. “I’m just running against a billionaire” who does not show his face in public, she said.
She summarized her life experiences as someone who was “traumatized and radicalized” by Dr. King’s murder, joining the Civil Rights Movement full force, getting arrested when she was 13 years old in a civil rights demonstration, being tracked into the juvenile justice and the foster care systems, and making it as a foster kid from the streets of Cincinnati to Yale College.”
“I’ve been saved and guided by (a) higher power since I was 13 years old. So, I’m not a new person to faith, and I’m grounded in that,” she said. Atty Gen
As discussions around healthcare policy continue, Bonta remains steadfast in promoting initiatives that protect emergency care access, asserting that everyone deserves timely and appropriate medical treatment in emergencies. His efforts align with ongoing legal and advocacy battles to preserve the rights established by EMTALA in the face of evolving healthcare challenges.
“I understand a lot of things about struggle, about sacrifice,
LeRonne Armstrong
She saw that the “criminal justice system has so many impacts on our community, the safety of our community, the stability of our community, the growth of our community, the direction of our community.”
“As long as our criminal justice system is stuck in the mentality and the practices of the 1950s … our society is going to be mired in discord, and we will not have social justice, racial justice, economic justice, none of the things
It is crucial to address the needs of “young people in the juvenile justice system when they are more likely and able to be rehabilitated and redirected,” she said. Young people are much more able to be rehabilitated before the age of 18, really before the age of 26, and before they end up in an adult prison.
D.A. Price’s predecessor Nancy O’ Malley joined the D.A.’s office in 1984, where she remained for 39 years. She was promoted to a leadership position after just six years in the office during the era
If they successfully paint Oakland as a failed city, then hedge fund billionaires and real estate developers can come in and buy up the property cheap, she said. Though D.A. Price has been bombarded by a massive tsunami of lies, slanders, and misrepresentation, she remains strong and positive because she is a woman of faith, she said.
Adult Day Program
Dedicated staff needed to work with individuals with developmental disabilities in communitybased settings, or environments. Qualifications: High school or equivalent. Driver’s license. Dependable and efficient. Background check. Physical exam and TB test. Training available. Decent wages. Please call (510) 690-9570.
Brown University Professor and Media Artist Tony Cokes Among MacArthur Awardees
Special to The Post
When grants were announced earlier this month, it was noted that seven of the 22 fellows were African American. Among them are scholars, visual and media artists a poet/writer, historian, and dancer/choreographer who each receive $800,000 over a five-year period to spend as they see fit. Their names are Ruha Benjamin, Jericho Brown, Tony Cokes, Jennifer L. Morgan, Ebony G. Patterson, Shamel Pitts, Jason Reynolds, and Dorothy Roberts. This is the third in the series highlighting the Black awardees. The report below is excerpted from the MacArthur Fellows web site.
Tony Cokes, 68, is a media artist creating video works that recontextualize historical and cultural moments. Cokes’s signature style is deceptively simple: changing frames of text against backgrounds of solid bright colors or images, accompa-
nied by musical soundtracks.
Cokes was born in Richmond, Va., and received a BA in creative writing and photography from Goddard College in 1979 and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1985. He joined the faculty of Brown University in 1993 and is currently a professor in the Department of Modern Culture and Media.
According to Wikipedia, Cokes and Renee Cox, and Fo Wilson, created the Negro Art Collective (NAC) in 1995 to fight cultural misrepresentations about Black Americans.
His work has been exhibited at national and international venues, including Haus Der Kunst and Kunstverein (Munich); Dia Bridgehampton (New York); Memorial Art Gallery University of Rochester; MACRO Contemporary Art Museum (Rome); and the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts (Harvard University), among others.
Like a DJ, he samples and recombines textual, musical, and visual fragments. His source materials include found film footage, pop music, journalism, philosophy texts, and social media. The unexpected juxtapositions in his works highlight the ways in which dominant narratives emerging from our oversaturated media environments
reinforce existing power structures. In his early video piece Black Celebration (A Rebellion Against the Commodity) (1988), Cokes reconsiders the uprisings that took place in Black neighborhoods in Los Angeles, Detroit, Newark, and Boston in the 1960s.
He combines documentary footage of the upheavals with samples of texts by the cultural theorist Guy Debord, the artist Barbara Kruger, and the musicians Mor-
risey and Martin Gore (of Depeche Mode).
Music from industrial rock band Skinny Puppy accompanies the imagery. In this new context, the scenes of unrest take on new possibilities of meaning: the so-called race riots are recast as the frustrated responses of communities that endure poverty perpetuated by structural racism. In his later and ongoing “Evil” series, Cokes responds to the rhetoric of the Bush administration’s “War on Terror.”
Evil.16 (Torture.Musik) (2009–11) features snippets of text from a 2005 article on advanced torture techniques. The text flashes on screens to the rhythm of songs that were used by U.S. troops as a form of torture.
The soundtrack includes Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Britney Spears’s “… Baby One More Time,” songs known to have been played to detainees at deafening decibel levels and on repeated loops. The dissonance between the instantly recognizable, frivolous music and horrifying accounts of
torture underscores the ideological tensions within contemporary pop culture.
More recently, in a 2020 work entitled HS LST WRDS, Cokes uses his pared-down aesthetic to examine the current discourse on police violence against Black and Brown individuals. The piece is constructed around the final words of Elijah McClain, who was killed in the custody of Colorado police. Cokes transcribes McClain’s last utterances without vowels and sets them against a monochromatic ground. As in many of Cokes’s works, the text is more than language conveying information and becomes a visualization of terrifying breathlessness. Through his unique melding of artistic practice and media analysis, Cokes shows the discordant ways media color our understanding and demonstrates the artist’s power to bring clarity and nuance to how we see events, people, and histories.
Tomisha Wilson and Alie Jones building an at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater in honor of Nia Wilson, who was slain at the MacArthur BART station in 2018. Courtesy photo. Barbara Lee says
Makes Urgent Repairs In Our Local Public Schools
Updates Technology in Classrooms
Invests in Career & Vocational Tech Programs
All funds go to local schools without raising taxes
Every day, children are exposed to dangers like mold, lead pipes and leaky roofs. Prop 2 will help local schools make these vital repairs without raising taxes. 38% of California’s children attend local public schools that do not meet the minimum standards.
Proposition 2 will provide needed funding to ensure safe drinking water, support the removal of mold and asbestos and retrofit schools for earthquakes and natural disasters. ”
Tony Thurmond SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Photos from a California School
Controller Malia Cohen
Convenes Auditors from Counties Across California
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
California State Controller
Malia Cohen welcomed auditors
from across the state for the 79th Annual County Auditors Conference, a three-day event and award ceremony hosted in Santa Cruz.
The state controller honored the award recipients by celebrating their excellence in producing accurate financial data.
The conference focused on key issues related to county financial management and reporting. This annual event is mandated by Gov-
NAACP CaliforniaHawaii State Convention ... Continued from page 4
and community advocacy.
Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (DCA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on educa-
ernment Code 12422, which requires the State Controller to convene county auditors at least once a year. The conference served as a platform to discuss county budget procedures, financial transaction reporting, and property tax revenue allocation, promoting consistency in the duties of county auditors statewide.
In her opening remarks, Cohen emphasized the significance of collaboration between her office and the county auditors.
“I want to congratulate all of the counties receiving today’s
tion equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.
Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assembly member Mike Davis for his work in community activism, while actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.
The convention also offered practical workshops, including
County Financial Transactions Reporting award,” stated Cohen. “Your county’s diligence in reporting is critical for my office to produce accurate local government financial data, which is of vital importance to policymakers, researchers, and constituents throughout California. Thank you for your contribution to the quality and transparency of public finances.”
Cohen also moderated a panel discussion featuring Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and Department of Finance Director Joe Stephenshaw. The panel addressed critical topics such as the upcoming state budget, technological advancements, and anticipated fiscal challenges for local governments in the coming fiscal year.
In addition, Cohen recognized counties that received the California State Controller Financial Transaction Reporting Award, highlighting the importance of accurate and timely financial reporting.
More than 40 counties won the coveted Financial Transaction Reporting Award, celebrating their commitment to excellence in financial management. Counties that won an award include Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.
“What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provide background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.
Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.
‘I am proud to add my voice of support to Len Raphael’s candidacy for
District 1 City Council’
— Loren Taylor, Former Oakland City Councilmember
‘I am proud to add my voice of support to Len Raphael’s candidacy for District 1 City Council. His financial acumen and expertise as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) are exactly what Oakland needs as we face a $240M+ structural budget deficit and teeter on the edge of fiscal insolvency.
The way he is running his campaign, connecting with District 1 residents, and presenting well-researched/ thought-out policy solutions convinces me of his readiness to serve Oakland at this critical time.
While I value candidate Zac Unger’s lifetime of service to Oakland as a firefighter, for this critical moment we need a certified professional who can navigate us through Oakland’s biggest existential threats - The financial crisis in City Hall. Len’s recent endorsement by the East Bay Times only reinforces his readiness to lead.
— Loren Taylor, Former Oakland City Councilmember”
My opponent, the president of the Firefighters’ union, worked to get Mayor Thao elected by raising money, canvassing, and endorsing her. She endorses him.
He opposes her recall.
I’m one of the organizers of the recall.
www.LensForChange.com
California State Controller Malia Cohen. File photo.
“He
By Dr. Jennifer Tran
It’s
in
and unintended consequences. It is, in fact, a lesson in the tragic comedy of American politics, where grand gestures replace practical solutions, and the impulsive dreams of selfserving politicians only succeed in plunging cities into chaos. And the communities that were supposed to benefit from these reforms? They’re the ones paying the steepest price.
To understand how we got here, let’s rewind the tape to 2013, when the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement emerged in response to horrific instances of police brutality. The deaths of Black men and women at the hands of law enforcement rightly shocked the public, and for once, there was a reckoning with the systemic inequities that had long plagued the American criminal justice system. It wasn’t just theory anymore, buried in the pages of university texts. Viral videos of police brutality turned those academic arguments into raw, painful reality for millions. People were outraged, and rightly so. We demanded change.
Then came 2016, when Oakland’s Anti-Police Terror Project decided the solution to police violence was to cut the police budget by 50%. In a utopia where crime doesn’t exist, maybe that could work. But on the streets of America, where real people face real threats, the idea was nothing short of delu-
Slogans Over Solutions: The Real Cost of Defunding the Police
sional. The group, bankrolled by millions from the Akonadi Foundation and its president Lateefah Simon, pushed to slash Oakland’s police budget in half and divert the funds to social services. Sounds noble in theory. A better society, they promised, lay just beyond the horizon—one where cops were obsolete and violence simply evaporated once social workers entered the scene. But there’s a reason serious policy experts dismissed this as fringe from the start—it was.
And then, the murder of George Floyd in 2020 gave this once-fringe movement a national megaphone.
“Defund the Police” became the rallying cry for protests that swept across the country. City councils from Oakland to New York City fell over themselves to slash police budgets in response to activist pressure. Progressive politicians saw an opportunity to appease their activist base by passing “bold” policies, irrespective of the practical consequences.
But herein lies the rub. Defunding the police is not a policy—it’s a moral pose, an empty chant masquerading as a solution. What exactly did anyone think would happen when cities with already strained police forces began gutting their budgets? Did they think crime would simply cease? That communities terrorized by violence would find comfort in knowing that more mental health workers were on call while fewer officers patrolled their neighborhoods?
The reality struck like a hammer. When police officers, demoralized by public scorn and abandoned by their city leaders, began resigning in droves, crime spiked.
Homicides, carjackings, and robberies surged in cities like Oakland, while the communities that supposedly stood to benefit from defunding were left more vulnerable than ever. In fact, it became clear that the only people who thrived in this brave new world were the criminals.
What’s worse, the political damage was catastrophic. Not only did the Defund movement fail to deliver on its promises, but it handed Republicans a golden opportunity to paint Democrats as reckless and soft on crime. In the 2020 elections, the backlash was evident as Democrats struggled to shake off the taint of these disastrous policies. What could have been a serious conversation about police reform—about how to make law enforcement both effective and accountable—was hi-
tired of being vilified, left the force altogether. And now, the city is struggling to recruit replacements while crime rates continue to climb.
But rather than learn from failure, the Defund movement doubled down. When reducing police numbers didn’t deliver the utopia they’d promised, they shifted their focus to local district attorneys, funding campaigns for candidates who promised to stop prosecuting crimes altogether. The result? A crime wave unlike anything we’ve seen in years. Retail theft, carjackings, burglaries—if there’s a crime to commit, it’s being committed in cities where these “progressive” prosecutors are in charge.
jacked by the extremists who would rather tear it all down.
Let’s be blunt: Defund the Police is not just a failure—it’s a farce. Consider Oakland’s much-hyped MACRO program, designed to respond to 911 calls without armed officers. In theory, it was supposed to lighten the police’s load and ensure that non-violent incidents were handled by social workers. In practice, it’s a bureaucratic disaster. Nearly all of its service recipients are homeless, and a mere 6% of calls result in meaningful help. The cost to taxpayers? Nearly $3,000 per referral.
Meanwhile, Oakland’s police force remains understaffed, overburdened, and demoralized. Despite budget reversals in 2022, the damage was done. Many officers,
And in Oakland, the epicenter of this failed experiment, District Attorney Pamela Price is now facing a recall. Why? Because the voters who once supported her are now living with the consequences of her policies. They know what happens when ideology collides with reality—and reality always wins.
Yet despite all of this, the architects of this movement are still trying to sell us their snake oil. Lateefah Simon, the financier and architect behind the entire movement to Defund the Police, is now running for Congress. Backed by the same billionaire funders who helped launch the Defund debacle, she’s hoping to take her failed ideas to Washington, D.C. And if we’re not careful, she just might succeed.
But there is a better way. I support a new and bold piece of legislation called the Modern Cities Act, which offers a sensible alternative. Instead of gutting the police, we need to invest in police departments
to reform them. Under this plan, we can have both public safety and justice. This approach recognizes that we need mental health services, housing solutions, and job programs to address the root causes of crime, but we also know that without police, those programs won’t have a chance to succeed. Reforming police practices doesn’t mean getting rid of police—it means holding them accountable while making sure they have the resources and training to protect our communities while never endangering community members.
The truth is, we don’t need fewer cops. We need better cops. We need training, transparency, and yes, accountability. But the notion that we can simply defund the police into oblivion and expect society to flourish is not just naive—it’s dangerous. We should be questioning the judgment of any politician who ever supported this harmful experiment, and they should never be allowed in public office again.
So the next time someone tells you that defunding the police is the path to progress, ask them this: who’s going to keep your family safe when the police are gone? And then ask them if they’ve learned anything from Oakland. Because the rest of us certainly have.
Dr. Jennifer Tran is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at California State University. She is also the President of the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, and Democratic Party candidate for US Congress in Oakland’s District 12. This article was sponsored by the campaign of Dr. Jennifer Tran for Congress.
Dr. Jennifer Tran is a Professor of Ethnic Studies at California State University. She is also the President of the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, and Democratic Party candidate for US Congress in Oakland’s District 12.
By Emil Guillermo
Kamala Harris gave her closing argument on the DC Ellipse, the same place Donald Trump urged his followers to commit an act of insurrection.
Harris didn’t have to mention Jan. 6, but everyone knows the significance of the date.
That’s when Donald Trump showed Americans how little he cares about the country and our democracy when he stood back and watched the violence he instigated unfold. Six people, including one police officer died that day. About 174 police were among the injured. Trump dishonored the presidency and doesn’t deserve your vote.
At the Ellipse, Harris once again talked about how Trump has an “enemies list” and how she, in service to all voters, has a “to do list.”
Do your own comparison list, Harris vs. Trump. Check it twice.
Here’s mine:
She’s from middle class Oakland. He’s from Silver Spoon, New York.
She’s a prosecutor. He’s a convicted felon, 34 counts.
She’s been a DA, AG, U.S. Senator, and Vice President, more than qualified to lead our country. He was the unqualified winner of the presidency in 2016, and has been deemed by historians as the worst, most ill-informed and stupidest president in U.S. history.
She has received the endorsement of the president she hopes to replace. He has the majority of his top aides, including his former
vice president voting against him.
She is advocating a bipartisan approach to immigration and border issues. He wants to empower ICE to round up all undocumented persons and put them in camps.
She wants to work with Republicans and those who may disagree with her. He wants to use the military to round up those who disagree with him, a.k.a. “the enemy within.”
The most shocking point for me? Kamala Harris, of course, is not a fascist nor would be dictator. Trump says he’d be a dictator on day one. And now we know the truth after hearing his former chief of staff General John Kelly say Trump fits the definition of a fascist, one who praised Adolf Hitler, and would say the Nazi leader “did some good things.”
Why Is There Still a Tie?
Surprisingly, the race remains in a virtual tie in all the latest opinion polls.
A tie implies that Harris and Trump are so alike that there’s no discernable difference between the two.
We know that isn’t true.
What will it take?
Trump has had many chances to apologize for the racism, sexism, misogyny and other isms that have spewed out of his campaign but hasn’t. On Tuesday he called his Madison Square Garden event where a crude and racist joke was made “a love fest, an absolute love fest.” Just like he referred to Jan. 6.
To top it off, Trump called Harris the candidate of hate.
Certainly, we’ve all seen enough to break the tie.
It is not late. You can vote and register on the same day in California, if you need. Your vote really matters to move the needle in the direction of decency and democracy.
About the Author
Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. See his microtalk show on www.patreon.com/ emilamok. He performs an excerpt from his Emil Amok Monologues, “Transdad,” Nov. 4 and 18th at the Marsh, 1062 Valencia St, San Francisco. Tickets here: https://themarsh.org/mondaynight-marsh-stream/
By Bo Tefu
California Black Media
A recent poll showed that a majority of California voters back Proposition 36, which aims to increase penalties for certain theft and drug-related crimes, according to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).
The poll came out last week as opponents of the proposition began a last-ditch push against the initiative in major metropolitan areas across California.
“As the 2024 campaign heads into its final days, The No on 36 Campaign is targeting voters in Los Angeles and the Bay Area with a series of new billboards urging voters to reject the cynical, misleading measure on the November ballot,” read a press release from a coalition of opponents to the measure.
The PPIC survey showed
that 73% of likely voters support the measure, up from 71% in September, with only 25% opposing the ballot measure.
This makes Prop 36 the most popular of the ten statewide issues on the ballot this fall, with 28% of voters indicating it is their top priority.
The emphasis on crime as a key campaign issue is partially driven by the pandemic-related rise in certain offenses. However, prominent Democrats, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, have expressed concerns about reverting to harsher crime policies.
Other ballot measures are also performing well according to the PPIC poll. Proposition 3, which seeks to remove outdated language banning same-sex marriage from the state constitution, has garnered 67% support. Proposition 35, aimed at making a tax on specific healthcare plans permanent to fund
Medi-Cal, has over 60% approval.
Among the two $10 billion bond measures, Proposition 4, focused on climate and water projects, has strong backing at 60%, while Proposition 2, for school construction, has a narrower margin of support at 52%.
Several other measures, including Proposition 33 on rent control, are trailing, with only 42% supporting the initiative. Proposition 6, which seeks to ban forced prison labor, is currently the least favored, with just 41 percent in favor.
In the presidential race, more than half of survey participants stated that they plan to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in comparison to Donald Trump.
The PPIC poll surveyed 1,137 likely voters from October 7 to 15, with a margin of error of less than 4%.
On Your November Ballot: Prop 2 Seeks to Modernize Public Education Facilities
By Edward Henderson California Black Media
Proposition 2 would authorize the state to issue $10 billion in bonds with $8.5 billion dedicated to elementary and secondary educational facilities and $1.5 billion for community college facilities.
If approved, the proposition will make changes to the formula used to determine the amount each district is required to contribute to be eligible to receive state funding from the bond revenue. It would also require the state government to cover between 50 and 55% of construction project costs and 60 and 65% of modernization project costs.
Supporters argue that the money is critical for making safety improvements in
schools, as well as modernizing science labs, performing arts spaces and kindergarten classrooms. School districts in lower-income areas have no other way to pay for these improvements.
According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 38% of students attend schools that don’t meet the state’s minimum safety standards. The research shows that schools with sub-standard facilities tend to have students with lower attendance rates, lower morale and lower overall academic performance.
California Black Media spoke with a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) spokesperson on why she believes it should be a YES vote on Prop 2.
WHEN WE VOTE, WE WIN.
“Measure US, Los Angeles Unified’s Local Public Schools Safety and Upgrades Measure on the November ballot would provide $9 billion to upgrade Los Angeles public schools for safety and 21st century student learning and college and career preparedness. The average annual cost to property owners is estimated at 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed (not market) property value. The Los Angeles Unified Board of Education adopted a Resolution on October 22 to support Los Angeles Unified’s Measure US, and State Propositions 2 and 4,” the spokesperson said. Opponents argue that the state should include school repairs in its regular budget instead of putting the burden on taxpayers. Opponents also ar-
gue that the proposition would not directly impact students. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is on record as one of the organizations opposing the proposition.
“Proposition 2 is $10 billion of bonds, new state debt, to pay for school facilities. It is almost certain to result in higher property tax bills, because school districts must provide a ‘local match’ of funds in order to receive money from the Prop. 2 state bonds. That will lead to districts issuing new local school bonds, which are paid for by adding new charges to property tax bills,” said Jarvis.
Opponents also have voiced concerns about what they view as an inequitable distribution of funds. They believe that lower-income school districts should receive a greater share of the state’s sliding scale for matching funds.
“Enrollment is declining in both K-12 district schools and community colleges and the declines are projected to continue. But Proposition 2 commits California to pay an estimated $18 billion, including interest, for school buildings that may not even be necessary. Vote no on proposition 2.”
A “yes” vote gives approval to the state to issue $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities.
A “no” vote will prohibit the state from issuing $10 billion in bonds to fund construction and modernization of public education facilities.
By Tanu Henry, California Black Media
Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19.
At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.
“Held in the heart of south Los Angeles on Crenshaw Blvd, over half a million people attend the one-day event that brings out the best our community has to offer,” said Brandon Brooks, Stop the Hate project director at California Black Media.
During the event, Brooks said he, James Williams, Community Based Organization Manger for California Vs. Hate and Leah Brown-Goodloe from CBM informed and shared literature with tens of thousands of festivalgoers about the state’s Stop the Hate resources.
CBM’s Stop the Hate outreach was held at the beginning of United Against Hate Week (UAHW), a commemoration held annually across the country to recognize the fight against all forms of hate.
UAHW was first launched in 2018 by elected leaders, staff,
“The festival promotes local businesses as well as it brings out local and statewide resources to assist community members, Brooks continued. “The day has proven to be a great opportunity to speak to people directly and provide information to combat hate crimes and incidents.”
Office of the Civil Rights Staff and CBM Representative. Courtesy Photo.
NorCal Election Preview: Black Candidates on Your Gen Election Ballot
Biden Appoints Black San Diego Attorney to California District Court Judgeship
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
ency.
By Joe W. Bowers Jr, California Black Media
As the Nov. 5, 2024 General Election approaches, a number of Black candidates from Northern California are running for positions in the United States Congress, the State Senate, and the State Assembly. If elected, they would collectively represent a larger proportion of elected officials at the state level than California’s Black population of about 6.5%.
Of the state’s 52 U.S. House of Representatives seats, three are currently held by Black representatives. In the State Senate, which comprises 40 seats and elects half of its members every two years, there are currently two Black Senators. In the Assembly, which has 80 seats up for election every two years, 10 Black Assembly members currently serve.
In this election, five Black candidates are running for Congress, four for State Senate, and 13 for Assembly.
Below are the Black candidates (in bold letters) running for Congress and the State Legislature in the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California.
Congressional Races
In Congressional District 9 (Stockton), Kevin Lincoln (R), Mayor of Stockton, is challenging incumbent Josh Harder (D). Lincoln, a former Marine, is running on a platform focused on economic development, public safety, and government accountability. Harder, meanwhile, has focused on issues like healthcare access and immigration reform.
In Congressional District 12 (Oakland), Lateefah Simon (D), a nonprofit foundation president and civil rights advocate, is running to succeed Rep. Barbara Lee. Simon’s platform emphasizes civil rights, affordable housing, and economic reform. Her opponent, Jennifer Tran (D), a professor and chamber president, is focused on economic development, public safety and leveraging technology for government transpar-
California State Senate Races
In State Senate District 7 (Oakland and Berkeley), Jovanka Beckles (D), an Alameda-Contra Costa (AC) Transit Director, is running on a platform centered on environmental justice, affordable housing, and public transportation reform. Her opponent, Jesse Arreguín (D), the Mayor of Berkeley, is focused on housing and economic development.
California State Assembly Races
In Assembly District 7 (Citrus Heights), Porsche Middleton (D), a city councilmember, is challenging incumbent Josh Hoover (R) on housing reform and local governance.
In Assembly District 11 (Suisun City), incumbent Lori Wilson (D) is focused on healthcare access, economic development, and education. She is facing Dave Ennis (R), a civil engineer who emphasizes infrastructure improvement and reduced government regulation.
In Assembly District 13 (Stockton), business owner Rhodesia Ransom (D) is campaigning on small business growth, educational reform, and economic justice. She faces Denise Aguilar Mendez (R), a non-profit director focused on conservative family values and reducing the size of government. Aguilar Mendez has faced controversy including a guilty plea for welfare fraud.
In Assembly District 18 (Oakland), incumbent Mia Bonta (D) is running on housing reform and education. Her opponent, Andre Sandford, American Independent Party (AIP), advocates for fiscal responsibility and housing cost management.
These Black candidates are running to address key issues such as housing, healthcare, public safety, reparations, and economic reform. The diversity of their platforms reflects California’s broad political spectrum, with some focusing on progressive reforms, while others advocate for a shift to more conservative policies.
On Oct. 23, President Joe Biden nominated two judges to vacant federal judgeships in Southern California: Judge Serena Murillo and Judge Benjamin Cheeks.
Both appointments are subject to U.S. Senate confirmation next month.
If confirmed, Cheeks, who is African American and a criminal defense attorney, will replace U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel. Before his appointment, Cheeks was in private practice at the Law Offices of Benjamin J. Cheeks, A.P.C. in San Diego from 2013 to 2024. From 2010 to 2013, Cheeks served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
The same day of the White House announcement, California’s U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, both Democrats, and members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, congratulated Murillo and Cheeks and commended Biden on his decision.
“I applaud President Biden for his continued commitment to nominating highly qualified, diverse judges to serve California,” said Padilla in a statement.
“Judge Cheeks has earned immense respect from his colleagues in the Southern District and has
Stop-the-Hate Message Shared with Tens of Thousands ...
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and community groups from 13 cities in the Bay Area who organized a “United Against Hate” poster campaign responding to White supremacists marching in Northern California streets in the aftermath of Charlottesville riots.
In 2018, Los Angeles County, LAvsHate, a campaign that provided anti-hate crime information and resources to report hate incidents and hate crimes.
According to CRD director Kevin Kish, the L.A. initiative provided a model for the state’s program.
Today, UAHW has grown into a national movement with events organized across the country to mark the day.
In June, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report. According to the report, hate crimes in California decreased by 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.
However, incidents and crimes against Black Californians remained higher than average with 518 reported cases in 2023.
When it comes to reported hate crimes, we know that
Black Leaders, Political Orgs, Sound Alarm About Project 2025
By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
With the general elections just a few days away, Black organizations and leaders, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), are sounding the alarm about Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s controversial “policy bible.”
fought to protect vulnerable immigrants against fraud,” Padilla added.
Butler said, “Californians deserve a federal bench that reflects the diversity of the Golden State.
“I applaud the President’s nomination of Judge Serena Murillo and Judge Ben Cheeks to the United States District Courts for the Central District and Southern District of California, respectively. These two incredibly qualified candidates bring a breadth of both judicial and lived experienced to the federal bench, and I look forward to supporting their paths to confirmation,” she continued.
Murillo, who has been a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2015. She also served by appointment of the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court as an Associate Justice pro tem on the California Court of Appeal from 2018 to 2019. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Murillo served as a Deputy District Attorney in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1997 to 2014. She received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1996 and her B.A. from the University of California, San Diego in 1993.
Cheeks earned his J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law in 2003 and his B.A. from the University of Miami in Florida in 2000.
Black Californians are the most targeted group for hate and discrimination in our state,” said Williams. “The California Civil Rights Department wants people to know that we are committed to reaching the Black community through outreach events and campaigns, including our first-ever billboard campaign, forging new partnerships, or increasing awareness about the hotline and available resources to historically hard-to-reach and underserved Californians.”
Williams said he wants to remind all Californians that there is “support when you report!”
“No matter your background or where you come from, if you’ve been targeted for hate, you can get help accessing legal, financial, mental health, and other services by calling 833-8-NO-HATE or by going to CAvsHate.org,” Williams added.
How To Report A Hate Crime:
CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.
For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate. org.
The four-pillar initiative includes a detailed blueprint for the next conservative presidential administration – making way for a sweeping overhaul of the executive branch.
Waters has been outspoken in her opposition of the 900-page policy.
Recently, she shared “The People’s Guide to Project 2025” with the Inglewood Area Ministers Association, an organization of predominantly Black pastors, to inform them about the proposal’s impact, emphasizing that its influence would reach beyond the traditional spheres of presidential power. The 15-term politician from Los Angeles shared her sentiments with the House Financial Services Committee in July.
“Project 2025 promotes radical ideals to materially undermine the Federal Reserve, if not effectively abolish it,” Waters said.
Written by the Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 was developed with the input of a broad coalition of conservative organizations and is organized around four pillars: Policy, Personnel, Training, and the 180-Day Playbook. The proposals in the document aim to revamp every aspect of the U.S. government.
Waters is not the only person sounding the alarm about Project 2025’s agenda. Grassroot organizations in California and across the nation are preparing to combat the initiative despite who wins the election between Trump and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
The National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants (NAASD), members of advocacy groups in California, and other Black political organizations across the nation are drawing up policy documents to counter the conservative Project 2025 initiative.
On Aug. 2, NAASD hosted a nationwide ZOOM conference call to discuss policies that con-
cern Black communities. Nocola Hemphill, the president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Black Women’s Chamber, and grassroots organizations on the call are promoting what they call, #Reparations2025.
“I just want us to think about bringing all policies (ideas) together when we think about Project 2025,” said Hemphill, who lives in South Carolina. “I am excited about the possibility of us forming our own version of Project 2025 and having it published by the November election.”
NAASD is a nonprofit association of community activists from across the country that formed around May 2019.
Los Angeles resident Khansa “Friday” Jones Muhammad is the president of NAASD.
“The National Assembly of American Slavery Descendants (NAASD) envisions a nation where African American descendants of US slavery can fully exercise their constitutional citizenship rights and have economic agency for generations,” Muhammad told California Black Media (CBM).
While forming an agenda for #Reparation2025, NAASD has created a survey to determine how systemic racism and discrimination in the United States have affected Black American lives and single out options to repair harms through public policy. Participants in the survey would help the organization shape a national blueprint.
“During this election cycle, it is imperative that national Black organizations come together for collective success,” Muhammad shared with CBM. “While the vote for President of the United States is important, we need to also focus on other active projects such as ‘Project 2025,’ Supreme Court rulings around race and more.”
Muhammad added, “NAASD’s Black experience survey allows for individuals, Black organizations, and their allies to forge a pathway to reparations by utilizing community-building and policy.”
On Oct. 23, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Benjamin Cheeks to California Federal District Court Judgeship.
iStock.
From left to right: Incumbent Mia Bonta (D) is running in Assembly District 18 (Oakland); Kevin Lincoln (R), Mayor of Stockton, is challenging incumbent Josh Harder (D) in Congressional District 9) (Stockton); and Lateefah Simon (D) is running in Congressional District 12 (Oakland).
Homicides in Oakland Fall By 33% ...
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murder in the entire month. It's a staggering nearly 50 murders fewer than the City had under the leadership of (D.A.) O'Malley, (OPD Chief) Armstrong, and (Mayor) Schaaf in late October 2021. On track to have lowest homicides in five years.”
Also writing on X, journalist Ali Winston, a co-author of the book, “The Riders Come Out at Night: Brutality, Corruption, and Cover-up in Oakland,” said:
“Oakland hasn’t seen a commensurate drop in homicides in modern history. When we wrote ‘RIDERS,’ Darwin (BondGraham) and I pored over decades of Oakland crime statistics. This is a huge drop, way beyond the standard deviation.”
While many Oakland residents welcome the news of the drop in crime, some of those who support the recalls of elected officials and seek reasons to portray the city in a negative light are unwilling to recognize improvements in public safety.
Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb said he was deeply concerned that the San Francisco Chronicle has been unwilling to publish the OPD’s latest statistics showing a 33%
reduction in Oakland homicides and instead continues to report old statistics that fit a narrative of a city that is failing.
“It’s upsetting to see a major newspaper that will not report about Oakland accurately and honestly,” he said.
This week, the city was awarded a $2 million grant from Vice President Kamala Harris’ Office of Gun Violence Prevention. In a press conference on Wednesday, Mayor Thao said the grant will help the city expand its Ceasefire program, which is leading to a significant reduction in homicides this year.
Ceasefire provides life coaches for people who are in immediate danger of being a perpetrator or victim of a violent crime to break the cycle of retaliation and victimization. The program was discontinued during former Mayor Libby Schaaf’s administration.
“We’re thankful to the significant investment in a strategy that is working in the Department of Violence Prevention (DVP), that is finally being recognized as critical to Oakland’s long-term strategic, comprehensive approach to community health and safety,” said DVP Chief Holly Joshi.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Reflects on Historic Moment ...
Continued from page 1 en to ever serve as president of the United States.
IF we do the work, we can change that with President Kamala Harris.
As I reflect on what would be Congresswoman Chisholm’s 100th birthday next month, I could not help but remember that my first official involvement in U.S. politics was working for her presidential campaign in 1972.
Over 50 years later, I have been involved in every single campaign since. Shirley was my mentor — she was a bold visionary, a progressive woman who understood that working together in coalitions was the only way to make life better for everyone, to build an equitable society and democracy that lived up to the creed of “liberty and justice for all.”
The historic moment we are in today is not lost on me. I have had the privilege to have known Vice President Kamala Harris for over three decades. She, after all, is a daughter of the East Bay. She, like Shirley, truly is a fighter for the people.
And I know she can move our country forward in a new way. As a member of her National Advisory Board, I have campaigned across our country to help take her message, her legacy of service, and her “to-do list,” as she says, to voters who were almost starting to feel hopeless, but are now feeling hopeful once again, captured by the politics joy and the bright possibilities brought upon by a possible HarrisWalz administration.
Recently, I visited churches in North Carolina with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. The chair of our CBC political action committee, Chairman Gregory Meeks from New York’s fifth district, eloquently and powerfully presented a vision of what Dr. Maya Angelou wrote in her famous poem, “And Still I Rise:” “I am the
1
dream and the hope of the slave.”
Meeks remarked that on Jan. 20, 2025, we will observe the birthday of our drum major for justice, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
He also described that on Jan. 20, IF we do the work — if we knock on doors, if we make those phone calls, if we spread our message — standing on the podium at the U.S. Capitol will be the first Black speaker of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries.
In the wings will be over 60 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Holding Frederick Douglass’ Bible will be the first African American woman appointed to the highest court of the land, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
She will be swearing-in the first Black woman to serve as president, Kamala Harris, in front of the shining white dome of the United States Capitol, built by enslaved Black people.
In front of her and beyond, the tens of millions of Black men and women who voted for her. The world will witness the hope and the dreams of our ancestors ushering in a new way forward.
As I sat in front of the stage this week at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., as Vice President Harris delivered remarks with the Oval Office behind her, I could not help but feel that our country was ready for this historic moment.
We are not only voting for a Black woman as Commander in Chief of the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. We are definitively stating that we will not allow the clocks of freedom and justice to be turned back.
We are voting for our ancestors’ hopes and dreams. We are voting for the generations that will come after us, long after we are gone. We are voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Let’s get this done.
unit which is fully operational and collaborating with numerous law enforcement agencies.
“For over a year, this enterprise supported criminal networks by requesting and buying specific products from brazen boosters who repeatedly terrorized retailers,” said Price. “I want to acknowledge our Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit for its great work and the role they played in this multi-jurisdiction investigation, which included the
California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and San Ramon Police Department.”
If convicted and sentenced on all charges, Octavio Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of nine years in County jail; Devora Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of five years in County jail; and Felipe Del Toro Trejo faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in County jail.
Price Appoints Deputy D.A. Jennifer Kassan ...
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place-based ecosystem building organization that supports under-represented entrepreneurs and provides education about community-based investing.
In addition, Kassan served as an elected member of the City Council of Fremont, California from 2018 to 2024, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Companies.
In 2020 she was named to the list of World-Changing Women in Conscious Business by SOCAP Global.
“We are excited to see Jenny accept the role as the new leader for the
Community Support Bureau,” said Price. “She brings a wealth of talent, experience, and a vision to expand our office’s engagement with community groups and residents, that will level-up our outreach programs and partnerships with local organizations with the aim of promoting crime prevention.
“We thank Interim CSB Director Esther Lemus, who is now assigned to our office’s Restitution Unit, for her hard work and a great job fostering positive relationships between the DAO and the community.”
Fights Narrowly Break Out at Business Strike Press Conference at Oakland City Hall
By Magaly Muñoz
What was intended to be a press conference for a planned city-wide business strike turned into two separate altercations between supporters and opponents of the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price in front of Oakland City Hall.
Recall supporters called for a one-day business strike for the second year in a row to demand that the city do more to ensure public safety is a priority and that business owners are not plagued by the ongoing retail crime.
Less than five minutes into the press conference, opponents of the recall began yelling at the recall supporters. This caused many recall volunteers to become upset with the “hecklers”.
One recall volunteer confronted the Thao supporters and attempted to physically intimidate them while also screaming obscenities in their faces. After several moments, the volunteer was pulled away from the Thao supporters and returned to the conference.
Soon after that incident, Ray Bobbitt, founder of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) that now owns the Oakland Coliseum, walked up to the rally and attempted to take the microphone from Seneca Scott, leader of the Thao recall efforts. The situation soon escalated as Scott pushed Bobbitt away.
Scott has made several comments at press conferences and on social media that the Coliseum sale deal is a fraud and that AASEG will not provide the city with the promised multi-million dollar funds. Bobbitt told the Post that he is tired of Scott “being a bully” and only wanted to talk through whatever issues Scott had with AASEG.
When Bobbitt asked Scott to talk privately, Scott responded with a threatening remark. Bobbitt soon left the scene after several people talked him down.
“We really need to abandon the toxicity. I’m here to bring our community together, not divide it,” Bobbitt told the Post.
and coal investor who doesn’t live in Oakland who is trying to buy our city government. But the people didn’t elect you, they elected me to protect them from people like you.
Shortly after my term began, you launched a campaign to remove me from office, pouring in nearly $500,000 of your own wealth. We’ll know the outcome of your campaign on Nov. 6, but let’s be clear about what’s at stake.
Since I took office, crime has dropped over 30%—we’re on track for less than 100 homicides for the first time since 2019, with 15,000 fewer crimes overall.
We’ve invested hundreds of millions into affordable housing, modernized our 911 system, streamlined construction permitting, and are fighting to make Oakland a safer and cleaner city.
If your recall succeeds, Oakland will see four mayors in just five years, another election for mayor the following year and a whopping $10 million cost to taxpayers. In other words, chaos. None of this will impact you because you don’t live here.
Oaklanders deserve to know who you are. I looked into your record and found that the hedge fund you help manage, Farallon Capital, has invested
Endorsement Voter Guide
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz President
Adam Schiff U.S. Senate
Lateefah Simon U.S. Congress
VanCedric Williams School Board
LeRonne Armstrong City Council At-Large
Nikki Bas County Supervisor
John Bauters County Supervisor
Mayor Recall No
D.A. Recall No
Back with the recall group and business owners, speakers said that businesses are scared to file police reports because Oakland officers “don’t care anymore,” and are scared that their insurance rates will go up.
“We’re here today because the last blood of our city is leaking out with no tourniquet. Cities run on commerce. The only reason for a city is commerce. Failure to protect commerce leads to a dying city,” Scott said.
Several businesses in the last year have closed down, such as InN-Out Burger and Denny’s on the Hegenberger corridor, citing public safety concerns. Local businesses have also left because of break-ins, homelessness, and overall lack of security.
At the time of last year’s business strike, crime was up 26% from the year before, according to Oakland police data. Rumors of a Thao recall were also building around this event.
Crime today is down 37%, according to the same data. A point that has been used heavily in Thao’s attempt to rally support against the recall against her.
Speakers at the Tuesday press conference said there were owners who were sleeping at their businesses for fear of people breaking in to steal from them or vandalize their locations.
“The only things that are not locked up in the stores are criminals,” one speaker said.
Rally organizers claimed that over 200 businesses were participating in the strike. But when the Post asked recall organizers if they could provide a list of all the participants, the request was denied.
“This is an example of the sort of chaos the recall campaign seeks to create in Oakland. This is the last minute last ditch stunt of a coal investor funded campaign that has realized that Oakland residents are going to say NO to the $10 million price tag, the chaos and the division their campaign represents,” a Thao supporter spokesperson said ahead of the business strike.
over $2 billion in coal since 2022.
For years, Oakland has stood tall against coal money threatening the health of West Oakland, Chinatown, Jack London and downtown.
Did you know that life expectancy in West Oakland is 7.5 years lower than the County average? Or that our children suffer from asthma at a rate twice as high as the rest of the County?
Philip, instead of trying to use your wealth to hijack our democracy and create chaos in our city you could have put your money where your mouth is.
Instead of investing in coal you could have invested in our young people— created scholarships for our collegebound kids, funded apprenticeships for those who want to learn a trade or helped rid our schools of lead.
Instead, you chose to divide us while you try to buy us. But I’m here to tell you, Philip, on behalf of the 450,000 residents of my city that Oakland is not for sale. NO to coal. NO to chaos. And NO to your selfish and self-serving recall.
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, City Hall, Oakland
Ryan Richardson City Attorney’
Brenda Harbin City Attorney
Iris Merriouns City Council District 7
Noel Gallo City Council District 5
Measures NN and MM Yes
Prop 6 Yes
Prop 2 Yes
Prop
Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial ...
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tolerated. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)’s public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.
PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.
“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, shortterm exposures to a toxic smoke
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bathroom cleanliness, lack of student resources, and public safety at their schools.
Ojugo, a student at Oakland High School, said her biggest issue was teacher retention. She explained that it’s become a normal occurrence for teachers to leave part way through the school year and students are left with a sub, forcing them to learn on their own through online classes.
“We’ve already experienced the online learning style. I think most of us can agree that is not the way to go. And I feel like it degrades your learning ability,” Ojugo said.
She said that the process has been an exciting one, but also nerve wracking. She fears that there won’t be a big turnout or that this new voting ability will somehow be wiped out from under students. Regardless, she is happy to have been a part of the journey.
Chiagozim, also an Oakland High student, said the journey has been stressful, but fun at the same time. She joined the Oakland Youth Vote group this year but has seen bits and pieces of the campaigning for teen voting for the last few years.
The most challenging part of this political process has been getting eligible students to engage with wanting to vote, she said. Freshmen and sophmores have been more inclined to want to learn about school board voting, but juniors and seniors have seemed to brush off the subject.
The new voting charter only allows 16- and 17-year olds to participate in the school board elections,
plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.
“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.
The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.
The media relations office Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.
which means current underclassmen will likely not have the ability to vote for a district director for another two years until 2026.
Overall, Chiagozim shared that students have been thrilled to finally have a voice and show the school board that their voice matters.
“I hope [this journey] tells them that we are educated, we know what we want, and we know what we want to do, because if we were able to persevere for the past five years and it’s been finally implemented now, that shows something from us,” Chiagozim said.
Nidya Baez, principal at Fremont High School, has been organizing for youth voting since 2019 and is impressed with the way students have carried on this fight for years, even after they graduate and move on to new things.
People don’t always agree on every issue, Baez said, but they can agree on the need for civic engagement. She added the students involved in the teen voting coalition have continued to keep an open mind about other students of different backgrounds and views.
As they reach the end of the road for this part of their fight, Baez thinks this new process will hold board directors responsible. Students are not afforded the same rights as adults, she explained, and because of that, adults make decisions without them or their interest in mind.
“I think this will show that young people want to be involved and are the experts in their experience,” Baez said. “Nothing about us, without us.”
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Top row from left: VanCedric Williams, LeRonne Armstrong, Nikki Bas and John Bauters. Bottom Row: Iris Merriouns, Noel Gallo, Dana Lang and Casey Farmer. File photos.
Alameda County Court House. Courtesy photo.