Oakland Post, week of September 6 - 12, 2023

Steph and Ayesha left their hearts and souls in Oakland

By Post Staff

Stephen and Ayesha Curry are committing to raise $50 million over the next three years to support Oakland schools, children, and families through the Currys’ Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.

With the support of the Currys’ foundation, Lockwood STEAM Academy, an elementary school in East Oakland, this week unveiled a reimagined schoolyard, which includes two new kid-designed play-

grounds, two multi-sport courts, two mini soccer pitches, an outdoor classroom, enhanced community gardens, and a mural that spans the entire schoolyard.

The Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, which is centered on supporting nutrition, education, and physical activity for children, is working to improve access for every child in Oakland to nutritious food; resources to learn and read; and safe places and equitable opportunities to play.

Post

DA Price Charges Enhancements for Attack on 81-Year Old Man

Lee

Nominated by President Biden to Represent the United States at the UN General Assembly

By Post Staff

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against James Lambert, 23, for the brutal assault last month with a knife and a metal pipe on 81-year-old Francisco Gonzalez.

Witnesses reported that on Aug. 17, Lambert stabbed the elderly man eight times in the head and proceeded to strike him with a metal pipe while he lay on the ground. The defendant is accused of launching the unprovoked attack on Gonzalez as he walked along Whitman Street in Hayward.

The assault was halted by the intervention of an off-duty security guard, and Gonzalez was rushed to Eden Medical Center, where he is currently in critical condition.

Charges brought against Lambert include Assault with a Deadly Weapon under Penal Code 245(a) (1) and Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse, Infliction of Injury under

By Tanya Dennis

On March 22, the Berkeley City Council passed its first phase of reparations to descendants of slaves. According to City Council, the reparations bill was passed to address past economic inequities to descendants of enslaved Africans.

Led by City Councilmember Ben Bartlett, the reparations legislation was co-sponsored by Mayor Jesse Arreguín who said, “The time for reparations is long overdue. By beginning this

Penal Code 368(b)(1). Additionally, in accordance with a Special Directive, the District Attorney’s Office is pursuing a Great Bodily Injury charge pursuant to Penal Code 12022.7(c).

“This case presents extraordinary circumstances, a senseless and brutal attack on a vulnerable victim,” said District Attorney Pamela Price.

“We are seeking a sentencing enhancement for Great Bodily Injury. Our message is clear: anyone who commits acts of violence against vulnerable individuals in Alameda County will be held accountable,” she said.

Without the enhancement, Lambert could potentially be sentenced to a maximum of nine years in prison. With the enhancement, an additional five years could be added to the sentence.

process, Berkeley can become a leader in righting the wrongs of our history.”

Another co-sponsor, City Councilmember Sophie Hahn said, “We are overdue to confront the many ways our city has been active and complicit in discrimination against African Americans and launch a new path forward for the equitable future we all yearn for.”

Black Repertory Group (known as the Rep) owners Dr. Mona Scott and her son, Sean

Special to The Post Cynthia Adams, the President of the Oakland Branch of the NAACP released her organization’s Ten Point plan for a safer Oakland this week. She called on voters to fight crime through voting and active monitoring of public safety and local governmental decision-makers.

Accordingly, the NAACP presented the following ten strategic goals for a safer Oakland: 1. Increase the Oakland Police

Scott, question the politician’s words when those speakers have ignored their commitment to fund the theater $25,000 a year for “maintenance and upkeep.”

For 23 years the city has failed to keep its promise to the oldest Black-owned theater west of the Mississippi located at 3201 Adeline Ave.

Sean Scott, grandson of theater founders Nora and Birel Vaughn, says that the theater has been under assault by the city of Berkeley for years, and cites gentrification as the engine trying to drive them out of their location.

“The City Council general fund budget allocated the Black Rep $25,000 a year for upkeep and maintenance almost 30 years ago,” Scott said. “They haven’t kept that promise for 23 years, and don’t even pick up the trash from our location. Now they want to do a safety walk through to assure we’re compliant.”

Scott says this is not the first time they have experienced is-

sues with the city, from whom they lease the building for $1.00. “They broke into our building last year, prying the side door open to assure we are ADA compliant. My grandparents built this facility to be ADA compliant and the city knows this. We filed a police report but have heard nothing. They’re coming back on Sept. 15 looking for a reason to shut us down.”

In 1993, the Scotts were told to suspend all plays, then the city reneged on the Rep’s mortgage, set the news against them, and attempted to give the theater to the Shotgun Players.

Black Repertory Executive Director Mona Scott says that there were times the city supported them: during Gus Newport’s term as mayor of Berkeley from 1979 to 1986 and Mayor Shirley Dean from 1994 to 2002.

“Since then, there have been major disparities in funding between us and white theaters.

Special to The Post Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) issued the below statement following President Joe Biden’s announcement of his intent to nominate her to serve as Representative of the United States to the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

If confirmed, this will mark the eighth time the Congresswoman has served as Congressional Rep-

resentative of the U.S. to the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

“I am deeply honored to be nominated for this role by President Biden and thank the administration for continuing to support a strong U.S. presence in the UN and on the global stage,” said Congresswoman Lee. “Strong international cooperation is vital in addressing the global challenges of the 21st century, and the United

Sandré Swanson Runs for State Senate, ‘Putting Kids and Families First’

The current issues facing local communities are clearly visible all around us, Swanson said: the unhoused who struggle to survive, the piled waste and neglect on city streets, empty storefronts in commercial districts, people who tell him they are “afraid to go out at night,” and the frequent news reports of older residents who are knocked down and robbed.

By Ken Epstein Veteran progressive leader Sandré

Swanson,

who is run-

ning for office to “put kids and families first,” spoke at a fundraiser over Labor Day weekend emphasizing his commitment to serving Oakland and the East Bay as his campaign gathers endorsements and supporters for the November 2024 race for the State Senate, 7th District.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Official photo.

Congresswoman

Photo: Black Repertory Group. Courtesy photo.

Sandré Swanson. Courtesy photo.

Virtual Murrel, Guest Speaker

What We Do for Art and Democracy

ica mostly to work in the fields in the 1920s and 1930s for 10 cents an hour could wear a suit, speak, and afford to pay the rent.

I think on Labor Day about how lucky I am to have done what I’ve done as a journalist. Something that my relatives a generation away weren’t able to pursue.

I call this iteration, “A Phool’s History of Filipino America,” because “phool” is how they spelled it at the Lampoon when I competed to be a member freshman year at Harvard. I had to explain why it wasn’t spelled, “Philippino.” And then they made me carry a pineapple around Harvard Yard.

Freeman and Moss were accused by Rudy Giuliani of nefarious deeds aiding in the theft of an election against Trump.

The false accusations wrecked Freeman’s life.

“I’ve lost my name, and I’ve lost my reputation,” Freeman testified. “I’ve lost my sense of security. All because a group of people, starting with No. 45, and his ally, Rudy Giuliani, decided to scapegoat me and my daughter, Shaye.”

Giuliani is one of 18 co-conspirators in the organized racketeering case in Georgia accused of attempting to subvert democracy.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m in New York again for a return engagement of Oakland resident Ishmael Reed’s “The Conductor,” his new play on the current state of race in America.

Reed’s twist is that Blacks are running an underground railroad to help South Asian minorities under siege by whites in the Bay Area.

Based on the recent San Francisco Board of Education and district attorney recalls, Reed turns real life into a “what if” satire to expose the racism at play. It’s funny, provocative, and an example of how white supremacy has suppressed our sense of history. You’ll marvel at all the facts in the play you didn’t know about.

I play a conservative Fox News-type commentator. I know, a stretch. It’s a paid acting gig, but more of an honor to be in the 11th play by Reed. His five decades of literary artistry in drama, novels, poetry, and essays in the name of diversity and inclusion makes him worthy of a Nobel laureate in literature.

The show isn’t streaming over the internet, but it’s worth it to be in New York to see what could be the final production of “The Conductor,” at the Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave, Thursday to

Saturday @8 p.m., Sundays @3 p.m. through Sept. 10. https:// ci.ovationtix.com/35441/production/1149771

The Untold Filipino American Story

While here, I’m also doing my own one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host: A Phool’s Filipino American History.”

In the show, I talk about my relatives’ reaction to me being a broadcaster on television, coming out of the same box as their favorite TV stars when I was on NBC local in San Francisco. To them, that’s where I worked—inside that box. Seeing a Filipino American on TV in 1980 was akin to witnessing an astronomical event. Sort of like the recent Blue Moon.

When my relatives, all hardworking immigrants from the Philippines who came to the U.S. between 1928 and 1975, saw me, they were all amazed.

“So, Emil, you just get on the camera, and you talk?” my Auntie Pacing would ask me. She worked in service jobs in hotels, restaurants, and hospitals all her life. “And you don’t have to clean up or anything? You just talk? That’s work?”

It was a foreign notion to her that Filipinos who came to Amer-

A Latina friend paid me a compliment saying my show was akin to John Leguizamo’s “Latin American History for Morons.” Flattered by the comparison, you don’t have to be a moron to see my show! Check it out for yourself.

Two performances only, Sept. 6 @7 p.m., and Sept. 14 @9:30 p.m. (all times ET). https://www. frigid.nyc/event/6897:499/

This one you can livestream from Hawaii, Europe, Rockridge. Anywhere. It’s better in person, where we can exchange our humanness. But get a livestreamed ticket if you can’t be in New York’s Under St. Marks Theater in the East Village (94 St. Marks Place, NYC)

One Last Labor Worth Considering

So, there’s what we do for money and for love. What do we do for democracy?

And so, we must not forget the nitty-gritty work done by election workers everywhere. The unsung heroes. They don’t get paid all that much. But they do important work. How do voters get information? Translated materials? How do ballots get distributed, sorted, then counted?

If you ever doubted the value of election workers, just look at Ruby Freeman and her daughter Shaye Moss. You met them during their testimony at the Jan. 6 Committee hearings in Washington last year.

They were stand-ins for average Americans like you and me.

In a separate case, Freeman has sued Giuliani for defamation, calling him out for spreading lies about her and her daughter.

Last week, Giuliani conceded the facts of the case, which means the court will only consider the damages at the next hearing.

And right now, Michael Gottlieb, the lawyer for Freeman and Moss, told CNN the damages could be “tens of millions of dollars.”

“You heard me correctly,” said Gottlieb to a CNN anchor. “It is our expectation that we’ll be able to prove tens of millions of dollars in compensatory damages before you get punitive damages in a case that we will present to the jury.”

When people like Giuliani defame and lie about election workers in a brazen attempt to steal an election, there must be a stiff price to pay.

When you find yourself ever confused by all the legal proceedings over the Trump indictments, just remember Freeman and Moss and what they endured to protect our democracy.

No one should doubt the heart of patriotism in our community.

NOTE: I will talk about this column and other matters on “Emil Amok’s Takeout,” my AAPI micro-talk show. Live @2p Pacific. Livestream on Facebook; my YouTube channel; and Twitter. Catch the recordings on www.amok.com.

Victim Advocates, Business Owners, Law Enforcement and Republican Officials Rally Against Crime

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson California

Black Media

On Aug. 31, Republican lawmakers, businessowners, crime victim advocates and law enforcement officials held a rally at the State Capitol demanding an end to policies, in their view, that have made communities around the state less safe.

The rally took place one day ahead of the Appropriations Committee suspense hearing where the fate of several bills the Republican Caucus prioritized was determined for this session.

California Black Media (CBM) will follow up with more coverage on bills that advanced this session and others that have been put on hold.

“Enough is enough – the Legislature needs to stop excusing and enabling the crime wave that’s turning people around the state into victims,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher

(R-Yuba

City).

“Members of the Appropriations Committee have a choice: double down on the pro-criminal policies that got us into this mess or protect law-abiding Californians. I hope they make the right decision.”

Speakers, including trafficking survivor Dominique Brown, of Breaking the Chains, called on the committee to advance Senate Bill (SB) 14, which would make human trafficking of a minor a serious felony.

“SB 14 is a critical step to protect children and young adults from the horrors of human trafficking,” said Brown. “I hope the passage of SB 14 will make a lasting statement that God’s children are not for sale.”

Attendees also rallied to stop other public safety and crime-andpunishment related bills, including SB 553, SB 94, SB 81, and ACA 4.

Pay your unpaid tolls to keep your baby on the

Emil Guillermo, left, takes a bow after the performance of a play by Oakland’s Ishmael Reed at the Theater for the New City in New York.

Courtesy photo.

Photo: iStock photo

Oakland’s Black-Eyed Pea Festival Brings Out Black History in Music, Food and Art

mugs and prints by the festival’s poster designer Karin Turner.

Black-eyed peas are on the menu, by local chefs: Carolyn Creole Kitchen and Arnette Cheri’s Catering, and desserts by Krazy Kettle.

Why a Black-Eyed Pea Festival?

Virtual Murrell, Black Panther Party Member, to Speak at Merritt College on Sept. 16

The activist and author is part of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris lecture series

cratic Party, throughout the state of California, and in Washington D.C. with a long career spanning the 20th century and the first years of the 21st century. For readers familiar or unfamiliar with the story of ‘Black Radicalism’ as well as the more centrist positions of Black leadership in those decades, his book provides an intimate first-hand account.

California Senate Sees Leadership Shifts on Both Sides of the Aisle

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson California Black Media

Both Democrats and Republicans in the California Senate announced changes in their leadership last week.

Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins, who made history as the first woman and first LGBTQ+ Californian to hold the Senate’s top job, announced on Aug. 28 that the Democratic Caucus had convened and chosen Sen. Mark McGuire (DHealdsburg) as the Senate Pro Tem designee.

Atkins, who is termed out and must leave the Senate at the end of next year, will step down from her post in January 2024.

“I am confident that this will be a seamless transition, and that Senator McGuire will continue to guide the Senate and California down a path of success.

“Senator McGuire has been a key member of my leadership team,

a trusted confidant, and time after time, the convener who sets the table to get things done,” she said.

“The Senate and the people of California will be in good hands with Senator McGuire as their future leader of the Senate.”

The same day, Senate Republican leader Sen. Brian Jones (RSantee) announced that Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) will replace Sen. Janet Nguyen (R-Huntington Beach) as Senate Republican Caucus chair.

Nguyen is the first Vietnamese American state legislator in the United States. She is stepping down to run for a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

“I look forward to working with him on our priorities to fix California. As a retired firefighter, Kelly is a fearless advocate for protecting the public and tackling fentanyl in our communities,” said Jones at a Capitol press briefing.

Bluesman Alvon Johnson will be featured at the 8th Annual BlackEyed Pea Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Oakland Technical High School’s Front Lawn, 4351 Broadway, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. This is a FREE community event for all ages.

Photo courtesy Alvon Johnson.

Special to The Post

If eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is supposed to bring good luck, then Oakland will be having a tremendous lucky day on Sept. 30, 2023, when it will host the 8th annual Oakland Black-Eyed Pea Festival.

Appealing to all ages, the free festival at Oakland Technical High School will feature African American traditional music from several genres including blues, gospel, New Orleans-style second-line and more. Our full line-up includes headliner Alvon Johnson (Blues); MJ’s Brass Boppers (Second-Line); the John Santos Quartet and Dimensions Dance Theatre.

Especially for kids

The BEPF is providing dedicated fun for children.

From 12:30-2 p.m., the festival has entertainment for children by vocalist Rhonda Benin and Friends ‘What Is a Band?” and members of the Prescott Circus including stilt walkers. AseArts, led by Nichole Talbot, will provide arts and crafts for toddlers up to early teens, using black-eyed peas as well as drawing and painting. Musician/vocalist Benjamin Mertz will preside over a touchand-play area where children can experiment with musical instruments. All will be available until 5 p.m.

Hand-made items for sale by people of African descent will include among others jewelry by Corinthia Peoples and paintings,

8TH ANNUAL MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA TO BENEFIT SCAN ME

“The black-eyed pea is a metaphor for what is resilient, creative, and collaborative about African-American culture,” said Wanda Ravernell, director of the Black-Eyed Pea Festival and founder of Omnira Institute.

“We are especially pleased to have a range of genres in this year’s line-up because it brings to mind the time when Oakland’s Seventh Street was the ‘Harlem of the West,’” Ravernell said. Gentrification has almost finished the job that the construction of the Grove Shafter Freeway, BART tracks and the Post Office did in dividing what had once been a thriving Black community.

The sound of the music, the scent of the food and the creativity of the artists invokes that time of prosperity. “Their work is entertaining, but it’s also a history lesson and a healing.”

This festival is unique because it focuses on the specific relationship between black-eyed peas and African American culture and history.

It is common knowledge that black-eyed peas have been a staple New Year’s Day dish for generations of African Americans. But to festival organizers, it’s important to know that the first domestication of the black-eyed pea was in West Africa and that George Washington Carver (African American biologist and inventor) promoted the planting of black-eyed peas because the crop enriched the soil and had high nutritional value.

The festival is sponsored by the Post News Group and receives support from the California Arts Council, The San Francisco Foundation and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

“This festival brings our mission to life,” says Ravernell. “We want to highlight and preserve the cultural and spiritual traditions of African Americans and demonstrate how these traditions are connected to Africa and the African Diaspora.“

For more information, please see our web site www.oakbepf. com or email us at oakbepf@ gmail.com or call (510) 3325851.

VETERANS OF OAKLAND CALIFORNIA

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2727, located in Oakland, CA is seeking new members to join its Post. Must meet eligibility as follows:

1. Proof of Service by providing a copy of your DD Fm 214

2. Must have been awarded a recognized campaign medal or badge

S P I R I T

Featuring Destiny Muhammad (Harpist from the Hood) Michaelle Goerlitz Valerie Joi and Caroline Chung

Sunday, October 8th, 2023, 7:00 PM Freight & Salvage 2020 Addison St. Berkeley, CA

Tickets: https://secure thefreight org/13226/charlotte-maxwell-clinic-benefit

Special to the Post

The Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series presents a conversation with Virtual Murrell on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. in the Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale Student Lounge at Merritt College in Oakland.

Murrell is a former member of the Black Panther Party, a dynamic leader, political figure, advisor and author who has been active for six decades organizing and helping protect and preserve democracy. He has been celebrated by Black Panther Party members and founders for his organizing skills and compelling public speaking talent.

Murrell began his life’s work as an organizer while a student at Merritt College in the 1960s and his book, “In Pursuit of America’s Promise: Memoirs of a Black Panther,” has recently been published.

The event is co-produced by the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and the Peralta Community College District. To reserve free tickets, call the Freedom Center office at (510) 434-3988.

“Virtual Murrell has been a personal friend of me and my family since 1962,” Bobby Seale has written. “He and I were the leaders and founders of one of the first Black student activist organizations in the country. Moreover, we also cofounded one of the first Black history and Black Studies programs. It could not have been done without the leadership abilities and roles of Virtual Murrell.”

Rodney Carlisle, professor emeritus, Rutgers University, wrote in the forward to Murrell’s book, “This memoir is a remarkable achievement for several reasons. It is a fascinating first-person account by an African American leader and political figure whose personal career and observations span the decades from the 1960s to the first decade of the 21st century. As a young student leader at Merritt College in Oakland, California, Virtual Murrell knew and worked with Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, and others associated with the formation of the Black Panther Party.

“Later, as a political adviser and activist, he worked with a wide variety of Black leaders in the Demo-

“More broadly, however, Murrell’s comments on the situation of African Americans in the late 20th century and early 21st century will be interesting not only to contemporary readers who seek to understand the interplay of race issues and politics, but as an historical document for later generations. Rather than presenting these complex issues ‘from the outside’ as a sociologist or a historian, the issues and developments are described by an active, perceptive, and interesting participant.”

About the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series and the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center

The Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series promotes an ample exchange of ideas to help inspire and move forward new leadership and servantship. The Lecture Series is a longstanding public forum that invites civic leaders from all sectors to respond to Dr. King’s still-pressing question, “Where do we go from here: chaos or community?”

Broad East Bay audiences of all ages are exposed to some of our nation’s most courageous and exemplary civil and human rights figures, engaging in creative solutions and challenges to some of the most perplexing issues facing our communities today: economic inequity, voter disenfranchisement, systemic racism, violence in schools and neighborhoods, police brutality, and the contradictions and ramifications of extreme poverty.

Lectures are organized by the youth and staff at the Freedom Center, with a focus on promoting ideas and actions rooted in principles of nonviolence, and lessons from some of our nation’s most significant civil rights struggles.

Civic engagement at the Martin Luther King Jr Freedom Center brings together individuals and organizations of diverse ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds, working side-by-side for a healthy democracy.

The Freedom Center brings best practices from the nation’s Civil Rights Movement to the forefront in community education, training, and practice, building strong community partnerships with proven results.

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3. Served in Korea between 30 June 1949 until present, or earned Hostile Fire or Imminent Danger Pay as evidenced by your DD Form 214.

4. Overseas service in hostile areas.

If eligible, Post 2727 will pay the membership fee for the pt 2 years of your membership.

For more eligibility details and to apply, please contact one of the following individuals: Arthur Butler, 253-3438554, Aumont Phipps

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OPINION: How We Can Protect Our Communities from COVID After the Pandemic

ones from serious illnesses and deaths. We can return to doing the things and seeing the people we love.

Our initial focus was to prevent COVID-19 exposure, but sometimes this was not always possible. Now, we are shifting priorities to making sure our members know what to do if they test positive.

Although they are free, widely available, and effective, COVID-19 medications have been relatively unknown within my community. We are starting to integrate initiatives to raise awareness around COVID-19 medications into our other long-standing programs to support our community members who test positive.

vaccines and treatments.

The good news is that we know what works. Our church is hosting teachable Thursdays that highlight influential medical professionals to discuss vaccination benefits, side effects, and other important information about COVID-19. Additionally, we opened a wellness center to create a welcoming and trusting environment for those in the community, operated by community members to provide necessary services that address COVID-19, such as vaccinations, testing, and education around COVID-19 medications.

We invite and welcome all Angelenos who have questions or need support to come and access these services.

“All families, students, and workers deserve the freedom to succeed: to build real-life skills and pursue careers — including those that don’t require college degrees,” said Newsom. Photo: Instagram @gavinnewsom

By Rev. Edgar Boyd California Black Media

Every Sunday, I look out at the faces of my congregation, and I am grateful that we have overcome the many challenges we have faced over the past few years. At the same time, I am also reminded of all the beautiful souls we have lost to COVID-19. The pandemic has upended the lives of many in our community, and the residual effects are still being felt.

As pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (FAME), the oldest African American church in the city, I have always strived to lead my members to health and prosperity.

But nothing could have prepared us for the challenges of the pandemic, which affected every aspect of our church -- from how we conducted services to how we communed with people.

But the church leadership and I knew it was our calling to take on

COVID-19 and protect our flock. Over the years, we have continued to learn and evolve our approaches to address the overall health, social and educational needs of our parishioners and the larger South LA community.

Although we have made it through the most difficult period of the pandemic, COVID-19 remains a threat to our loved ones, especially Black communities in California who have been disproportionately impacted by the virus.

According to the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, Black residents in Los Angeles County were twice as likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 as white residents, and one-and-ahalf times more likely to die from the virus. These disparities are unacceptable, and we must work to reduce them.

Now, with COVID-19 vaccines and treatments widely available, we have the tools we need to protect ourselves and our loved

Scientific evidence shows that when COVID-19 medications are taken within the first week of testing positive, they can prevent serious illness, hospitalization, and death by half or more. Timing is crucial as most of the medications must be taken within the first five days to be effective.

To address these issues, we have had to overcome many barriers, one of the biggest being my community’s mistrust of the medical system due to generations of racism and mistreatment. We have worked hard to educate about COVID-19 safety and rebuild trust in the medical system.

We have also partnered with other trusted entities and organizations like the University of Southern California and Jewish congregations to share resources, materials, and knowledge to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made it a priority to educate those close to us about the resources and tools available to stay safe and protect ourselves, including

Overcoming challenges that Black communities here in Los Angeles and throughout California have faced due to COVID-19 has not been easy. However, through hard work, listening to our community, and the power of prayer, we have found ways to win over the virus. After all, prayers are powerful, but even more so when paired with COVID-19 medications.

To learn more about COVID-19 medications, visit YouCanBeatIt.org.

About the Author

The Rev. Edgar Boyd is pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (FAME), the oldest African American church in the city. Under his leadership, FAME is working to address the health, social and educational needs of parishioners and the surrounding community.

Gov. Newsom’s New Executive Order Opens Pathway to State Jobs, Higher Pay

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson California Black Media

On Aug. 31, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to improve access to higher-paying and more fulfilling careers for students and workers.

The executive order launches the development of a new Master Plan on Career Education designed to prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow, including jobs that don’t require college degrees. Additionally, the executive order directs the state to take further steps to reduce other barriers to state employment.

“All families, students, and workers deserve the freedom to succeed: to build real-life skills and pursue careers — including those that don’t require college degrees,” said Newsom. “California is leveraging billions of dollars in investments to prepare students and workers for good-

paying, long-lasting, and fulfilling careers.”

The Master Plan on Career Education aims to create career pathways; prioritize hands-on learning and real-life skills; and advance universal access and affordability for all Californians through streamlined collaboration and partnership between government and the private sector.

The executive order also builds on California’s effort to improve the state’s hiring process. Recognizing that many state jobs do not require four-year college degrees for success in a position, the governor’s executive order directs the California Human Resources Department (CalHR) to evaluate whether a college degree is needed for a particular position whenever its classification is reviewed. CalHR is currently engaged in outreach efforts to help more Californians access state employment.

Rev. J. Edgar Boyd. File photo.

NAACP 10-Point Plan ...

Continued from page 1

tor and protect businesses and neighborhoods

6. Re-institute community policing. Emphasize foot patrols.

Support Neighborhood Watch programs

7. Secure ongoing support from CHP for patrolling Oakland’s highways

8. Secure support from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office to assist the Oakland Police Department

9. Utilize civilian staffing, where appropriate, so sworn officers can focus on city safety matters

10. Institute a city-wide campaign

Congresswoman Lee ...

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Nations is one of the best tools we have to do so. I look forward to representing our diverse Congress and continuing to support diplomacy and international peace at UNGA.”

President Biden also nominated the following individuals to serve as US representatives to UNGA:

Congressman French Hill, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the 78th Session of the General Assem-

Sandré Swanson ...

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“I’m running to address these issues,” he said. “I have the experience, and I am qualified, and I can make a difference – to solve the homeless problem and eliminate this crime wave.”

Already, his campaign has been endorsed by the California School Employees Association, the State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

As a former member of the state Assembly, Swanson has left an impressive legacy. He played a major role in bringing back local control to the Oakland Unified School District after six years under state receivership that had disempowered the Board of Education and disenfranchised voters.

He also led the effort in the State Legislature to jail human traffickers and decriminalize their young victims.

He said, “I went to the police department and said, ‘you guys are arresting 12-year-olds and 14-year-olds, and you treat them like criminals.’ They said, ‘what choice do we have? We need a law.’ We wrote a law, so they have a diversion program, and the children are not treated like criminals but victims.”

Besides serving in the Assembly, Swanson worked for five years as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Barbara Lee after serving as legislative aide, district director and senior policy advisor for 25 years for Ron Dellums, a human rights leader and the first African American man in Northern California to be elected to Congress.

to encourage neighbors to devise methods for reporting crimes and suspicious behaviors

While we recognize that the above-suggested goals will not cure all of Oakland’s problems, we do, however, believe they provide objective measurable steps that if implemented will substantially enhance our public safety. Therefore, we call upon the Mayor, City Council, and the voters of Oakland to not only embrace these suggested goals but to formulate other measures that will advance our public safety.

Cynthia Adams President of the Oakland Branch NAACP (510) 279-3300

bly of the United Nations

• Janet Keller, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

• Calvin Smyre, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Jeffrey Worthe, Nominee for Representative of the United States to the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations

Swanson also chaired the Alameda County Retirement Board protecting seniors’ pensions and was chair of the Oakland Civil Service Commission, making sure people got a fair break on public jobs.

Swanson began his career as a young activist, meeting and working with Lee during Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s Democratic presidential campaign in California in 1972, and he chaired Lionel Wilson’s successful campaign for Oakland mayor in 1977.

He said he is a strong candidate because he has a considerable base of support in the East Bay district because, while he was in office, he helped retirees receive their Social Security and worked to help homeowners who were in danger of losing their homes because of predatory loans. “My legislative office saved hundreds of homes,” he said.

Swanson pointed out that currently there are no African Americans representing Northern California in the State Senate.

Swanson said one of his most exciting memories was coordinating Nelson Mandela’s historic visit to Oakland in 1990.

Swanson organized the celebration that brought 60,000 people to the Oakland Coliseum to hear Mandela speak following his release from prison South Africa.

Swanson and his wife have four adult children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

For more information about Swanson and his campaign, go to www.sandreswanson.net

Meet D.A. Pamela Price at Town Hall, Sept. 13

Faith in Action East Bay and the Interfaith Coalition for Justice in our Jails are co-sponsoring a hybrid Town Hall meeting featuring Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 6:30-8 p.m.

The in-person meeting will be held at Niles Discovery Church, 36600 Niles Blvd. in Fremont. Registration is available at tinyurl.com/SeptTHDA, where participants are encouraged to suggest questions to ask the D.A.

The event will be offered in Spanish, Cantonese or ASL if requested and will be moderated by Yoel Haile, director of the criminal justice program at the ACLU of Northern California.

Black Repertory Group ...

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Berkeley Repertory in 2001 received $4 million from the city to build their theater, which they sold back to the city and the city even help them build an artist-inresidence facility. In contrast our theater survives through sheer grit and sacrifice.”

Mona, who is Sean’s mother, frequently uses her Social Security check to pay theater expenses, and Sean works two jobs and says he contributes a portion of his wages toward theater operations.

After explaining the large scope of plans for reparations, Bartlett responded to questions about Black Rep. “There are plans that the theater will remain a Black theater, we’re just not sure about the current owners with whom we’re currently in

litigation because they have not paid certain fees and maintained the building.”

When asked if he was aware the city had not paid $25,000 a year for 23 years for maintenance, Bartlett says he had heard that but was not fully aware of the situation and understood that to be an issue in the litigation.

American playwright, novelist and poet Ishmael Reed, a Black Rep board member says, “the city bends over backwards for white theater groups while we get nothing. They even cut our free lunch program.

“We were feeding kids lunch and snacks, a federal program that paid the city $25 for each lunch. They cut us saying we didn’t meet census requirements and that if our kids wanted food they’d have to go to Strawberry Canyon, miles away from us. If that isn’t systemic racism, I don’t know what is.”

Verdese Carter Park Gang Violence Forces Kids’ Football Team to Find New Site to Play

By Tanya Dennis

Gang violence is raging in Deep East Oakland, also known as “Bossland,” where gun shots are heard daily, and recently, youth and the East Bay Panthers football team had to duck and cover twice in one month at Verdese Carter Park at 9600 Bancroft Ave. The Park has become the epicenter of violent activity despite a police station embedded there.

Oakland Has Plans to Bring Roots and Soul Soccer to the Oakland Coliseum Area

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council’s Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee on Sept. 12 at 1:30 p.m. will discuss a resolution authorizing an Agreement with Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club and Alameda County to lease land in the Coliseum area for the teams to play soccer games, welcoming thousands of fans to these locally oriented and growing teams.

The proposal would then go to the full City Council to authorize Alameda County and the Roots and Soul Soccer Sports Club to work out the details of the use of the property, known as the Malibu Lot, allowing the soccer club to return to Oakland and build a facility to play in the Coliseum Area.

During the proposed term of the lease, which is for up to 10 years, the facility would function as the home field for the Oakland

Roots men’s and Oakland Soul women’s soccer teams.

“We are excited to have the Oakland Roots and Soul plan for a strong future in Oakland and appreciate their commitment to the community,” said Vice-Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, who also serves as the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA) Board chair.

“Having soccer in the Coliseum area aligns with our goals to keep this centrally located area vibrant,” she said.

Previously, Roots/Soul soccer entered into an agreement with the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) to work together to enhance the future of the coliseum area.

AASEG has been selected by the Oakland City Council to lead the long-term development of the Coliseum property, with jobs, housing, commercial development, sports, and entertainment.

Alameda County D.A. Pamela Price Sues Livermore-Based Firm

Special to The Post

On Sept. 1, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office obtained a temporary restraining order against a Livermore-based flavored tobacco company, Apollo Future Technology, which does business as Apollo E-cigs.

The District Attorney’s lawsuit seeks to shut down what it alleges is a massive illegal flavored-tobacco and syntheticcannabis operation that poses a grave threat to the children of Alameda County and unlawfully competes with the legal, licensed cannabis industry.

The Court’s temporary restraining order, issued after briefing and legal argument, bars Apollo Future Technology from selling flavored tobacco products or synthetic cannabis products locally and online pending the resolution of a preliminary injunction hearing, which the Court set for Sept. 21 at 9 a.m.

This lawsuit is the result of a multi-agency investigation conducted by the D.A., the Livermore Police Department, California’s Department of Public Health, and California’s Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

As the allegations set forth in the District Attorney’s public court filings state, defendants used the Livermore warehouse as their base of operations to sell banned, flavored tobacco prod-

ucts — predominantly “vapes” and “vape juice” — to individuals under the age of 21.

The District Attorney’s lawsuit also alleges that Apollo sold products through its websites without verifying the purchasers’ ages as required by law, illegally shipped its flavored tobacco products through the U.S. Postal Service without complying with California’s delivery requirements and manufactured and sold thousands of synthetic cannabis products in packaging that falsely claimed the products were legal, natural industrial hemp products containing less than 0.3% THC.

“I want to thank the City of Livermore and our State partners on this investigation,” said Price. “In Alameda County, nobody is above the law and the rules that apply for small mom and pop businesses must apply to larger operations like Apollo.

I also acknowledge the parent groups and grassroots organizations that have made tremendous progress over the past decade to keep products like these out of the hands of our children. My Administration is committed to prosecuting violators of these laws.”

Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Trustee Kristie Wang is a co-founder of Flavors Addict Kids-Livermore, which advocated for the July 18, 2019, passage of City of Livermore’s restrictions on the sale of

said.

District Attorney Pamela Price responded, “The District Attorney’s office does not control or regulate the Oakland Police Department however, we are committed to prosecuting gang members and others who cause death or injury in our community to the full extent of the law.”

Jacob Davis, coach of the East Bay Panthers says, he will no longer bring his team to the park after shooting incidents on Aug. 24 and Aug. 29 where kids ages 5 -14 were caught in gang crossfire and had to take cover.

Tamu Lopez, treasurer of The East Bay Panthers, and accountant for Adamika Village#stopk illingourkidsmovement has two children on the team, Micah Lopez, 10, and Caleb Lopez, 14. Lopez says “My children are traumatized. My youngest, Micah, has had several nightmares since the violent encounters and neither of my sons want to play football anymore. Both are afraid to go to any park and want to leave Oakland.”

Davis notes that his team is a safety net, sometimes the only source of food for the kids, when they don’t have access to school meals or school activities.

“For many, belonging to the East Bay Panthers is their only positive outlet. We thought we’d be safe in the park because, until now, we thought Verdese Carter Park was a neutral zone for the gangs, but no longer. The police don’t respond, they don’t come here after 4 p.m. and we practice from 5:30 to 7.”

The Panthers are not the only group of children who are in danger. “We have five organizations that need to practice where they are safe: The East Bay Warriors, 510 Legacy, Bay Area Lions, Oakland Dynamite and the East Bay Panthers for our girls and boys ages 5 – 14.”

Representing Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, Pati Navalta responded that the Oakland Police Department (OPD) recognizes the uptick in violent crime and gun violence. “The Department is dedicated to utilizing all available resources to focus on individuals committing violent crimes, and we have increased our presence in areas experiencing this uptick. We are also collaborating with our neighboring law enforcement partners to address the recent surge,” Navalta

flavored tobacco products and e-cigarettes.

“As a mom and school board member, I have seen first-hand the harms caused by flavored tobacco products and electronic vape devices. These companies will not stop making money off the backs of our youth until we enforce our laws and punish those who break them,” said Wang.

Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce Interim CEO and President Sherri Souza said the organization represents “hardworking, law-abiding business owners including those within the cannabis and tobacco industries. When large companies blatantly disregard the health and well-being of our youth and don’t play by the same rules, small business owners simply can’t compete.”

Davis said the immediate safety solution is that Oakland Unified School District allow teams to practice on their fields. “The problem currently is OUSD charges a fee to utilize the fields that we cannot afford.”

When asked if Oakland Unified would consider this proposal, John Sasaki, director of Communications promised to investigate the feasibility of Davis’ proposal.

Adamika Village #stopkillingourkidsmovement believe they have the solution to ending gang violence at Verdese Carter.

CEO Daryle Allums says.

“Adamika Village hosts Town Night events funded by the Department of Violence Prevention and prior to, during, and a month after our last town night, crime and violence plummets. That’s because Adamika Village brings a different type of energy and people feel it! We bring love, hope, gifts, money, testing for COVID and flu, food, entertainment, and a kid zone. We provide a safe place; we are out here actively making a difference!”

Give Adamika Village the park for one year, before the city starts remodeling, Allums said, and “we will create ongoing ‘Town Nights’ with education, cooking programs that provide food to eat while they learn good nutrition. We’ll get Alcohol Anonymous out here to intervene in the drug culture and we’ll invite the Black Muslims to speak on health, lifestyle and self-control.”

When questioned about the cost Allums responded, “As we organize in the streets, we need people to organize behind the desk. Our Black girls are being kidnapped, our elder women are getting robbed, our people have stopped coming out.

“Let Adamika rebuild what has been lost. The soil at the park is corrupted. It’s contaminated with community violence, it’s toxic. Adamika will shift that energy so we can heal our people who are addicted to violence, who know nothing else.”

Livermore Police Chief Jeramy Young said he appreciated the hard work from his detectives and thanked the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the California Department of Public HealthFood and Drug Branch, the Alameda County District Attorney Office’s Inspector and the City Attorney’s Office for their help in this case.

“We understand the importance of state and local laws to protect our youth from the illegal sale of tobacco products,” Young said. “We hope these enforcement operations will prevent future violations of the law.”

This story came from the public information office of Alameda County District attorney Pamela Price.

Shortly after a shooting at Verdese Carter Park, the East Bay Dragon community football team, learn that they will not be practicing there anymore because of the danger. Photo by Daryle Allums.

From left to right: Oakland Soul players Aliyah Jones, Kaytlin Brinkman, Cecilia Gee, Maleni Morales, and Sam Tran. Photo courtesy of Oakland Soul.