Malcolm: From Little to X
Black Cannabis Entrepreneurs Say State’s $30 Million Fee Waiver Fund May Not Be Enough
Ready to Take Legal Action: Cal NAACP Warns Redistricting Commission Page 5
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Meet Kamilah Moore, Young Activist and Lawyer Chairing California’s Reparation Task Force Page 8
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
58th Year, No. 25
Weekly Edition: Dec. 8-14, 2021
Teachers’ Union President Opposes County/ FCMAT Takeover of Oakland Schools Union and Oakland Post Community Assembly will hold press conference next week
By Ken Epstein
Ralph Sampson
Former Golden State Warrior Ralph Sampson Stands Tall for Oakland Special to the Post From Give To Change Foundation
Once known as the most heavily recruited high school athlete of all time, Ralph Sampson, grew up in Harrisburg, Va., and was the top high school basketball player in the country. His 7-foot, 4-inch stature made him a true freak of nature. But it wasn’t just his size that was impressive — he could handle the basketball and run the floor like a guard. This skill had never been showcased by someone of his size. On the University of Virginia’s basketball team, he was celebrated with Player of the Year accolades and numerous offers to leave college early to play in the NBA. But education was key for Sampson who wanted to graduate from college. Unbeknownst to the public, Sampson’s choice to pass up money for a college degree was a courageous step for him because he had dyslexia. That was the bigger victory for Ralph as he crossed the stage with a college degree in hand. After graduation, he entered the NBA draft in 1983 and was the number one pick by the Houston Rockets, where Ralph would later be known as one half of the “Twin Towers.” Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon became a dominating duo in and outside the “paint,” with jaw-dropping performances through the 1980s. Ralph excited arenas across the country with plays that would constantly snatch headlines, until a terrible knee injury cut his playing days short. But that injury didn’t stop Sampson from being selected into the Naismith NBA Basketball Hall of Fame. Eventually, Sampson was Continued on Page 12
Oakland Education Association (OEA) President Keith Brown told the Oakland Post this week that the teachers’ union is organizing to oppose the takeover of the Oakland Unified School District by the County Office of Education (ACOE) and the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT), representing the State of California. The union and the Oakland Post Community Assembly are co-sponsoring a press conference next Thursday, Dec. 16, to make the community aware of the takeover threat. The time and place of the event are yet to be announced. On Nov. 8, County Schools’ Supt. L. Karen Monroe — who has been working directly with the district for years — sent OUSD a letter, labeling the district with a “lack of going
OEA President Keith Brown.
concern” determination, an accounting term that means that an enterprise is bankrupt or going bankrupt. Monroe’s letter said OUSD must cut its budget by $90 million (of a $670 million total budget) and threatened — if the district does not take sufficient steps by the end of January — to withhold salaries of
the school board and Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell and place the district under direct control of FCMAT, the state’s Bakersfield-based nonprofit agency. The letter said that FCMAT would be charged, not the locally elected school board. “The school district shall follow the recommendations of the (FCMAT) team, unless the school district shows good cause for failure to do so,” the letter said. Brown told the Oakland Post that it does not make sense that the county and FCMAT would demand massive budget cuts amid upheavals related to the pandemic and increases in state and federal funding. “We’re not going to accept $90 million in budget reductions from the county,” Brown said. “The county has a responContinued on Page 12
City Attorney Settles Major Recycling Case Benefitting Oakland Ratepayers
By Post Staff The Oakland City Council this week approved settlement of the city’s lawsuit against California Waste Solutions, Inc. (CWS) after years of litigation to recover for Oakland ratepayers approximately $6 million in overcharges for bringing recycling bins at multi-family dwellings out to the curb (“Push/pull Fees”). “Unjust and unfair dealing is unacceptable and will not stand,” City Attorney Barbara J. Parker said. The settlement requires that CWS refund Oakland ratepayers for those years of overcharging and lower their rates for recycling services going forward. The settlement will make Oakland ratepayers whole, remedying the harm they suffered for years because of CWS’ overcharging practices.
Councilmembers (left to right): Sheng Thao, Rebecca Kaplan, Nikki Fortunato Bas, and Carroll Fife. Photo courtesy of Oakland City Council.
City Council Unanimously Approves Plan to Save Head Start, Prevent Layoffs By Kimberly Jones
The Oakland City Council this week unanimously approved a resolution by Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Councilmember Carroll Fife, and President Pro Tem Sheng Thao directing the City Administrator to ensure Head Start/Early Head Start are adequately funded now and in the future — including preventing staffing layoffs. The backbone of Early Head Start and Head Start member-
ship is overwhelmingly Black women and people of color, who have historically and disproportionately borne the brunt of the economic difficulties our society experiences. These communities are also disparately impacted when childcare is not available. It is vital to engage frontline workers directly impacted by investments and center conversations around these workers in a transparent budget process, according to a media Continued on Page 12
Families of Formerly Incarcerated will Receive Christmas Toys and Gifts Dec. 18 at Starlight Baptist Church
CWS trash-collecting truck. Photo courtesy of California Waste Solutions website.
The city filed this lawsuit nearly five years ago regarding CWS’ recycling contract with Oakland. CWS set a Push/pull Fee for providing recycling services to multi-family dwellings that far exceeded the fee for the same service to single-family dwellings. Despite the city’s best ef-
forts to negotiate in good faith with CWS to resolve the issue without litigation, those efforts did not bear fruit. To protect Oakland residents from CWS’ overcharging practices, including charges up to 550% of what their contract allowed, the city Continued on Page 12
Giving Machines Come to Oakland Temple Hill
By Post Staff
Richard Johnson is a formerly incarcerated Oakland Post columnist who has formed a nonprofit organization called Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back to provide toys, food, clothes and gifts to families who have a loved one who is incarcerated or is now re-entering society. Johnson says he wants to make sure that these families don’t get overlooked by verifying and validating that these families qualify. “This toy giveaway is a muchneeded service for the families of those of us who have been previously in prison for a crime against our community,” Johnson said. “Now that we’re back in society we wish to give back in many positive, sincere ways to help to restore
Richard Johnson promise, peace and redemption for our past destructive actions. Unfortunately, efforts to reach the target class of children of the formerly incarcerated is stymied Continued on Page 12
Alameda County Supervisors Host Meeting on Community Oversight of Sheriff’s Dept. From left to right: Elder Jay D. Pimentel, Area Communication Director, Church of Jesus Christ; Elder Steven C. Merrell, Presiding Area Authority, Church of Jesus Christ; Linda Ashcraft Hudak, CEO, George Mark Children’s House, Candace K. Andersen, Contra Costa County Supervisor and Emcee of Launch Event; Corbin Kaufusi, offensive tackle SF 49er’s; daughter of Sheng Thao with Sheng Thao, Oakland Council Member (District 4) and Mayoral Candidate; Bobby Miller, Director, ECAP; Christine Dillman, Associate Director, Tri-Valley Haven; Nellie Hannon, Founder, ECAP; Bruce Bird, JustServe. Photo by Kourtney Jarvis. By Post Staff
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Oakland City Council President Sheng Thao and Contra Costa County Board of
Supervisor President Candace Andersen were joined by San Francisco 49er offensive lineman Corbin Kafusi to launch Giving Machines on Oakland Temple Hill.
The Giving Machines are vending machines that, rather than dispensing drinks or potato chips, dispense love, hope Continued on Page 12
By Post Staff Alameda County Supervisors Dave Brown and Nate Miley are hosting a public meeting to provide feedback on the potential establishment of a Community Sheriff’s Oversight Board and/ or an Office of the Inspector General. The community meeting will be held on Zoom on Dec. 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Register for the meet at https://tinyurl.com/ACOversightDec15 to receive a confirmation e-mail with additional details and a link to the meeting. For information, contact Supervisor Brown at (510) 272-6693 or email Sarah. Oddie@acgov.org. Or contact Supervisor Miley at (510) 272-6694 or email Austin. Bruckner@acgov.org