Oakland Post, week of February 22 - 28, 2023

F.A.M.E. Engulfed By Flames

By Carla Thomas

On Sunday night, February 19

a 3-alarm fire ripped through the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church, near Telegraph and MacArthur in Oakland.

Flames engulfed the rooftop and much of the interior of the oldest church in Oakland. Firefighters said it was such a challenge to put out the fire from the

inside, that they retreated to the exterior while extinguishing the fire for five hours.

FAME Church was established in 1858, serving as a spiritual and cultural center for the African American community in Oakland for over 160 years. The church was a sanctuary of hope and perseverance for many who had faced discrimination, segre-

gation, and racism.

On President’s Day, the following morning, many church members, clergy and community members -- still in disbelief -stood outside the charred structure where pieces of debris, and black ash surrounded the front entry and side street of the church.

While the Oakland Fire Department investigators observed

the damage to the church, onlookers drove by to view the remains of the building while some parked and chatted with congregation members to offer support.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and is under the investigation of OFD as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive.

Continued

Oakland Post

“Where there is no vision, the people perish...”

Weekly Edition. February 22 - 28, 2023

Asian and NAACP Leaders Join With Plea for Armstrong’s Return

Resnick Resigns from School Board, Clearing Way for Hutchinson to Take District 4 Seat

By Ken Epstein

Nick Resnick announced this week on his website that he is resigning as the Oakland Unified School District

Rep. Barbara Lee Joins Competitive Race to Replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein

By Tanu Henry California Black Media

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA12), the highest-ranking African American woman serving in the U.S. Congress, announced on February 21, that she will enter the race to replace 89-year-old Dianne Feinstein — California’s senior U.S. Senator who has announced that she will not seek another term.

ulate my opponent and share that I will no longer be opposing the election contest, and therefore resigning from the D4 seat.”

In November, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters had announced the final vote count and declared Resnick the winner in the District 4 school board race. In January, he was sworn in and took his seat on the board.

However, on Dec. 28, 2022, the registrar announced that his office had used an incorrect software program to tally the votes in November elections, changing the results in only once race: Mike Hutchinson had actually received the most votes in the three-way race for Board of Education in District 4.

I am making the choice to congrat-

county registrar offered no remedy. Seeking to correct the mistake, Hutchinson filed suit and went to court. An Alameda County Superior Court judge set a trial date for March 16.

However, there are still many steps to take before Hutchinson can assume the District 4 school board seat. The court has yet to declare him the winner, and the new election result still needs to be certified.

At that point, Hutchinson would have to resign from his District 5 seat and take the District 4 position. Then, the school board could hold a special election or appoint a new District 5 representative.

While pointing out the error, the

“No one is rolling out the welcome mat – especially for someone like me. I am the girl they didn’t allow in, who couldn’t drink from the water fountain, who had an abortion in a back alley when they all were illegal,” Lee said in a video she released announcing her senatorial bid. “I escaped a violent marriage, became a single mom, a homeless mom, a mom who couldn’t afford childcare and brought her kids to class with her.”

“By the grace of God, I didn’t let that stop me,” Lee said over a soundtrack of loudening applause. “And even though there are no African American women in the U.S. Senate, we won’t let that stop us either. Because when you stand on the side of justice, you don’t quit when they give

you a seat at the table. You bring a folding chair for everyone, and they’re here to stay.”

A week earlier, Lee, a 12-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives who is known for her progressive politics, filed the required paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to be a candidate in the 2024 race.

“It has been an immense honor to serve alongside Senator Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving woman senator in our nation’s history,” Lee said in a statement after Feinstein’s announcement. “For over two decades, we’ve worked closely together to represent the best interests of our great state of California; create an economy that works for all; and advance justice and equity.”

“The progress we’ve made in the fight for equity can be seen in the Senator’s tenure itself: when she was elected in ’92, there were just two women senators. Today, there are 25,” Lee said, continuing her homage to Feinstein.

If Lee wins, she will be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate. Just two Black women, Vice President Kamala Harris and former Illinois Senator Carol

Continued on page 10

Proverbs 29:18 postnewsgroup.com

Rep. Barbara Lee faces two other California Democrats in next year’s primary.

NAACP President Cynthia Adams (dressed in Red in the center) is accompanied by Fremont Vice Mayor, Teresa Kang, Carl Chan, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce President and NAACP Advisor Greg McConnell.

Photo by Gene Hazzard.

Nick Resnick

Mike Hutchinson

Oldest Black Church in Oakland destroyed by fire. Members seek help to raise $1 million for restoration of 165yr-old congregation.

Heirs of Bruce’s Beach Finalize Sale of Property Back to LA County

Black Caucus Black History Month Event Celebrates

Business Owners

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

The California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) and the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) recognized the success of 16 thriving Black-owned businesses at its annual Legislative Business Brunch at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento.

The brunch, organized to celebrate Black History Month, honored the achievements of the businesses and celebrated their commitment to professional service and making an impact on the economy of communities around California.

“I am thankful that today, as it being the month of February and celebrating Black History Month, we get the opportunity to celebrate Black businesses. We get the opportunity to celebrate each one of you who are pouring into your communities in a meaningful and economic way,” said Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), chair of the CLBC. “You are making an economic impact, not

only for your families but for those that you employ and those that you provide good service to.”

Sponsored by Amazon and Instacart, the business program attracted Black business leaders, nonprofit operators, and all 12 members of the CLBC. Three Black constitutional officers — Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber, State Controller Malia Cohen and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond — were recognized at the event held at Citizen Hotel.

Cohen and Thurmond were present to accept their awards, and Reginald “Reggie” Fair, Deputy Secretary of State for Operations, accepted the award on behalf of Weber.

Radio personality Keisha Mathews was the program emcee.

Dr. Roy Larry and his wife, Penelope, of the Potter’s House COGIC church in Sacramento, provided the invocation. Sacramento area youth advocate Patrice Hill shared inspirational words in the form of a poem.

The event’s program was presented by Wilson, CBCC’s President and CEO Jay King, and CLBC Vice Chairman Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood). Anthony Williams, the California public policy director for Amazon, was the guest speaker.

King reminded the attendees that the event was made possible by Aubry Stone, who started the advocacy for Black businesses in the state in 1995 until his passing in November 2018.

Stone facilitated networking among different business organizations across the state and fostered relationships with local governments. In the process, he opened doors of access to all races, King said.

“We are the California Black Chamber of Commerce, and we believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion. I believe that means everybody. We shouldn’t leave anybody out,” King said. “We help small businesses. Today, it just so happens to be African American

Continued on page 9

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By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

On Jan. 30, the heirs of Bruce’s Beach finalized the sale of the land they just reclaimed last year back to Los Angeles County for $20 million.

The Bruce Family’s attorney George C. Fatheree III told KBLA radio personality Tavis Smiley that the family was prompted to sell because it faced a long and drawn-out process to get approval for development by the city of Manhattan and the California Coastal Commission.

“The return of the property and the ability to sell the property and take funds and invest it in a way that’s important to their lives represents an important opportunity for my clients to get a glimpse of that legacy that was theirs,” Fatheree said.

But the news of the sale was somewhat disappointing for those who reveled in the victory of justice carried out more than 100 years and hoped the Bruce family would keep the property in the family.

Antonio Moore, a Los Angeles attorney, and co-founder of the American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS) movement, says the deal reached by the heirs of Bruce’s Beach “doesn’t seem to be at fair market value.”

In his Jan. 6 podcast, which can be viewed on Youtube, Moore said he crunched the real estate numbers of surrounding property in Manhattan Beach and claims that the land is worth more than the $20 million — the price at which

the heirs of the controversial property were offered for the land.

The attorney said the option to sell back the land, which was first purchased in 1912 and illegally acquired by the city, is akin to the financial loss Black Americans have experienced over the decades due to “housing discrimination.”

“In essence, we are going to give them back the property but not assess any of the generational costs,” he said. “And then we (the county of Los Angeles) are going to create all types of limitations on the way they can access and use that property.”

Moore continued by saying, “The fact that this was sold back for $20 million should have everyone in an uproar. The fact that the (California) Reparations Task Force has literally said nothing about this is abject failure in my view.”

In his 37-minute podcast, Moore said that no one really took the time to “contextualize” the agreement between the county and the Bruce family since the announcement was made. Houses and condos around Bruce’s Beach are priced at around “$3 or $4 million,” he said.

According to Realtor.com, Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County consists of five neighborhoods. As of Jan. 22, there were 57 homes for sale, ranging from $1.2 million to $22 million.

As of July 1, 2022, 34,668 people resided in the beach town located about 30 miles southwest of Los Angeles. Of that number, 74.8% are white and 0.5% are

Black, according to U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

“I am not here to attack this family,” Moore said of the Bruce family. “I am more so here to question how we got here.”

The disturbing story of Bruce’s Beach Park — the location of the first West Coast seaside resort for Black beachgoers and a residential enclave for a few African American families — has received worldwide attention.

One hundred years ago, Manhattan Beach city officials seized Charles and Willa Bruce’s beachfront property through eminent domain, citing an “urgent need” to build a city park.

The use of eminent domain was the end result of segregation, intimidation, violence and threats from the Ku Klux Klan in Manhattan Beach. The plot of land that attracted Black people from all over the country was not developed for recreational use after it was forcefully taken from the Black owners.

On April 9, 2021, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn announced the return of the land to the Bruce’s descendants. The Bruces had purchased the real estate in 1912 for $1,225.

The transfer of ownership of the land was completed with the help of legislation authored by state Sen. Steven Bradford (DGardena). Senate Bill (SB) 796 exempted the Bruce’s Beach property from state zoning and development restrictions and enabled the county to return the site to its rightful owners.

Continued on page 9

New Assembly Bill Would Ban Use of Police Canines for Arrests, Crowd Control

By Edward Henderson California Black Media

Last week, Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson (D-Riverside) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 742, legislation that would prohibit the use of police canines for arrests, apprehensions and crowd control.

The use of police canines, supporters of the legislation say, is a throwback to the darkest days of legal slavery, Jim Crow segregation — and a reminder of America’s history of racial bias, aggression and violence against Blacks and people of color. Jackson says he wants to end the “deeply racialized, traumatic and harmful practice.”

“Since their inception, police canines have been used to inflict brutal violence and lifelong trauma on

Black Americans and communities of color,” said Jackson at a press conference held to announce the bill. “It’s time to end this cruel and inhumane practice and instead work towards building trust between the police and the communities they serve.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) California Action, a co-sponsor of AB 742, echoed Jackson’s concerns. “The use of police canines has severe and potentially deadly consequences for bite victims, especially communities of color,” said Carlos Marquez III, executive director of ACLU California Action. “It’s time for California to take a stand and end this inhumane practice.”

Jackson says his stance on the use of canines in law enforcement is backed up by data. For him, it’s a

California Black Media photos by Antonio Ray Harvey. Manhattan Beach, California. Sept. 23 and Sept. 24, 2023.

California State Controller Malia Cohen accepts the Constitutional Officers Award at CBCC/ CLBC’s luncheon. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Riverside) speaks at a press conference at the state Capitol to announce the End K9 Force bill. Photo by Felicia Rule/CBM

State Attorney General Creates Unit to Ensure Proper Convictions

Gov. Newsom Announces 20-State Alliance for Reproductive Rights

By Olivia Wynkoop Bay City News Foundation

California is one of 20 states that has committed to protecting and expanding reproductive rights in a new coalition, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.

By Keith Burbank Bay City News

Fewer people may be wrongfully convicted in California following the launch Friday of a postconviction justice unit in the state Department of Justice.

The unit will in part work in concert with district attorneys’ offices around the state to resolve wrongful or improper convictions as well as identify people who could have their sentences reduced.

The unit also plans to promote the best practices for post-conviction justice work across the state. Some jurisdictions already have post-conviction or exoneration units.

“Our criminal legal system is not infallible,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference Friday morning in Oakland. “It is not perfect.”

The new effort is about seeking the public’s trust, Bonta said.

The California Department of Justice has never had such a unit and it has been something Bonta has been working on since he was appointed to the office in 2021. The unit will start its work by reviewing cases in which state prosecutors won convictions.

Since 1989 more than 3,000

exonerations have occurred nationwide, Bonta said, citing The National Registry of Exonerations.

More than 280 exonerations have occurred in California since 1989, according to the registry. The people exonerated lost a total of more than 2,000 years behind bars.

Tens of thousands of people nationwide have been falsely convicted and are wrongfully incarcerated, according to estimates, Bonta said.

People wrongfully convicted often come from racially and economically disadvantaged or marginalized communities and “do not have the resources to mount a meaningful defense,” Bonta said.

Two people from the criminal law division in the California Department of Justice currently make up the post-conviction unit. Bonta is hiring for the unit.

It is not taking any cases now until more staff members are in place, Bonta said.

New evidence may come to light, mistakes may surface and sentencing rules may change, leading to the need to reevaluate a case, state prosecutors said.

“Nobody should serve time for a crime they didn’t commit,” Bonta said.

As part of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, governors supporting abortion rights have vowed to work together to prevent women losing access to the procedure and other forms of reproductive health care, like contraception.

Prompted by Newsom, the alliance allows governors to frequently coordinate on how to safeguard abortion rights in their states -- whether that be discussing budget decisions or upcoming bills introduced in state legislatures -and collectively respond to states pushing legislation that does the opposite.

As of Tuesday morning, governors from blue and purple states have joined so far, like New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The alliance formed after the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade prompted some states to bar or limit abortions and other reproductive health care practices. An estimated 36 million women have lost access to reproductive care since the court’s decision, according to the alliance.

“In the face of this unprecedented assault by states hostile to abortion rights and their enablers in the courts, we are pledging to work together to strengthen abortion firewalls across America. This fight isn’t over,” said a joint statement by the governors, who represent almost 170 million people around the country.

The alliance builds on a multistate commitment between the

and the Department of the Treasury: Black Taxpayers Are Targeted for Audit More Than Others

By Paul Cobb Special to California Black Media Partners

As the publisher of the Oakland Post, I am disappointed with recent mainstream media coverage and editorials trying to make tabloid news out of the appointment of Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland) as chair of the California Assembly Budget Subcommittee #5 on Public Safety.

Bonta, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus, was recently appointed chair by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and some reporters and newspaper editors around California have baselessly made the case that the assignment is a conflict of interest because she is married to Attorney General Rob Bonta and her committee oversees funding for the state Department of Justice.

As journalists, we have a responsibility to report on conflicts of interest and hold public officials accountable for any improprieties.

If, along the way, Bonta engages in activities that betray the voters’ trust, reporters covering her office have every right to investigate and expose those actions.

However, it is equally important to exercise caution and avoid making unfounded accusations that could damage the reputation of public officials.

Speaker Rendon has stated that the Legislature’s budget process is designed with checks and balances to ensure that the best possible budget is passed.

According to him, no elected official can ever personally or financially benefit from the budget process. Continued on page 9

states of California, Oregon and Washington last year, when West Coast governors stated that they would collectively defend abortion care and respond to states threatening to take the procedure away.

Last year Newsom also signed off 13 abortion protection bills, including a constitutional amendment and a $125 million reproductive health package in preparation for more women to visit California for abortions.

Newsom said the alliance is a “moral obligation” and a “firewall” to protect providers and patients from attacks against abortion access.

“California has long been a leader in reproductive rights, but we can’t do it alone. We have gathered a coalition of bipartisan governors to commit to reproductive freedom, and a coalition this size -- 20 and counting -- has never been done before,” Newsom said in a statement.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior

According to Stanford RegLab, Black taxpayers receive IRS audit notices at least 2.9 times more frequently than non-Black taxpayers and possibly as much as 4.7 times more often.

The new study included research by Daniel E. Ho, the William Benjamin Scott and Luna M. Scott Professor of Law at Stanford Law School, faculty director of the Stanford RegLab, a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Hadi Elzayn, a researcher at the Stanford RegLab, Evelyn Smith, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan, and Arun Ramesh, a pre-doctoral fellow at the University of Chicago; Jacob Goldin, a professor of tax law at the University of Chicago; and economists in the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Tax Analysis.

The researchers concluded that the disparity “is unlikely to be intentional on the part of IRS staff.”

The team’s research showed that a set of internal IRS algorithms causes racial differences in

audit selection. Goldin compared them to the recipe for Coca-Cola: “It’s completely secret.”

To better understand this audit selection bias, the research team modeled the racial impact that various alternative audit selection policies might have.

The result showed how the IRS could change its secret algorithm to make it less unfair to people of different races.

“The IRS should drill down to understand and modify its existing audit selection methods to mitigate the disparity we’ve documented,” Ho said.

“And we’ve shown they can do that without sacrificing tax revenue.”

Although there have been longstanding questions about whether the IRS uses its audit powers somewhat, Ho said it was challenging to study because tax returns are private.

The IRS’s approach to audit decisions was confidential.

That changed when, on his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order

Continued on page 8

California Attorney General Rob Bonta. Bonta was sworn in as the 34th Attorney General of the State of California on April 23, 2021. (Office of the California Attorney General via Bay City News)

Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), chair of the California Assembly Budget Subcommittee #5 on Public Safety.

concluded

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a media briefing at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Alameda, Calif., on March 16, 2021. (Eli Walsh/Bay City News)

Lori Wilson Picks Up Baton to Remove Slavery Language from California’s Constitution

By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media

Samual Nathaniel Brown said

he is not surprised that Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) picked up the baton to carry on the fight to eradicate the phrase “involuntary servitude except as a punishment to crime” from California’s Constitution.

Brown, who contributed to writing Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 3, the California Abolition Act, while he was incarcerated in prison, stood on the west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento with Wilson when she reintroduced a new iteration of the legislation that failed to pass in the state Senate last year.

This time around, Brown, Wilson and other supporters of the End Slavery in California Act say they are determined to retire the constitutional clause that allows labor imposed on felons as criminal punishment in California prisons.

“To be honest, we didn’t have to lure her in at all. She was a morethan-willing participant to pick up the baton,” Brown said on the Feb. 19 edition of Abolition Today. “Championing the causes of Black people is something she has been doing for a long time and has done in almost every position she has held. It’s a no-brainer for her to continue this fight.”

Abolition Today is a weekly online radio program with a specific focus on “modern-day slavery” as it is practiced through the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It is hosted by Max Parthas and Yusuf Hassan.

California is one of 16 states with an “exception clause” for involuntary servitude in its state Constitution, Wilson said. Should the state Legislature pass the End Slavery in California Act, voters will decide during the 2024 general elections if it will become state law.

Three states — Colorado, Utah, and Nebraska — have voted to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude. Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont have approved similar ballot measures.

“I am introducing this legislation because in every position of leadership (I’ve held) from (parks) commission to councilmember, from vice mayor to mayor, and now a state legislator; one of my responsibilities was, and is, to end systematic racism and root out discrimination,” Wilson said on Feb.

Silicon Valley’s Vast Wealth Disparity Deepens as Poverty Increases

By Alejandro Lazo CalMatters

15 at the state Capitol. Wilson added, “We only make up 6% of the overall (California) Black population but we make up 28% of our incarceration population. The allowance of slavery in our prisons disproportionately impacts Black people.”

Article 1, Section 6 of the California Constitution currently allows involuntary servitude as a means of punishing crime. U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager (D-CA37) authored ACA 3 in 2020 as a California State Assemblymember.

Kamlager said involuntary servitude is “forced labor.”

“By removing this language from our Constitution, we are moving our state into the 21st century and taking steps to ensure that no Californian is ever put in a position of involuntary servitude again,” Kamlager said last year.

On June 23, the California Senate rejected ACA 3 with a 21-6 vote. It fell short of the two-thirds vote requirement, 27 or more, needed to move the bill to the ballot as a proposition for Californians to decide its fate.

June 30, 2022 was the last day ACA 3 could have gained the votes it needed to have been placed on the 2022 November General Election ballot. It was not heard on the Senate floor that day. Five Republicans and one Democrat, Steve Glazer (D-Orinda), voted against the amendment.

“Slavery was an evil that will forever be a stain on the history of our great country. We eliminated it through the Civil War and the adoption of the 13th Amendment,” Glazer said in a statement.

“Involuntary servitude — though lesser known — also had a shameful past. ACA 3 is not even about involuntary servitude — at least of the kind that was practiced 150 years ago. The question this measure raises is whether or not California should require felons in state or local jails and prisons to work.”

“I feel like this is something that not only needs to get done but must get done,” Parthas said during the Abolition Today podcast.

“How can you talk about freedom, reparations, economic equity, equality in law and education while state slavery is still legal?”

Brown wrote the language in ACA 3 while he was in prison. He was released in 2021 after serving a 24-year sentence. The language of the bill was brought to the atten-

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tion of Kamlager by Sacramento activist Jamilia Land.

Land is a member of the AntiViolence Safety, and Accountability Project (ASAP), an organization that advocates for prisoners’ rights. Wilson said she was “proud to carry on the work” of Brown and Kamlager and ensured that she is committed to striking the word slavery out of the United States constitution.

“This constitutional amendment is now a national movement,” Wilson said.

The chairperson of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), Wilson was the first Black female mayor to serve in Solano County. First elected to the Suisun City Council in 2012, she served as vice-mayor for six years before winning the mayoral race in 2018.

Wilson was sworn into office to represent the 11th Assembly District after a special election last April following the resignation of former Assemblymember Jim Frazier. She serves as the assistant Majority Whip and is chair of the Select Committee on Transportation and Emergency Preparedness.

Wilson’s has the support of several statewide organizations in favor of removing the involuntary servitude clause: the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Legal Services with Prisoners with Children, All of Us or None of Us and the AntiViolence, Safety, and Accountability Project. Sisters Warriors Freedom Coalition, and Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice are sponsors.

“California was founded as a free state,” Wilson said. “There is no room for slavery in our Constitution. It is not consistent with our values.”

More Books Touch on Different Eras as Black History Month Nears End

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

The Bookworm Sez, LLC

The month of February has whipped by so fast that you almost missed it. Its true that the month is short compared to the other months, but no worries. There’s still a lot remaining, surely enough left to catch one of these great Black History Month books...

It’s been more than a century since the Tulsa Race Massacre, and it still seems like there’s much to learn about it. in “Requiem for the Massacre” by RJ Young (Counterpoint, $27.00), you’ll read about how descendants of survivors marked the centennial anniversary of that day in 1921, how officials are reckoning with what happened, and... what happened.

If you examine the decades between Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat and Black Lives Matter, you can clearly see how activism has changed with the times.

Author Mark Whitaker writes about one year of it in “Saying It Loud” (Bloomsbury, $29.99). Set in 1966, this book shows how the Black Power movement changed the way young Black Americans fought for Civil Rights, and what it means today. This reads like a novel, and it should be on your bookshelf.

Readers who love sports will want “The Education of Kendrick Perkins” by Kendrick Perkins with Seth Rogoff (St. Martin’s Press, $29.99). Here’s Perkins’ story, from his childhood in Beaumont, Texas, to his budding love of basketball, his NBA career, and playing with the sport’s biggest and best-known names. This is a

fan’s book, perfect for any season.

If a real-life thriller is more to your liking, then look for “Master

Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey From Slavery to Freedom” by Ilyon Woo (Simon & Schuster, $29.99). In 1848, Ellen and William Craft left the plantation on which they were enslaved, and they slipped away North. Here’s how: Ellen masqueraded as a rich white man during their flight, while her husband acted as the man’s slave. Needless to say, their audacious run was hailed by Frederick Douglass and other Black luminaries of their day; most astoundingly, that’s not the end of this heart-pounding story.

You gotta read this book.

And speaking of freedom, “I Saw Death Coming” by Kidada E. Williams (Bloomsbury, $30.00) is a book about the years after the Civil War and how Reconstruction affected the newly free and their families. Through genuine stories of several formerly enslaved people, both men and women, Williams shows how just getting by day-to-day was a struggle: with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, merely existing was dangerous. And perhaps one of the most frightening things of all might have been the dawning realization that the government offered limited help, if at all. This is a fascinating book, perfect for historians and Civil War buffs.

If these books are not enough for your pleasure or learning, be sure to ask your favorite librarian or bookseller for help. They can show you hundreds, if not thousands, of books that will enlighten, teach, entertain, or shock you. These are books you need to read now, or soon – because knowing Black history requires more than just a month.

A new study of Silicon Valley wealth, income and other economic measures shows vast disparities in one of the country’s wealthiest regions, with the top 10% of households holding 66% of the investable assets in the region last year.

In Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, just eight households held more wealth than the bottom 50% (nearly half a million households), according to the Silicon Valley Index, an annual report by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Studies, the research arm of Joint Venture Silicon Valley.

“We live in a capitalist system that is based on markets,” said Russell Hancock, chief executive of the San Jose-based think tank. “There’s rules to the game; the rules are fair. In Silicon Valley, we have some of the world’s biggest winners.”

Hancock added that the report highlights the need for more investments in education and “equipping people for success.”

The institute defines Silicon Valley as Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, as well as parts of Santa Cruz and southern Alameda counties. The think tank also includes San Francisco in some of its metrics. The report focused solely on data from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties for its wealth analyses.

Wealth inequality in Silicon Valley is more pronounced than in the U.S. overall, or globally, with the top 1% of households holding 48 times more of the total wealth than the bottom 50%, according to the report. That compares to 23 times nationally and globally, the report said.

Ultra-rich

The report estimates Silicon Valley’s aggregate household wealth is nearly $1.1 trillion, when it counts ultra-high net worth individuals.

The report marks the first time the think tank published wealth estimates that include data on these ultra-high net worth individuals, who the institute defined as those with net investable assets of $30 million or more.

Such assets are those that are held in cash, or can easily and quickly be converted into cash,

Continued on page 8

James E. Roberts-Obayashi Corporation is seeking proposals from

Asm. Mia Bonta (D-Alameda), in an orange outfit, was among those attending Asm. Lori Wilson’s announcement at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Feb. 15, 2023.

Black Taxpayers Audited...

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13985. This order requires all federal agencies to examine how their programs affect racial and ethnic equity.

To apply that order to the IRS tax return audit program, economists at the Treasury Department worked with the Stanford RegLab team to analyze more than 148 million tax returns and about 780,000 tax returns for 2014. The RegLab team used anonymous data to do the analysis.

Even with all that information, the research team found that tax returns do not ask for a person’s race or ethnicity.

So, the team adapted and improved on a state-of-the-art approach that uses first names, last names, and geography (U.S. Census block groups) to predict the probability that a person identifies as Black.

And they confirmed their racial identification results using a North Carolina sample of voter registration records. In that state, until recently, when people registered to vote, they had to check a box for race and ethnicity.

After finding that Black taxpayers were 2.9 to 4.7 times more likely to be audited than non-Black taxpayers, the team looked at why this might be the case.

They suspected that the problem lay with an IRS algorithm’s use of the Dependent Database, which flags a potential problem and generates an audit letter to the taxpayer.

That instinct proved correct in that most racial differences were found in so-called “correspondence” audits. These audits are done by mail rather than in person.

The team also found that the IRS audits people more often who claim the Earned Income Tax

Credit (EITC). The EITC helps low- and moderate-income people.

But claiming the EITC only explains a small percentage of the observed racial disparity.

The largest source of disparity occurs among EITC claimants. Indeed, Black taxpayers accounted for 21% of EITC claims but were the focus of 43% of EITC audits.

The racial disparity in audit rates persists regardless of whether EITC claimants are male or female, married or unmarried, raising children, or childless.

But it is most extreme for single male taxpayers claiming dependents (7.73% for Black claimants; 3.46% for non-Black claimants) and for single male taxpayers who did not claim dependents (5.66% for Black; 2% for non-Black).

Perhaps the most striking statistic is this: A single Black man with dependents who claims the EITC is nearly 20 times as likely to be audited as a non-Black jointly filing (married) taxpayer claiming the EITC.

Although the team does not know precisely what algorithm the IRS uses to choose audits, they thought of several possible reasons for high audit rates.

First, they tried an “Oracle” approach. They used a dataset called the National Research Project (NRP).

Because each tax return in this dataset was subjected to a line-byline audit, the amount of underreported tax liability is known.

So, the researchers looked at what would happen if the IRS selected taxpayers based on the known amount of underreported tax in the NRP dataset.

The result: The racial difference in audit selection flips. The IRS would audit more

non-Black taxpayers than Black taxpayers to catch the most underreported income tax.

The team also used the NRP dataset to train a model to predict the likelihood that a taxpayer has underreported income and the magnitude of a taxpayer’s underreporting for the entire 2014 dataset. They found that an approach focused just on the likelihood that there’s underreporting of at least $100 would result in auditing more Black taxpayers (as was observed).

By contrast, focusing on the magnitude of underreporting (the amount of money unpaid by a taxpayer) would yield a result much closer to the oracle: More nonBlack taxpayers would be audited than Black.

“The choice to focus on whether there is underreporting, as opposed to the magnitude of underreporting, is connected to broader structural sources of economic inequality and racial justice,” Smith said.

Because far more Black taxpayers have lower income, they have less opportunity to underreport substantial amounts of income, the researchers concluded.

By contrast, Smith said, “focusing audits on the amount of underreported income will disproportionately end up focusing on higher income individuals who are less likely to be Black taxpayers.”

Finally, the team wondered if the racial disparity in audits springs from IRS and congressional concerns about refundable tax credits, including the EITC and several others.

When someone claims one of these social security tax credits, they receive a refund even if they did not pay any taxes.

And some in government think it’s more important to avoid pay-

ing money to someone who claims it inappropriately than to collect all the tax dollars due from someone engaged in some other form of tax evasion.

To test the hypothesis that this approach would have a disparate impact on Black taxpayers, the team examined what would happen if the IRS focused audits specifically on the underreporting due to over-claiming of refundable tax credits (the EITC as well as two others) rather than total underreporting.

Their findings: This policy would result in Black taxpayers being audited at rates like what the team observed in the 2014 data.

Seventy percent of IRS audits happen through the mail, and 50% involve EITC claimants.

The team found that correspondence audits of EITC claimants are easy to trigger compared to laborintensive field audits, cost very little, and require minimal effort by IRS personnel.

Unfortunately, the burden of correspondence audits on EITC claimants is more likely to fall on lower-income individuals, whose tax returns are less complex and less likely to lead to litigation, according to a recent study by the same research team.

In their new work, the team found that additional aspects of the IRS audit selection process have a racially disparate impact in the United States.

For example, even among correspondence audits of EITC claimants, the IRS devotes fewer resources to auditing EITC returns with business income.

The team concluded suggested that it’s because it would be more expensive to audit EITC returns with business income (about $385 per audit compared to $29 per audit for EITC claimants with no business income), Elzayn said.

And the team found this costsaving measure has a disparate impact on Black taxpayers, who make up only 10% of EITC claimants reporting business income but 20% of EITC claimants who don’t report business income.

Yet even if IRS resource limits explain some of the racial disparities the team observed, they don’t explain all of them.

“Even holding fixed how many audits are devoted to EITC claimants who report business income, we still observe racial disparities,” Elzayn said.

The study’s authors have not made any formal recommendations for making the IRS audit selection algorithm more just.

Instead, they have written about the possible effects of alternative policies. This allows the IRS to reduce the racial impact of its system of choosing auditors.

These include predicting and focusing on the magnitude of taxpayers’ underreported income rather than just the likelihood of it; using IRS resources to audit more complex returns rather than focusing only on the simpler ones that are cheaper to audit; and viewing dollars as equal whether they are to be paid in refundable credits or received in taxes.

Before Biden signed the Racial Justice Executive Order that engendered this research project, the IRS needed more impetus and the ability to do that.

Now that they know the equity implications of how they select audits, Ho hopes they will tweak their confidential audit selection algorithm.

“Racial disparities in income are well known, and what the IRS chooses to focus on has big implications for whether audits complement, or undercut, a progressive tax system,” Ho said.

Silicon Valley...

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including checking accounts, certificates of deposits and retirement accounts. The group did not count houses, cars or other non-liquid financial holdings as investable assets.

Santa Clara and San Mateo counties had 163,000 millionaire households in 2022, which the report defined as households that had more than $1 million in investable assets. That translates to less than 1% of the region’s population holding about 36% of its wealth.

And an estimated 8,300 households held more than $10 million in investable assets, according to the report.

Conversely there were about 220,000 Silicon Valley households with fewer than $5,000 in total assets.

About 23% of Silicon Valley residents lived below the poverty threshold in 2021, a 3 percentage point increase from 2019. Two percent of Silicon Valley households, or about 22,000 households, did not hold bank accounts.

The report also noted that while income inequality was lessening statewide, down 1%, as well as nationally, down 3%, income inequality rose in Silicon Valley by 5% in 2021. Generally, the pace of income inequality growth since the 2009 recession has been twice that of the nation, the report said.

The disparities in Silicon Valley began in earnest in the 1990s, when the internet economy first took off, and grew more pronounced after 2010, following the Great Recession. The first two years of the pandemic exacerbated the inequality, the report said.

Heirs of Bruce’s Beach...

Continued from page 2

On Sept. 30, 2021, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on SB 796, allowing the Bruce family to retain the property which had appreciated in value over the last century.

The heirs had two options. LA County was in line to lease the land for $413,000 per year. It also included an exchange to buy the land for as much as $20 million. The family took the latter.

After the news of the decision to sell the land back to the county broke, social media exploded with commentaries from the Black community — for and against the sale.

Opinions on Twitter ranged from, “they got hustled,” the family “knew they’d sell back the property due to taxes,” “I wish they could have reached out to grass roots for direction and assistance,” “sad,” “unbelievable,” to “This was theirs to sell in the first place. Why are we acting like this was ours?”

Holly J. Mitchell, L.A. County Supervisor for the Second District, stated in a Jan. 3 press release that she was “proud” that the county and state addressed the “systematic racist acts that have cost Black families generational wealth.”

“I fully support the self-determination of Black people and fam-

ilies like the Bruces to decide what is best for their lives and legacy,” Mitchell said. “I will continue to advocate for the Bruce family to be fully informed and prepared for the immediate and long-term implications of this sale.”

Considering the well-documented history of racism in housing and real estate that have affected Black Californians, Bruce’s Beach draws attention to other areas in the state where discriminatory laws or practices that have caused Blacks to be illegally displaced or to lose valuable property. Many of these incidents have been highlighted by the California reparations task force.

Examples include land once owned by Black pioneers in Coloma, where the Gold Rush started in 1848; the removal of African Americans from their homes in downtown Santa Monica; and Black community loss of property in Russell City, located between Hayward and Oakland.

“The return of Bruce’s Beach to the rightful heirs of Charles and Willa Bruce will continue to serve as an example of what is possible across the globe when you have the political will and leadership to correct the injustices of the past,” Mitchell added.

Exclusive: Chairman Thompson Says Classified Tapes House Speaker Turned Over to Fox News Have ‘Serious National Security Implications’

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) turned over to Fox News included classified material that could threaten national security.

In an exclusive 65-minute interview with Let It Be Known, a live daily news show put on by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, Thompson, the head of the January 6 Commission, said he wanted to see what document McCarthy signed with Fox News to transfer the footage.

“There are safeguards in place, and some of this material is privileged,” he continued.

“You can’t just open the store and let someone come in and clean it out. We want to see what document was executed for that transfer of information. I chaired the [January 6] committee, and I can tell you that there is clearly information in there that we choose not to put in the public arena because of its sensitivity.”

from a journalistic standpoint, we can have differences of opinion, but when facts say something different and are irrefutable, and you try to promote alternate situations, that’s not journalism,” he continued.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

Mississippi Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson revealed that some of the 41,000 hours of video footage from the January 6, 2021, insurrection that

“There are serious national security implications, a lot of what we saw and did not share with the public as a committee,” Thompson said in a no-holds-barred discussion with Black Press reporters on the program.

Attacking Mia Bonta...

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The Legislature does not set salaries or benefits for state constitutional officers such as Rob Bonta.

The bold and unusual move by the House speaker of handing over such information reportedly comes after McCarthy faced intense pressure from his right flank to relitigate the work of the House select committee.

“You turn this kind of information to these people who have been proven in a court of law not to tell the truth about a subject they had already acknowledged in court. Fox News has turned this information over to the courts in a lawsuit, and now that same Fox News has access to information about January 6. The speaker should have said, ‘I can’t let you have this.’ But he did.”

While it took an unprecedented 15 rounds of voting for McCarthy to win the speakership, one of the reasons Republicans relented was because he vowed to hold hearings on the Capitol riot.

Police Canines...

Bonta’s appointment to chair is recognition that she has the skills and experience necessary to fulfill her role effectively and impartially. Rendon has expressed confidence that she will be independent in her legislative judgment.

leads budget matters for the executive branch. Finance and departmental officials, as well as staff of the Legislative Analyst’s Office advocates and members of the public, appear at public hearings to answer questions.

While Thompson doesn’t expect McCarthy to pay the price for his action, he stated his belief that he, a Democrat and African American, most certainly would have had it been him who turned over classified information.’

“I, and every other member of Congress, take an oath that you are not supposed to release that kind of information,” Thompson declared.

Continued from page 2

“I let the data take me to where I need to go. And the data is clear that in some of the most consequential issues of our time right now — especially when it comes to the relationship between law enforcement and the African American community,” Jackson told California Black Media (CBM). “This was a no-brainer for me. This is not a ‘gotcha’ bill. Our own data in California shows that we have it wrong, and we have to fix it.”

“The fact that canines are harming people more than batons and tasers is astonishing to me. I would never have guessed that,” added Jackson, who says he has already read three reports on the topic.

The California/Hawaii (CA/ HI) Conference of the NAACP, another co-sponsor, acknowledges the bill’s historic importance. “Police canines have historical roots in slavery and have continued to be used as tools of oppression for Black, Brown, and other communities of color,” said conference President Rick L. Callender. “With this bill, we can begin to shift and sever ties with the terrorizing past.”

AB 742 does not call for banning the use of police canines for search and rescue, explosives detection, and narcotics detection — all activities that do not involve biting.

“The use of a canine is sending a dog out that will inflict injury on a person before that person has been accused of a crime or formally convicted of one,” said Kat Carell, a member of the Sacramento Chapter of the ACLU. “So, you end up with lifelong disfigurement, or mental problems, or you could be killed before you have ever been in a court of law and proven guilty of anything.”

Reaction to the introduction of the bill by police dog handlers and some law enforcement organizations — including the Western States Canine Association — was swift, charactering the bill as misguided and going too far.

Ron Cloward, president of the Western States Police Canine Association and a veteran of the

Modesto Police Department, said Jackson’s bill does not “make sense.” He argued that if AB 742 passes, it would take away one more non-lethal weapon law enforcement relies on to fight crime.

Cloward, who owns a canine training business, told ABC news affiliate in Bakersfield that while dog bites can be harmful and “disfiguring,” they do not cause death. He further asserted that it was the only method of force that can be recalled after deployment.

“Once you’ve deployed pepper spray, it’s been deployed. It’s gonna land. Once you use your gun, it’s gone,” he said. “Once you use a taser, it’s on its way. You’re not stopping it. The only thing you can stop is a K-9.”

Jackson was elected in November of 2022 to represent the 60th Assembly District. Before that, he served on the Riverside County Board of Education in 2020 and represented portions of the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, and the unincorporated community of Mead Valley.

Supporters say Jackson’s background in social work gives him a keen awareness and understanding of the microaggressions Black and Brown communities face.

AB 742 is one of many pieces of legislation Jackson has introduced (or plans to) that holds individuals and institutions accountable, creating room for even larger victories towards dismantling systematic racism. He calls the effort the ‘Antiracism Bill Package.’

Another bill in the package is AB 11. That bill would authorize the creation of a commission to identify sustainable solutions to reduce the cost of living in California.

The commission would consist of 11 members, including nine members appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the President pro Tempore of the Senate.

Also, one member each from the Assembly and the Senate would serve as ex officio nonvoting members. The bill would require the commission to complete reports describing the commission’s findings and recommendations.

Budget subcommittees focus on specific issues in their agendas, such as how much more or less funding a division of a department needs to perform a specific function.

Thompson noted that the cause for alarm rose further when McCarthy gave the classified information to Carlson, the most outspoken Fox host, to promote the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

“If you do, you have violated the oath of office and broken the law.”

Thompson, who led the investigation into the January 6 insurrection, called it challenging to work with Republicans like McCarthy, Marjorie Taylor Greene of “moral issue” as well.

The work of Budget Subcommittee #5 consists of hearing, reviewing, and making recommendations to the full Budget Committee concerning the Governor’s budget proposals for the courts, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Justice, the Military Department, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and other public safety departments.

Proving her integrity, Bonta has announced, “I will recuse myself from Budget Subcommittee #5 matters directly pertaining to the Department of Justice including budget change proposals, proposed trailer bills, and legislative proposals that pertain to the DOJ to ensure that the body may focus on the important work before us.”

The press should be covering the important work that Bonta is doing to promote public safety and reduce recidivism in her district, where, sadly, gun violence currently disproportionately ravages communities of color. These are her constituents’ legislative priorities, and Bonta has a strong track record of fighting for their needs.

Furthr, there is real news occurring around the priorities Attorney General Bonta set for his office that merits press coverage. Among his priorities are combating hate crimes and protecting civil rights, advancing criminal justice reform, protecting consumers, defending California’s environment, and enhancing public safety.

These are important issues that deserve our attention, and it is disappointing to see them being overshadowed by baseless allegations of conflict of interest.

Mia Bonta has made it clear that the suggestion of a conflict of interest shows a lack of understanding about the legislative budgeting process.

The Assembly budget process starts with the Governor’s proposed budget bill, introduced by the full Budget Committee chair as required by the Constitution.

There are five Assembly budget subcommittees that recommend amendments to the budget bill as the principle focus of their agendas.

The Governor’s chief fiscal advisor, the Department of Finance

The state’s budget is finalized by negotiations on thousands of budget items led by the governor, the Senate Pro Tem, and the Assembly Speaker (a.k.a. the “Big Three”), on behalf of their branches of government. The staff of the governor, the Senate, and the Assembly carry out these negotiations at the three leaders’ direction.

The Department of Justice - as a separate constitutional office - is not directly involved in those concluding negotiations. The executive branch in those talks is represented by the governor.

Mia Bonta is an outstanding Assemblymember and public servant who has proven that she is committed to representing her constituents with integrity.

Rob Bonta, who held the same Assembly seat before being appointed Attorney General by Gov. Newsom and winning election to the office last November, also serves his office with integrity.

The media focus should be on covering both of their efforts to promote public safety and make California a better place for all citizens.

I urge all reporters and editors to uphold the principles of responsible journalism and prioritize the truth and accuracy of their reporting over sensationalism and clickbait. The public deserves better than to be misled by unfounded innuendo.

The Black press has a responsibility to step up and do its part to foster a more informed and engaged public and not allow mainstream media and newspapers to marginalize Black leaders without pushing back especially when their reporting shows ignorance and fails to uphold the principles of responsible journalism.

About Paul Cobb Paul

“You turn the tapes over to a guy who was the cheerleader of lies being told, and even when he knew what he was saying was wrong, he kept saying it,” Thompson railed.

“I don’t know what it means

Black Caucus Event...

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small businesses because of the many obstacles they face every day.”

Each honoree was selected from the state lawmakers’ districts, including four special recognitions selected separately by King. The following proprietors received business awards from the CLBC and CBCC:

Demetrius Porter, Center Cork Wines (Fresno); Chandra Brooks, Chandra Brooks International (San Jose); Juana Williams and Blair Paysinger, Downtown Disney (Anaheim); Earl Johnson, Home and Work Mobile Oil Changers (Fremont); Deborah A. Day, Ashay By The Bay (Vallejo); and Clayrone Clark, Coop and Fire (Gardena); and Dr. Leonard Thompson III, M.A.N.D.A.T.E. Records, (San Diego); Rounding out the business honorees are Keith Corbin, Alta Adams (Los Angeles); Reggie and Nicole Borders, Pound Bizness (San Francisco Bay Area); Lee Williams, Lee Williams Real Estate Group (San Pedro); Ann Hamilton, Robsag Real Estate,

LLC (Pasadena); Twina Brown, Mama T’s Food For the Soul (Moreno Valley); Austin Clements, Slauson & Co (Los Angeles); Zion F.A. Taddese, Queen Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant (Sacramento); Tyrei Lacy, Restaurant Seven Nineteen by G/S (Los Angeles); and Bo and Kay Anuluoha, Kutula by Africana (Los Angeles).

The CBCC is an African American non-profit business organization that represents hundreds of small and emerging businesses, affiliates and chambers of commerce throughout the state. It provides advocacy assistance for supplier’s diversity needs, and business development and training for small businesses.

The CLBC, formed in 1967, was created to address the concerns of African Americans and other citizens of color. According to the organization’s website, the members believed that a caucus would provide political influence and visibility far beyond their numbers. Today, there are 12 members of the CLBC serving in the California Assembly and Senate.

Grayson Creek is opening its waiting list for a limited time! This affordable apartment community in Pleasant Hill offers 70 units of 1, 2, & 3 bedroom apartments with rents from $595-$2,074. Applications for the waiting list will be available and accepted starting from 9am Tuesday, February 21, 2023 to 5pm Friday, March 31, 2023. Applications submitted by mail must be postmarked no later than 3/31/2023. Applications will be made available in 3 ways: 1) online at https://bridgehousing.com/properties/ grayson-creek/ or 2) calling the Grayson Creek office at (925) 686-4000, or 3) email at GraysonCreek@bridgehousing.com

The office is located at 100 Chilpancingo Parkway in Pleasant Hill, and office hours are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Amenities include all electric kitchens, dishwashers, wall-towall carpets, patios/balconies, and assigned parking. For more info call 925-686-4000. Income and other restrictions apply. Section 8 welcome. EHO.

Congressman Bennie Thompson (DMS)

F.A.M.E. Engulfed by Flames...

Continued from page 1

A homeless neighbor says he witnessed another homeless person light a fire for warmth or drug use, that smoked up the block. An hour later, he said, the church was on fire.

Congregation member Tasion Kwamilele was saddened to see the devastation but felt confident the church would be rebuilt. “I’m still in shock, but our pastor’s sermon yesterday entitled, “Shrink,” meaning decrease so that God can increase gives me hope,” said Kwamilele. “My faith teaches me that God will strengthen us as we

rebuild and God will provide us with a place to worship.”

Harold R. Mayberry, presiding elder of the Oakland/San Joaquin District of the AME Church who has served as the senior pastor of FAME for 24 years, said the fire was tragic and impacts the community deeply.

“Not only does it displace the oldest Black congregation in the East Bay from the home that they have worshipped, witnessed and worked from, for over 68 of its 165 years of existence, but it also displaces a portion of the community.”

Mayberry further described the Oakland congregation as resilient and experienced in overcoming previous challenges like those caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

“The congregation understands the magnitude of the hurdles that they face, however, they also understand the power of God who has never let them down,” said Mayberry.

For the past 30 years, FAME has been distributed much-needed supplies throughout the neighborhood. With a homeless encampment just a block away, the church has regularly provided food, clothing, and shelter. Oakland District

3 Councilmember Carroll Fife plans to help the church continue its meal giveaways.

The denominational district leader of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Clement Fugh, said he stands in “unity and total support” of Dr. Rodney D. Smith, FAME’s pastor and the historic congregation.

A GoFundMe page with a goal of $1 million has been set up by the FAME treasurer to raise funds to rebuild and support the church.

To access the link visit: gofund. me/4f586f89

Barbara Lee Joins Race to Replace Sen. Feinstein...

Continued from page 1

Moseley Braun, have served in the upper house of the United States Congress in the body’s 230-year history.

“As one of the most liberal states in the nation, we must continue to send an independent voice who will be diverse in their perspective and positions,” said Kellie Todd-Griffin, founding convener of the California Black Women’s Collective, a statewide organization whose membership includes women representing various professional backgrounds.

“That is Congressmember Barbara Lee. She speaks for all of us,” added Griffin.

In 2020, after Kamala Harris became vice president, Black women advocates across California called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a Black woman to replace her. They made the case that there would be no other Black woman in the Senate after Harris left, and that Black women are the most loyal, most powerful, and most consistent voting bloc in the Democratic Party.

GirlTalk Celebrates Seven Years

By Carla Thomas

GirlTalk celebrated its sevenyear anniversary at Everett and Jones Barbeque Restaurant in Jack London Square on Saturday afternoon, February 18, themed “Forever and Always.”

The women’s empowerment organization hosts monthly gatherings for women to discuss their trials, triumphs, and uplift each other as mothers, wives, professionals, and women of faith. From college students to elders, the women’s forum connects generations that keep the youth informed and mentored, while the seniors are kept up to date in an ever-changing society. Created by Pastor Dr. Doris Limbrick, a licensed counselor and leader at Acts Full Church of God in Christ in East Oakland, the organization was a way of getting women together beyond the church walls.

“I wanted to create a space outside the church that brings together all women,” explained Limbrick. “It’s really important for women to have a place where they can be themselves, relax, learn, and have fun. GirlTalk is also a ministry that gives women a platform to discuss personal issues, some as far back as childhood, issues within that were never resolved.”

The sisterhood meets monthly at a local event space in Oakland, however during the pandemic, like many organizations, GirlTalk

found a way to keep the group together virtually. “When we are unable to meet in person, we meet through zoom and through zoom we’re able to include women out of the area expanding our reach.”

While Limbrick has made an impact on many people throughout the community she prays for, she thanked Dr. Mona Scott, CEO of the Black Repertory Theater and a family member, who recently ascended, Mother Mary Butler for their guidance and assistance with structuring the organization.

“Mother Butler was always a big help to me and Dr. Scott opened her theater for us,” said Limbrick.

“It’s so important for women to support one another and in 2023, I want us to support more of our businesses.” As a community leader, Limbrick also attended a rally in support of Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong. Program entertainer Barbara Rhodes Woods performed, “Georgia,” accompanied by keyboardist Paul Wade while about 50 guests dined on a barbecue buffet.

Many guests and members are small business owners offering notary and graphics services to skin care and clothing. In addition to networking, a raffle was held with luxury gift bags presented to 6 lucky winners, featuring allnatural bath and body products by Soapy Faith.

Business owner, Brittney Follings, co-founder and COO of

Soapy Faith provided a motivational talk about her life’s challenges and successes. Over a decade ago, she and her sisters created a company and in just a few short years they were out of business. And after suffering the deaths of her parents and two other loved ones in 4 short years, Rollings stood on her faith to push through life and to see the resurgence of her company called Soapy Faith in 2015. For the past few years, her all-natural bath and body line products have been featured in the Grammys swag bags and earned the #10 slot of Esty’s Top 100 products. “Never give up, your trials are seeds for you to reap God’s harvest for you,” said Rollings. “Stand on God’s promises for your life.”

Some members of the GirlTalk leadership team are Dr. Limbrick’s own family including daughter Stephanie Davis and granddaugh-

ter Britteny Davis and great granddaughter little three-year-old Brielle, the youngest princess in the house.

“My mom has been an inspiration,” said Stephanie Davis. “It’s nice to see all that she does for others,” said Brittney Davis.

With generations of women from their 20s to 80s, no generation is left behind as knowledge is shared, important issues are raised, and women can be a part of a sisterhood.

For the organization’s communications coordinator, Debra Guillory, GirlTalk has been a way to build friendships. “GirlTalk has meant a lot to me and it’s actually helped me get over my shyness and make friends.”

For more information on GirlTalk or Christian counseling services call 510-381-1401.

Instead, Newsom appointed Sen. Alex Padilla, the first Latino from California to serve in the U.S. Senate. Although Black political advocates and Black leaders in the California Democratic Party eventually embraced Padilla’s nomination, many felt Newsom’s decision to not appoint a Black woman to replace Harris was a slap in the face.

“That is a terrible loss for America. That is our seat,” said Amelia Ashley Ward, publisher of the San Francisco Sun-Reporter, after Padilla was nominated. “It was won by an African American woman, and she had hundreds of thousands of African American women working hard with her, holding her up, standing behind her to win that seat.”

Lee, 76, will be competing for Feinstein’s Senate seat against two other Democratic members of California’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives: Katie Porter (D-CA-47), 49, and Adam Schiff (D-CA-30), 62.

Both Porter and Schiff, like Lee, have progressive voting records. Both Democratic competitors have already amassed tens of millions of dollars, respectively, in campaign donations. Their early fundraising places them in a stronger position than Lee to win the 2024 Democratic primary which will be held about a year from now.

In the U.S. House, Lee serves as co-chair of the Policy and Steering Committee. She is also a member of the Appropriations and Budget committees. She is former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Lee has also been hailed by her Democratic colleagues as the only member of Congress who had the courage to vote against the use of force in Iraq after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

As a young activist, Lee was a volunteer for the 1973 Oakland mayoral campaign of Black founder co-founder Bobby Seale.

Griffin says for Black women particularly, and for African Americans in general, it is important to have representation in the United States Senate.

“Congressmember Lee has been a progressive leader whose record demonstrates she will fight to solve the issues that impact our community.

She has effectively served California by advancing meaningful policy while standing up for the things that matter to everyday citizens,” said Griffin.

Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong Files

Official Appeal of Retaliatory and Wrongful Termination by the City

Post Staff from News Release

Chief LeRonne Armstrong has filed an official appeal of his retaliatory and wrongful termination by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, per his spokesperson Sam Singer.

According to Singer, Armstrong’s attorney, Will Edelman sent a letter to the city late Wednesday initiating the administrative appeal process to dispute his firing.

Singer also explained that Armstrong’s attorney says the city’s process calls for directing a hearing officer to review the case, and the evidence, and then make a recommendation to the city about whether to uphold his firing or not.

“This action is the first step towards litigation by Chief Armstrong and his attorneys against the City of Oakland for his retaliatory and wrong termination by Mayor Sheng Thao,” said Singer. “It should come as no surprise to

the public that when Chief Armstrong came within inches of removing federal oversight that Federal Monitor Robert Warshaw concocted false and misleading allegations to keep his lucrative contract in place.”

Mayor Sheng Thao fired Armstrong without cause about a month after initially placing him on paid administrative leave. Singer pointed out that Armstrong’s firing came at a time “when the city is struggling with violent crime and understaffing issues.”

During his leave, Armstrong publicly demanded his job back and argued he’d been unfairly accused and that the report’s findings were without merit. Supporters of Armstrong have expressed outrage at his firing, organizing rallies in support of the former chief and demanding that Thao hire him back.

City Councilmember Carroll Fife thanked the Oakland Fire and Public Works Departments for their to quell the fire in her newsletter message to the community. She has called for the community to provide fundraising support to help rebuild the house of worship. Photos from Fife’s newsletter.

On the steps of Oakland City Hall at Oscar Grant Plaza, faith leaders of Oakland and San Francisco, elected officials, and representatives of the Asian, Indigenous, and Latino Communities call the mayor out, demand Chief Armstrong’s reinstatement, and demand Federal Monitor Robert Warshaw be investigated and fired. Photo: Carla Thomas