Oakland Post, week of March 29 - April 4, 2023

Oakland Post

“Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18 postnewsgroup.com

Weekly Edition. March 29 - April 4, 2023

Kareem Jabbar Brings Books to Oakland and Tech Champs

20 Years Later, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund a Testament to Faith Fancher’s Enduring Legacy

reporter at KTVU who died in 2003 after a valiant battle against breast disease, the web site says. Fancher saw her own cancer as an opportunity to use her public profile to raise awareness and educate others about the importance of early detection.

Fancher founded an organization called Friends of Faith that was dedicated to raising funds for low-income women with breast cancer.

It was 20 years ago this March that Fancher first approached the Women’s Cancer Resource Center about setting up an emergency grant program for women going through breast cancer treatment.

Report: Pamela Price’s Achievements in First 75 Days as Alameda County DA

By Ken Epstein

By Tammerlin Drummond

When a woman is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation often make her too weak to work. If she is working a low-paying job or unemployed, the mounting bills can become overwhelming.

For 20 years, the Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) has provided a lifeline. The Berkeleybased non-profit organization administers the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, which gives cash grants of up to $595 to low-income women in Alameda

and Contra Costa Counties who are battling breast cancer.

Grant recipients have used the money to help pay for food, utilities, rent, car insurance, medical co-pays and other necessities. One woman who was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer said she used her $595 grant to buy an oxygen concentrator.

One of the earliest recipients was a 50-year-old homeless woman who used her $595 grant to pay for moving costs into housing she could afford.

“You could say the air I breathe is because of your generosity,” she said. “I am so incredibly grateful to you and am feeling better every day.

The fund is named in honor of Faith Fancher, a popular television

“Faith understood the financial burden that low-income individuals faced when diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Dolores Moorehead, who oversees the fund at the WCRC. “This was the first fund dedicated to financial support being offered in the East Bay.”

Over the past two decades, the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund has given out $992,000 in one-time cash grants.

The all-volunteer transition team supporting the administration of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price has issued a report on the first 75 days of Price’s new administration as she works to implement criminal justice reform, enhance victims’ rights, and overcome the obstacles, disorganization, and inefficiency her administration uncovered when she took over the D.A.’s office in January.

Price made history in Novem-

By Carla Thomas

Citizens and business owners met with elected officials on Tuesday at the Calabash restaurant in Uptown Oakland to air concerns on public safety and rising crime in their district.

Issues on the table included the need for faster police responses, connecting non-violent offenders with resources and an understanding of the Alameda County District Attorney’s prosecuting practices and role in the system’s matrix. Area 2 Police Captain Jeff Thomason of the Oakland Police Department (OPD), Oakland District 3 Councilmember Carroll

ber 2022, becoming the first Black woman elected in the county’s history. “She ran on a promise to bring fairness and equality to the justice system…. (which has) left crime victims, with an overrepresentation of people of color, without resolution to their cases... (and) also over criminalized the economically disadvantaged,” the report said.

She based her reform efforts on the expressed will of Alameda County voters. “Since 2012, the voters of Alameda County

have supported criminal justice reforms, such as Prop 36 to reduce the overly harsh penalties of California’s Three-Strikes law, implementing police oversight, and electing reform-minded candidates to other city and county offices,” the transition team’s report said.

The report, released Thursday at a press conference, was prepared by the Communications Committee of Price’s transition team: Barbara Becnel, co-chair;

torney Pamela Price, and Harold Duffey, Interim City Administrator for the City of Oakland were present.

Board Members, Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund (circa 2003)”

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (left) and Oakland District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife.

Some members of the Transition Team of Alameda County’s first Black District Attorney issued a 75-day report highlighting some of her accomplishments. Pictured above left to right Ray Bobbitt, Rev. Dr. Harold Orr, Atty. Walter Riley ,Paola Laverde, Rivka Polatnik and Atty. John Scott. Photo by Jonathanfitnessjones.

Remembering Kenneth Brown, Educator, Engineer, and El Camino College Trustee

In addition to his work in aerospace and as an education practitioner, Brown was president of the Governing Board of Trustees at El Camino Community College in Torrance. He had been a Board member since 2010

“He never stopped advocating for students’ needs to ensure they found success in higher education, their chosen career fields, and in their personal lives. He inspired us to become extraordinary,” said Brenda Thames, Ph.D., El Camino College superintendent/president in reflecting on her connection with Brown. “He led as an unapologetic advocate for equity and the expansion of educational opportunities for all students. The legacy of his work will impact millions of students for decades to come.”

Women’s History Month: Meet the Black Women Legislators Shaping California Policy

By Mark Hedin California Black Media

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. California Black Media

The El Camino Community College District, California State University Dominguez Hills, and the aerospace industry have lost a great leader and advocate with the passing of Kenneth Brown on March 23, 2023.

Brown was a pioneer in his fields, and his work as an educator, scientist, engineer, and trustee impacted countless lives.

Born and raised in Carson, CA, Brown attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he earned a B.S. in Computer Science and a B.S. in Physics. He later went on to earn his M.S. in Applied Physics from Clark Atlanta University.

“As a Morehouse alum, Ken upheld the tradition of striving to make a positive difference in the world, especially for the Black community. He had a keen analytical mind and he eagerly engaged in discussions in a variety of subjects, including politics and social issues that challenged you to think critically,” said Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rupert Byrdsong, a friend and college classmate.

Brown’s career in aerospace spanned over three decades. He worked for over 20 years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, where, as a System Engineering Analyst for the Mars Science Laboratory, he worked on

some of the most groundbreaking missions in the history of space exploration.

He was last employed as Operations Manager for Northrop Grumman Missions Systems Engineering & Sciences (E&S) Maritime Land Sensors and Systems/ Field Engineering, at Space Park, Redondo Beach. There he was the lead for a major new enhancement to the program, driving technical integration to meet performance and functional requirements.

In recognition of his contributions, Brown received the Black Engineer of the Year Modern Day Technology Leader Award in 2019.

Brown’s passion for teaching led him to serve as an adjunct professor of Physics at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. For more than 20 years he taught undergraduate physics, physical science, and math courses. Because of his exceptional ability to connect with his students, his dedication to teaching, and his caring nature, he had a reputation for being a devoted and well-admired instructor.

For the California Department of Education, Brown served as a Content Review Panel expert and helped author “Next Generation Science Standards,” which is being used in K-12 classrooms in over 40 states.

Vice President of the Board of Trustees Trisha Murakawa told The Union, El Camino College’s student paper, that she and Brown “‘were making good trouble, to truly help’ with education and equity at the statewide level and at El Camino.”

“Brown was a champion for students in everything he did …. and his legacy and commitment will empower generations of leaders to come,” Daisy Gonzales, the interim chancellor of California’s community college system, said in a statement.

Brown was elected to the California Community College Trustees Board in 2016, and in 2020 was elected to serve as president of the CCCT Board where he led the CCCT Board Financial Aid Implementation Committee as well as the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative Change Leadership Committee.

“I don’t think he had “no” in his vocabulary,” said Pam Haynes, President Emerita, CCCT Board and Los Rios Community College District Trustee. “He was unwavering in his steadfast advocacy for students of color, especially Black and Brown students within our community college system.

On a national level, Brown served on the Association of Community College Trustees Public Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Brown also served on the Da Vinci Schools Board of Trustees

Continued on page 8

Since Yvonne Braithwaite Burke became the first Black woman elected to serve in the California State Assembly in 1966, 20 other African American women have represented their constituents in both houses of the California State Legislature with distinction.

Many of them have gone on to make their marks in various political arenas at the state, local and national levels.

Take U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12), who represented Oakland and adjacent communities in the State Assembly and Senate for eight years before winning the first of 13 terms she has now served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Or Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass, also a California Assembly alumna, who became Speaker of the body in 2008 and served six terms in the U.S. Congress.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-29) represented South L.A. in the state Assembly and is serving her 17th term in the U.S. Congress.

In 2023, five of the 12 members of the California Black Legislative Caucus (CBLC) are women. They are: Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D –Ladera Heights)

The only Black woman in the California State Senate, Lola Smallwood-Cuevas represents state Senate District 28, a small, densely populated section of Los

Angeles County that includes Culver City and parts of mid-city Los Angeles and unincorporated Los Angeles County.

A former journalist and labor advocate, she worked in the successful Justice for Janitors campaign of the 1990s, and, during 15 years working at UCLA, she founded the Center for Advancement of Racial Equity at Work and co-founded the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, which became a model for similar organizations across the country, recognized by President Barack Obama.

In her first months as a state senator, Smallwood-Cuevas has introduced a package of worker and civil rights measures.

Among them is SB 627, legislation that would help workers laid off by a chain business to find work at other locations nearby. Another, SB 497, would offer workers whistleblower protection in cases of alleged wage theft or unequal pay.

Lori Wilson (D – Suisun City)

When she was elected mayor of Suisun City in 2018, Lori Wilson became the first-ever Black woman to serve as mayor anywhere in Solano County. She’d been vice mayor for six years.

Now, she’s chair of the CBLC after her election in April last year to represent the 11th Assembly district, which straddles Solano and Contra Costa counties.

She used her background in finance and accounting to work with homebuilders, fair housing agencies and as Solano County’s auditor.

She serves on the Appropriations, Banking and Finance, and the Accountability and Administrative Review standing committees.

Akilah Weber (D – San Diego)

From the 79th Assembly district is Akilah Weber, representing parts of San Diego, her hometown, and El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Spring Valley/La Presa and La Mesa.

After becoming first Black person ever elected to the La Mesa City Council in 2018, Weber left in early 2021 to run for the Assembly seat in a special election to replace her mother, Dr. Shirley Weber, who’d been named secretary of state. She won, and her mother swore her in. Akilah Weber was re-elected in 2022.

Weber is a doctor who founded San Diego’s Rady Children’s Hospital Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Division, heads the adolescent gynecology program at UC San Diego Health, and is an assistant clinical professor at UCSD.

In the state Assembly, she serves on six standing committees: Health, Higher Education Appropriations, Communications and Conveyance, and Water, Parks and Wildlife, Legislative Ethics Committee (co-chair) and Social Determinants of Health select committee (chair).

Tina McKinnor (D – Inglewood)

Tina McKinnor’s 61st Assembly district spans communities in western Los Angeles County

Continued on page 9

(Pictured from left to right) Assemblymembers Dr. Akilah Weber (D- San Diego), Mia Bonta (DOakland) Tina Mckinnor (D- Los Angeles), Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas (D- Los Angeles) Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D- Solano). Photos courtesy of California Black Media.

Educator Kenneth Brown. Photo courtesy of California Black Media.

Perez

These Tax Tips Can Make Filing (1040) EZ

may reduce your tax bill or provide a refund are often left on the table due to lack of preparation.

Whether you file on your own or work with a paid tax professional, the initial groundwork is the key to maximizing your benefits.”

Ready to submit or get started?

Here are some tips to help simplify the process, maximize your potential refund or minimize your tax burden before you finalize your return.

while your Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free in retirement. You can contribute up to $6,000 to an IRA each year, or — if you were 50 years or older in 2022 — up to $7,000 of your earned income.

• Seek help when you need it. If you have a more comprehensive tax return, it can be a good idea to work with a certified public accountant (CPA). If you need assistance in general, check if you qualify for free in-person or remote programs offered by the IRS or local organizations depending on your income, age and disability status. Go faster by going digital. Filing electronically will get your return to you more quickly than filing by mail. Selecting direct deposit to a bank account or prepaid card will make the process even faster.

Equity Report Reveals Statistics on Black Women Compared to Other Races

With Tax Day approaching, there’s no time like the present to get started on your 2022 returns and submit them well before the April 18 deadline.

This year, you have a few extra days to complete your taxes. With the typical deadline of April 15 falling on a weekend, followed by Emancipation Day on Monday, this year’s filing date is on Tuesday, April 18.

“Though there are a few extra days to file, make sure to still give yourself ample time to gather and organize your tax information to take advantage of any and all tax deductions, or other tax breaks that may apply to you and your family,” says Kelly Perez, Wealth Advisor for J.P. Morgan Private Bank. “Many key deductions that

• Get organized. Make sure you have important documents like last year’s return, current W-2s, 1099s and mortgage interest statements on hand. You’ll also want to gather receipts for taxdeductible purchases, travel, charitable contributions and other potential write-offs. You can look online to find checklists of documents you might need to help you file.

• Be aware of tax law changes. While taxes are inevitable, what you may owe or get refunded might not be. As you finalize or start your 2022 tax return, be aware of changes to federal, state and local tax laws that could affect your refund or how much you owe. For example, if you benefited from the child tax credit, earned income tax credit or child and

dependent care credit on your 2021 return, don’t be surprised if you get a smaller refund this year. Credits expanded as part of federal Covid relief packages have now returned to prepandemic levels. Are you working from home permanently? If you have a home-based business, you might qualify for a home office tax deduction. You can potentially write off expenses for a part of your home you only use for business purposes.

• To itemize or not to itemize.

Determine whether you’ll itemize your expenses or take the standard deduction. If you think your qualified expenses will be more than the 2022 standard deduction ($12,950 for most singles and $25,900 for most married couples filing jointly), it might be worth it to itemize. Taking the standard deduction can make the filing process easier, but it could mean you pay more in taxes or receive a smaller refund.

Contribute to retirement accounts. You can fund a traditional or Roth IRA through the April 18, 2023, tax filing deadline and have it count for 2022.

Traditional IRA contributions lower your tax bill right now,

• Need more time? If you can’t file by April 18, you can fill out a Form 4868 that will extend your filing deadline to Oct. 16. An extension to file isn’t an extension to pay, so if you think you’ll owe, plan to submit an estimated payment amount when you file your extension. The bottom line – Filing your taxes doesn’t have to be difficult.

By McKenzie Jackson California Black Media

Black women in the Golden State trail behind their counterparts from other ethnic groups in median wealth and a lower percentage of them have obtained higher education degrees. Black mothers and their babies have mortality rates that surpass women from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Kellie Todd Griffin, president and CEO of California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI) said the state of Black women in California is troubling.

“There is so much work to do,” she explained. “There is a gap with Black women. Without immediate interventions from a policy and practice transformation standpoint, we’re not going to be able to change the trajectory.”

Griffin’s remarks came a day after the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University released its 12th annual “Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California” on March 22.

the women in management positions and CEO chairs are African American. In comparison, 46% of women in management positions are white and 86% of women CEOs are white.

Black women hold 4% of the bachelor’s degrees obtained by California women, while white women have 47%. Among women holding graduate and professional degrees, 52% are white women, whereas African American women make up only 5%.

There is a connection, Griffin stated, between Black women’s trailing in education and wealth figures.

“We’re the smallest population amongst the groups that were assessed, however we shouldn’t be 4% of the bachelor’s degree holders,” she noted. “It’s disheartening. How do you get into corporate leadership if a majority of goodpaying jobs require a degree? We can’t get in the door to be able to accelerate up.”

Getting organized now will help make tax season easier this year and put you in better shape for years to come. For more tips to help you make the most of you and your family’s finances, visit J.P. Morgan’s U.S. Tax Center at privatebank.jpmorgan.com/gl/en/ insights/planning/us-tax-center.

COMMENTARY: Affirmative Action’s Death Knell Now Loud and Clear

By Emil Guillermo

Was the Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg — the man who could make history as the first prosecutor to indict a former president — an affirmative action recipient?

Why would anyone ask that?

But we know it’s the kind of slight all people of color face. After the incredulous ask, “What are you doing here?”

Bragg grew up in Harlem on what is known as “Strivers’ Row,” where accomplished African Americans lived in good homes that matched their high status.

And yet, Bragg also knows what it’s like to be stopped by police just for being a person of color.

He also knows what it’s like to graduate from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

And now that he’s on the verge of history, the man who is the possible perp of the moment, one Donald Trump, can only denigrate Bragg in accepted racist code, calling him a “Soros-backed animal.”

Trump’s reference to wealthy financier George Soros makes him anti-Semitic as well as anti-Black.

That’s how racist code has evolved.

And now Trump, by virtue of his Supreme Court appointments, is responsible for another evolution — the end of the ability to use “affirmative action” to flog an innocent person of color. That’s

because in a few months, the high court is expected to end affirmative action at Harvard and essentially all institutions of higher education.

Since a SCOTUS review last October, there’s been little news as we all hope against hope that a tool for equity and equality isn’t negated by the conservative court.

The silence was broken this past week, when the New Yorker Magazine published excerpts from the trial that had been previously sealed.

The most damning thing revealed was a joke, an assessment of one male Filipino American Harvard applicant, written on official Harvard admissions stationery.

Jose is said to be the son of a farmworker killed by a tractor, who now supports his family of 14 while working as a cancer researcher AND playing football as a 132-pound defensive lineman (incredible considering his slight build). But he played at such a high

level that not only was he named California Class AAA Player of the Year, he’s had an offer from the Rams of the NFL.

And let’s not give too much credence to the Nobel Prize he’s won.

“After all, they gave one to Martin Luther King, too,” the admission’s assessment reads. “No doubt just another example of giving preference to minorities.”

Far from an instant admit as a young man bound for greatness, Jose is dismissed as an Asian American likely to go pre-med and become a doctor. Ho-hum.

It’s funny in a gallows humor sort of way, and ready for use by either side of the affirmative action debate.

If you’re for it, it drips with the absurdity of the process.

If you’re against it, well, doesn’t this just ring with institutional racism?

But it’s a joke, essentially like an April Fools’ prank, written by

an Asian American (Thomas Hibino) who at the time worked at the Department of Justice’s Office for Civil Rights. Hibino, now retired, wrote it in 2012 to jokingly goad his lunch buddy, William Fitzsimmons, the dean of Admissions at Harvard.

And it was so good even Fitzsimmons appears to have been fooled by it.

That’s not exactly a smoking gun to sink affirmative action. But it does reveal a chummy relationship between the regulator (Hibino) and the regulated (Harvard/ Fitzsimmons).

And now it looks more like a decorative “final nail” in the Harvard Affirmative Action case —as if one needs any more nails than six conservative justices.

The unsealing of the trial materials is like a death knell that has broken the silence.

I was wondering about it as I finished up my theatrical projects in New York City this past weekend. In Ishmael Reed’s satire, “The Conductor,” one of the roles I played (besides a Brown Tucker Carlson-type) was Ed Blum, the man spearheading the anti-affirmative action group suing Harvard.

My Blum part is just an offstage voiceover, but one person in the audience, who spoke to Ed Blum recently, asked me who the

Continued on page 8

The 40-page report, with the tagline “Advancing Equity: Leading with Meaning and Purpose,” is the Los Angeles university’s assessment of the state of women in California based on a number of social and economic indicators.

It is “what women need in order to attain agency for themselves, add meaning to their lives, and contribute fully to their families, communities, and businesses,” wrote Mount Saint Mary’s University President Ann McElaneyJohnson in the document’s opening pages.

The report highlights issues affecting women and girls in California post-COVID-19 pandemic. The trends documented pertain to women’s education, economic security, health, household labor, and wage and wealth divisions.

The paper’s authors and staff at Mount Saint Mary’s are advocates who push for changes in legislation to help women and girls in the state.

Robin L. Owens, interim director of the center and associate professor of Religious Studies at Mount Saint Mary’s, said all of the study’s findings need to be addressed.

“My personal opinion, wealth impacts everything, so that is the one that struck me the most,” she emphasized. “The differences in the wealth gap between men and women, but also between African American women and other races. That was striking.”

The wealth gap among women is vast, according to the study. For every $100 owned by a white woman, Latinas own $10, and Black women own $9.

Twenty-four percent of households led by single Black women and 25% of Latina households are more likely to live in poverty than single white (14%) and single Asian (15%) women households.

In corporate leadership, 5% of

Black women are more than four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes then white women, and Black babies are more than twice as likely to die within one year than white babies.

The maternal death rates of African American women and their babies are comparable to numbers from decades ago despite funds and efforts put into improving that rate for all women, Griffin said.

“That is not an improvement,” she said.

CBWCEI is focused on using the numbers from the report and other statistics they have gathered to shine a light on the challenges Black women in the state have and to uplift their voices.

The group advocated for and received state funds to create the California Black Women’s Think Tank at Cal State Dominguez Hills, which focuses solely on Black women and girls through research and leadership development. The nonprofit organization is also conducting other African American women-geared initiatives.

“We are focused on Black women, Black girls, Black joy, Black advancement,” Griffin stated. “We understand if we invest in Black women, then we invest in Black communities. We are investing in Black California.”

Owens hopes readers of the report take actions like the CBWCEI.

“I hope people read the report and really give some thoughtful consideration to how they can add to the advancement of women in general and African American women in particular,” she said.

“Even if it is in a small way. Sometimes we tend to think we have to fix the whole problem. If we could just find out in our own corner of the world, how we could make a small increase in helping African American women and women in general that would make a difference.”

Sponsored content from JPMorgan Chase & Co. Kelly

The wealth gap among women is vast, according to the study. For every $100 owned by a white woman, Latinas own $10, and Black women own $9. Image courtesy of California Black Media.

The legislation also requires publishers to use 70% of the usage fee they recover from the big tech companies to invest in jobs.

“The CJPA provides a lifeline for news outlets — large, small, and ethnic — by directing a portion of the ad dollars back to the print, digital and broadcast media that bear the entire cost of gathering and reporting local news while Big Tech bears none,” said Wicks.

“These dominant digital ad companies are enriching their own platforms with local news content without adequately compensating the originators. It’s time they start paying market value for the journalism they are aggregating at no cost from local media.”

California Black Media Weekly News Roundup

By Tanu Henry California Black Media

Apply Now: The California Legislative Black Caucus Launches Annual Scholarship Program

The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) has launched its annual Frederick Roberts Scholarship Program for college-level study.

“We invite our community partners to share this scholarship application far and wide to graduating high school seniors and College freshman throughout California. The scholarship application deadline is May 15th,” the CLBC announcement reads.

Named for Frederick Roberts, the first African-American legislator in California, the CLBC says the scholarship program was “established to assist deserving students by offering financial assistance to help meet educational expenses.”

To apply visit the CLBC website.

Assemblymember Tina

McKinnor Wants More Affordable Housing

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) says she is “not here for the B.S.”

“I’m here to build houses,” McKinnor said to rounds of applause from members of the NorCal Carpenters Union surrounding her podium as she made the statement last week in Sacramento supporting Senate Bill (SB) 4.

SB 4 is one of several housing bills making their way through the California Legislature designed to expand housing opportunities and eliminate some of the red tape that prevents or slows down the construction of affordable housing units in local communities across the state.

On March 21, members of the Assembly Housing Committee approved the bill with a 9-to-1 vote. It has been referred to the Committee on Governance and Finance for review.

Legislature Advances Bill Written to Penalize Oil Companies for Price Gouging Last Summer

Last Thursday, the California Senate passed a bill close to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s heart calling for oil companies to be punished for arbitrarily increasing prices at the gas pump last summer and benefitting from it.

At the height of the surge, gas prices in some cities in California

Jesse Leroy Brown: Proof of Persistence

reached as high as $8 per gallon, causing widespread public frustration.

“For decades, oil companies have gotten away with ripping off California families while making record profits and hiding their books from public view,” said Newsom last week after the Senate vote.

Newsom says the legislation will serve as a deterrent.

“With this proposal, California leaders are ending the era of oil’s outsized influence and holding them accountable,” the governor continued. “Thanks to the Senate’s quick action, we’re getting this done for California families.”

The legislation calls for the creation of an independent regulatory group, the California Energy Commission (CEC), to investigate and determine whether the oil industry (more specifically, the five major oil companies servicing California) are engaged in price gouging.

The five-member commission would be appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate, and it would be granted the authority to access the financial statements and other corporate documents of oil companies, as well as subpoena executives if needed.

According to the governor’s office, the CEC would establish an “allowable margin” within which oil companies can set the price of gasoline per gallon. And before it imposes penalties, it would have to determine that the fine would benefit customers.

If the law passes, the CEC would be subject to oversight by the State Auditor.

Assembly Bill to Make Big Tech Pay Usage Fees for News from Local News Outlets

Assembly Bill (AB) 886, or the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA), requiring big tech companies like Google and Facebook to pay fees for content they display from local news outlets was expected to go into effect late last week.

The bill, authored by State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), calls for the large digital companies — who have become advertising giants earning money from content distributed on their platforms — to pay a “journalism usage fee” each time they use “local news content and sell advertising alongside it,” according to a statement released by Wicks’ office.

Both the California News Publishers Association (CNPA) and the News/Media Alliance (NMA) support the bill.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber Releases Voter Registration Report

Last week, Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber released a report updating the public on voter registration across the state.

According to the report, there are 21,980,768 registered voters in California. That number accounts for 82.27% of all eligible voters in the state.

Currently, among all registered voters, 23.83% are Republicans; 46.89%, Democrats, 22.48%, no party affiliation; and 6.81%, other.

The report does not break down voters by race.

It is a compilation of voter registration data (as of Feb. 10) submitted by elections offices in all 58 of California’s counties and it includes:

• Voter registration by political party, county, city, congressional district, state Senate district, state assembly district, state board of equalization district, county supervisorial district, and political subdivision

• Statewide voter registration by age group and by county

Historical comparisons to previous reports in odd-numbered years

Voter registration by political bodies attempting to qualify as political parties (by county)

Woman of the Year:

Assemblymember Akilah Weber Celebrates Her Mom, Secretary of State

Shirley N. Weber

In a heartwarming tribute last week, Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) celebrated her mother as “Woman of the Year.”

“This Women’s History Month, I am proud to announce that our Woman of the Year is none other than California Secretary of State Shirley Nash Weber, who also happens to be my phenomenal mother,” said the lawmaker and medical doctor who represents the state’s 79th Assembly District in the San Diego area.

“Although she is a woman of many firsts, she has made it a point to leave the door open for others who come behind her, including myself,” said the younger Weber, before listing her mother’s many personal and policy achievements.

“It is truly my honor to recognize Secretary of State Weber,” the younger Weber concluded.

By Tamara Shiloh

From his days as a sharecropper in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, James Leroy Brown (1926−1950) dreamed of becoming a pilot. In school, he excelled at math and became a top athlete. This level of determination was his ticket to enter Ohio State University in 1944.

On leaving Hattiesburg, Brown’s high school principal penned a letter to him saying: “As the first of our graduates to enter a predominantly white university, you are our hero.” And that hero worked even harder to remain there. To earn money to pay for his education, Brown worked a midnight shift on the Pennsylvania Railroad. After loading boxcars all night, he worked on maintaining a high GPA during the day.

To help pay his tuition, Brown joined the Naval Reserve after seeing a recruitment poster on campus. Students were being sought for a new naval aviation program. People around him only offered discouraging remarks, telling Brown that he would “never make it to the cockpit of a Navy aircraft.” But the comments only fueled his

desire to not only apply but be accepted. It took persistence, but he was finally permitted to take the qualification exams.

Brown underwent five hours of written tests, several oral tests, and a physical that proved rigorous. Yet he made it through every step. Afterwards, he wrote to a childhood friend: “I’m not sure the Navy really wants me.” But in March of 1947, he received orders to Selective Flight Training in Glenview, Ill., and later to additional training at Naval Air Station Ottumwa and Naval Air Station Pensacola.

On Oct. 21, 1948, Brown became the first African American man to complete Navy flight training. A story with the headline First Negro Naval Aviator was published the following day. It was quickly picked up by the Associated Press, and Brown’s photo appeared in Life magazine.

Assigned to fighter squadron VF-32 aboard USS Wright where he served as section leader, Brown flew a Vought F4U-4 Corsair. In Oct. of 1950, the squad was a part of Fast Carrier Task Force 77 and deployed to Korea to assist U.N.

CITY OF OAKLAND

forces.

It was Dec. 4, 1950, when Brown’s voice was heard over the radio: “I think I may have been hit. I’ve lost my oil pressure.” Soon after, he crash-landed his Corsair on the side of a snowy mountain. His wingman, Lt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr., realized something was wrong — Brown hadn’t emerged from the cockpit.

Hudner brought his Corsair down, where he discovered Brown trapped in his aircraft, bleeding and in pain. Trapped in his cockpit by a damaged instrument panel, Brown could not be rescued. He asked Hudner to tell his wife, Daisy, how much he loved her before he died.

Brown’s shipmates honored him with a warrior’s funeral. He posthumously received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Learn more about Brown, Hunder, and their friendship during the Korean War in the YA adaptation “Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism and Friendship,” by Adam Makos.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR MUNICIPAL ADVISORY SERVICES

Contract Amount: To be determined Terms: Contingent upon Closing of the Financing

Project Description: The City of Oakland, Department of Finance, Treasury Bureau, seeks municipal advisor services including but not limited to providing planning, development and advisory services for negotiated issues and private placements, as well as, marketing services, such as investor outreach, for competitive issues, and any other services related to the planning, execution, and closing of debt issuance.

Proposal Submittal Deadline: Submittals are due no later than April 14, 2023 by 2:00 P.M. via iSupplier. Please log on to iSupplier to submit your proposal online before the 2:00 P.M. deadline. Please register in iSupplier at least seven days prior to submittal to avoid last minute complications. In addition, please submit an email copy of the proposal to the project manager Dawn Hort, at DHort@oaklandca.gov. Questions regarding online submittal through iSupplier must be directed to isupplier@oaklandca.gov to the attention of Marina De La Torre.

NOTE: (1) Proposals not received at the above location by the stated deadline will be returned unopened; (2) If using a courier service, please secure guaranteed delivery to the required location and time as noted above.

Reminders:

• All who wish to participate in this RFP must register (at least 5 days prior to submittal due date) through iSupplier at (https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/register-withisupplier) to avoid last minute submittal complications and receive addenda/ updates on this RFP.

• Did not receive and invitation? Start Early with iSupplier registration. Upon completion of registration, send an email to iSupplier@oaklandca.gov listing “RFP for Municipal Advisory Services ” as the subject and advise of an invitation to the RFP. DWES will add your business to the RFP invitation.

• Experiencing bumps when registering? Send email to isupplier@oaklandca.gov or advise DWES support staff that you need HELP to expedite registration for this RFP!

•

following policies apply to this

• Please read Contract Boilerplate and Insurance Requirements (Schedule Q) in preparation for your success. Contacts for Answers to Questions

1. For answers to written emailed questions, send to: Marina De La Torre via email at mdelatorre@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-6419.

2. For iSupplier registration support, contact: isupplier@oaklandca.gov

3. Project Manager: Dawn Hort via email at DHort@oaklandca.gov, (510) 238-2994 Asha Reed, City Clerk and Clerk of the City Council, (Friday, March 31, 2023) The City Council reserves the right to reject all proposals.

Screenshot from Assemblymember Tina McKinnor at a press conference in Sacramento, CA. Image courtesy of California Black Media.

Remembering Kenneth Brown...

Continued from page 2

from 2019-20 in the Wiseburn Unified School District in El Segundo and on the Da Vinci Schools Fund Board.

A true renaissance man, Brown’s accomplishments extended beyond his professional life. He was an accomplished athlete, twice named All-American in Track & Field at Morehouse College and he played in the NCAA Div. II Basketball Final Four. He qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials and Pan AM Games in the high jump.

Brown, 54, lived in Inglewood with his wife of 25 years, Dr. Karla Harness Brown, a teacher, counselor, and child welfare and

attendance advisor for 30 years at the Inglewood Unified School District.

He is survived by two sons, Kenneth II, a Morehouse graduate who is now attending UCLA and Kaleb, a freshman at Howard University. He is also survived by his mother, Dr. Martha Brown, a retired professor of music and his mother-in-law, Gloria Armstrong, a retired Inglewood city employee. His father Keith Brown (deceased) was a probation officer.

From the outpouring of condolence messages and personalized tributes Brown’s family is receiving from the Inglewood community and beyond, it is certain that he will be deeply missed by his family, colleagues, and the countless students whose lives he touched through his work in education.

Affirmative Action...

Continued from page 3

person was who did a perfect Ed Blum?

The person didn’t know it was me, a Filipino American Harvard graduate.

Which brings me to the other project, “Emil Amok: Lost NPR Host Found Under St. Marks,” where I tell stories of my Filipino American experience in the white mainstream of media and Harvard.

I invited several Harvard classmates from decades ago to attend my performances. Doctors, lawyers, an Academy Award nominee.

One of them told me he was ashamed about those days when we were brought together through Harvard’s admissions process.

“I just assumed you were like me,” said the white New Yorker, who was admitted to Harvard under the ‘legacy’ policy, which gives some preference to children of alumni.

Later, in an email he expressed this: “I shouldn’t have been so solipsistic and blithely assuming. I

should have been more sensitive and curious. That aside, it was incredibly moving and meaningful to be let in now and to have a better sense of who you are.”

It only took 45 or so years for the real magic of affirmative action to happen.

And it did happen before SCO-

TUS is likely to kill it off.

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

Black, Latinx Californians Face Highest Exposure to Oil and Gas Wells

of health risks to those who live close to wells — that distance usually is defined as living within 1 kilometer (km), or a little over half a mile.

The California climate measures signed into law last September by Gov. Gavin Newsom contained provisions that would ban new drilling within approximately 1 km of homes, schools, hospitals and parks and provide protections for those living near existing wells.

But in early February, oil companies succeeded in putting the law on hold until voters decide its fate in a November 2024 ballot referendum.

Black Women Legislators...

Continued from page 2

including Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne, Marina del Rey, Venice, Westchester, Westmont, West Athens and parts of Los Angeles.

She was elected to the state Assembly in July last year in a special election after the sudden resignation of Autumn Burke, herself a former CBLC vice-chair and the daughter of California Assembly alum and three-term U.S. Congresswoman Yvonne Brathwaite Burke. Burke cited COVID impacts on her family at the time for her resignation.

McKinnor, who had worked in the Assembly for years as Burke’s chief of staff, is now chair of the Assembly’s Public Employment

and Retirement Committee, chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Select Committee, and a member of the Business and Professions and the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials committees.

Mia Bonta (D – Oakland)

Mia Bonta ran for and won the 18th Assembly district seat in Alameda County in a 2021 special election called after her husband, Rob Bonta, who’d held the seat since 2012, was named California Attorney General.

Bonta describes herself as a “proud Black Latina, raised by activists who protested outside the halls of power so that people like her could one day have a seat at the table inside.”

She earned her law degree at Yale, after studying there as an

undergraduate. She earned her Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Prior to being elected to the state Assembly, Bonta’s work revolved around improving educational outcomes for low-income students as CEO of Oakland Promise, a district-wide Oakland college and career prep program, and board president of the Alameda Unified School District.

She serves on six Assembly committees: Joint Legislative Budget, Public Safety, Human Services, Communications and Conveyance, Business and Professions and the Budget Committee, including two of its subcommittees: No. 5, Public Safety; and No. 6, Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation.

By Kara Manke

More than 1 million Californians live near active oil or gas wells, potentially exposing them to drilling-related pollution that can contribute to asthma, preterm births and a variety of other health problems.

A new study appearing in the March 23 edition of the journal GeoHealth finds that these Californians are disproportionately Black, Latinx or low-income, and Black Californians are more likely to live near the most intensive oil and gas operations.

“When we look across the state of California over the past 15 years, Black, Latinx and lowincome people consistently were more likely to live near oil and gas wells,” said study first author David González, a President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. “Black people, in particular, were more likely to be in places that had the most intensive oil and gas production, which can lead to more exposure to harmful chemicals.”

The study also found that while oil and gas production in California has declined over the past 15 years, the rate of decrease has been slower near racially marginalized communities.

Earlier work led by González found that disparities in exposure

to oil and gas wells can be traced back to the 1930s in Los Angeles and linked to the historical policy of redlining.

“What’s emerging is that oil and gas wells have been disproportionately impacting racially marginalized and lowincome communities in California for generations,” González said.

“We found that redlining was strongly associated with the disproportionate siting of oil and gas wells in historically racially marginalized communities, and we’re still seeing disproportionate siting and production of oil and gas infrastructure in many of these same neighborhoods today.”

Oil and gas production is a complex process that can release an array of hazardous pollutants: Drilling rigs and other heavy machinery emit diesel exhaust, active wells can release toxic volatile organic compounds, and in some cases, the chemicals that are used to extract oil from underground reservoirs can seep into the water supply, endangering those who rely on groundwater for drinking.

Operating heavy drilling machinery in residential areas can also create other stressors, like light and sound pollution.

Mounting evidence suggests that these pollutants pose a variety

“The weight of scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that people living near oil and gas development have a greater risk of respiratory problems and adverse birth outcomes,” said Seth B.C. Shonkoff, executive director of PSE Healthy Energy and an associate researcher at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. “Attempts to undermine or delay California’s landmark setback law contradict the science and increase public health risks, particularly for Black and brown communities.”

Given the complexity of oil and gas operations, many studies only consider proximity to wells when investigating the health risks of oil and gas production. However, this focus on proximity may mask additional disparities in the hazards posed by more intensive production, the researchers said.

The current study, which found that Black Californians are more likely to be exposed to more intensive oil productions, might help explain why some studies have found that the health risks associated with living near wells are higher for racially and socioeconomically marginalized people.

Rachel Morello-Frosch, professor at UC Berkeley’s

Read the full story on www.postnewsgroup.com

CITY OF OAKLAND REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT MANAGEMENT SOFWARE

Contract Amount: $140,000 (70,000 Implementation Service Fee and Year 1, Year 2$34,000 and Year 3-$36,000)

Project Description: The City of Oakland, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) seeks audit management software with project management capabilities to support the OIG’s auditing process. The service offerings included with the software implementation should include, but are not limited to, technical configuration, report development, multiple levels of user access, product hosting, technical support, and staff training. The tool should provide project reporting capabilities in the form of a user-friendly reporting dashboard to monitor the status of a project at all stages until completion with direct messaging capabilities for all contributors. The software should also have the capacity to house large files and documents for record retention purposes. It should also be FedRamp security model to ensure appropriate security measure for the data.

Pre-Proposal Meeting: Not applicable

Proposal Submittal Deadline: Friday April 14, 2023, by 2:00 P.M. via iSupplier.

NOTE: (1) Proposals not received at the above location by the stated deadline will be returned unopened; (2) If using a courier service, please secure guaranteed delivery to the required location and time as noted above.

Reminders:

• The following policies apply to this RFP: Equal Benefits

Urban League Fireside Chats

Recently reopening their doors Urban League of the Greater Bay Area began hosting a series of fireside chats at their new offices located @ Oakland City Center’s Lower Level-outside the entrance to 12th street BART. In honor of Women’s History Month the topic for their March 26, fireside chat focused on “Women Leading the Way”and was moderated by the Executive Director, Kenneth Maxey.

Panel: Speakers

• Dr. Donna White Carey-Medical Director of Case Management Alameda Alliance for Health

• Dr. Hanaa Hamdi-Founder & CEO Resilient Healthy Places & People

• Deka Dike-Founder & CEO Omatochi

• Sandy Nunez-V. P, Talent Management on Air for National Football League

They shared their struggles about the journey to achieve their goals and the sometimes sexist environments that they endured on their career paths. They also gave credit to the men and women that gave them insight and the strength to push forward to success.

To learn more about future fireside chats which are free to the public. Go to www.ulbayarea.org

CITY OF OAKLAND

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR

Evaluation of the Measures and Resources Needed to Merge the Investigative Responsibilities of the Oakland Police Department Internal Affairs Division (IAD) with the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA)

Contract Amount: $100,000 Terms: 6 months

Project Description: The City is seeking a qualified consultant to merge the investigative responsibilities of Oakland Police Department Internal Affairs Division (IAD)with the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA). This RFP is connected to the City of Oakland’s Reimagining Public Safety Task Force Recommendation 31/84 entitled “Reorganize OPDs internal structure to include transferring most of IAD to the Community Police Review Agency (CPRA).” The selected consultant will assess and evaluate the current functions and responsibilities of both IAD and CPRA, including intake, investigation, disciplinary, and record keeping determining the feasibility of such a merger.

Pre-Proposal Meetings (Voluntary): Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. (Pacific) – via Zoom.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88467458144?pwd=VUVGMzdDMlJ5Y0JV

SHB6WU1Rc0t0UT09 Meeting ID: 884 6745 8144 Passcode: 252217

Proposal Submittal Deadline: Friday, April 28, 2023, by 2:00 P.M. via iSupplier.

NOTE: (1) Proposals not received at the above location by the stated deadline will be returned unopened; (2) If using a courier service, please secure guaranteed delivery to the required location and time as noted above.

• Professional Services Local Hire

• Living Wage

• Prompt Payment

• Arizona Boycott

• Campaign Reform Act

Reminders:

• 50% L/SLBE

• Living Wage

• Dispute Disclosure

• Border Wall Prohibition

• Sanctuary City Contracting and Investment Ordinance.

• Did not receive and invitation? Start Early with iSupplier registration. Upon completion of registration, send an email to iSupplier@oaklandca.gov listing “RFP for O.I.G. AUDIT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE” as the subject and advise of an invitation to the RFP. DWES will add your business to the RFP invitation.

• All who wish to participate in this RFP must register (at least 5 days prior to submittal due date) through iSupplier at (https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/register-withisupplier), to avoid last minute submittal complications and receive addenda/updates on this RFP. For additional help registering and submitting your proposal to iSupplier please watch the user guide videos at (https://www.oaklandca.gov/documents/ isupplier-user-guides).

• Experiencing bumps when registering? Send email to isupplier@oaklandca.gov to advise that you need HELP to expedite registration for this RFP.

Answers to Questions::

1. For project-related questions, contact the Project Manager Dominique McBride via email at dmcbride2@oaklandca.gov.

2. For ISupplier related question after registration contact the Administrative Analyst II Carmen Rotaru at crotaru@oaklandca.gov, 510 238-2139.

Asha Reed, City Clerk and Clerk of the City Council, (Friday, March 31, 2023) The City Council reserves the right to reject all proposals.

• The following policies apply to this RFP: Equal Benefits

• Campaign Reform Act

• Professional Services Local Hire

• Arizona Boycott

• Border Wall Prohibition

• Prompt Payment

• Sanctuary City Contracting and Investment Ordinance.

• Dispute Disclosure

• Did not receive and invitation? Start Early with iSupplier registration. Upon completion of registration, send an email to iSupplier@oaklandca.gov listing “RFP CPRA/IAD MERGER” as the subject and advise of an invitation to the RFP. DWES will add your business to the RFP invitation.

• All who wish to participate in this RFP must register (at least 5 days prior to submittal due date) through iSupplier at (https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/register-withisupplier) to avoid last minute submittal complications and receive addenda/updates on this RFP. For additional help registering and submitting your proposal to iSupplier please watch the user guide videos at (https://www.oaklandca.gov/documents/ isupplier-user-guides).

• Experiencing bumps when registering? Send email to isupplier@oaklandca.gov to advise that you need HELP to expedite registration for this RFP.

Answers to Questions::

For project-related questions, contact Charlotte Jones at cjones@oaklandca.gov or (510) 238-6938 and Tonya Gilmore at tgilmore@oaklandca.gov.

For iSupplier registration support, send email to isupplier@oaklandca.gov or call (510) 238 7643 and advise that you need HELP to expedite registration for this RFP.

Asha Reed, City Clerk and Clerk of the City Council, (Friday, March 31, 2023) The City Council reserves the right to reject all proposals.

Pictured from left to right: Teresa Keng-Fremont City Councilmember; Sandy Nunez; Dr. Donna White Carey; Dr. Hanaa Hamii; Deka Dike; Michelle Phillps Oakland Inspector General; Bridget Cain-Clothing Store/ Business Owner

An oil well located next to a city park in Signal Hill, California. A new study finds Californians living near active oil and gas wells are disproportionately Black, Latinx and low-income. Living within 1 kilometer of active wells can expose people to higher levels of pollution and contribute to a variety of health problems. UC Berkeley photo by David González.

Seeking Solutions to Crime Wave...

Continued from page 1

ings are occurring in areas of East and West Oakland, now tracked by Shot Spotter, which alerts police where shots have been fired and directs officers to the right place.

Moderated by Nathan Moon, advocacy director of the Ujima Neighborhood Council, and hosted by Angela Moore of Oakland’s Neighborhood Services Division, the consensus reached in the meeting was that the rise in city violence corresponded to the abundance of automatic weapons on the streets, the continuing historic crack epidemic, and a current uptick in fentanyl use.

Victims of physical violence, car break-ins and small business break-ins with no arrests have left citizens with many questions about public safety.

With so many questions and not enough answers, citizens have further updated their demand: the ability to not just feel safe in their community but actually be safe in local surroundings.

The meeting included about 40 stakeholders, even a few beyond District 3 boundaries. Chinatown community leader Darlene Wong detailed the timeline and tools used to break into a popular restaurant on Eighth Street, one of four break-ins in the area.

According to Wong, the restaurant was empty by 3:15 a.m., and within five minutes, thieves spent the next 14 minutes using a saw, bolt cutters, and a hammer to bust through the restaurant’s gate and two double doors. Wong said the damage and theft cost $36,000 and her boss, the restaurant’s owner is livid.

Wong said cultural dynamics and fear of retaliation have prevented residents right across the street from reporting incidents.

“We have neighbors right across from our business, but fear of retaliation is big in the culture,” she said.

Wong hopes that a third-party patrol company and community liaisons will work more closely with the Chinatown Improvement Council.

Nina Moore, third-generation owner of Everett & Jones Barbeque Restaurant in Jack London Square, said their establishment had been victimized by theft twice in one week.

“They trashed the office and stole two safes,” said Moore. “It’s very stressful because my mom started this business in 1973. We are family-owned and -operated. My sister and I inherited and now run the business after our mom passed of cancer two years ago. We need more support for our businesses and public safety,” said Moore.

Price listened closely to the concerns during the meeting and explained that up until now the function of the District Attorney’s office has been the same for 100 years.

She acknowledged that lack of resources and even under-utilized resources have impacted the community and clarified that she has no authority over the OPD or how it functions, and the OPD has no authority over her.

Hiring eight new attorneys and two for mental health are the beginning of change, according to Price. “We spent the month of January reviewing cases and found 37 people in jail that are incompetent for trial,” said Price.

She also explained that mental illness is not a crime and mentally

ill citizens that need an alternative should have been referred or sent to the Care and Navigation Center (CNC).

With two years of a three-year contract and a $300,000 annual budget, Price says the center has only served six people. “With no oversight and accountability under the previous administration, we end up with people in need of medical care or in need of a time of respite at the CNC, sent to jail and forgotten.”

Price also explained many are reluctant to be transported to a care center in the back of a police car.

Until a few weeks ago there was only one mental health liaison for the entire county. Price said.

“There are many systemic changes we are currently working on. I just increased my staff to support those with mental health issues.”

Plans to work closely with community-based organizations in a full-service partnership with the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the Sheriff’s Department are underway, Price said.

Shared data, interdepartmental communications, and the use of collateral courts for qualifying defendants are also changes she’s making.

“We interact with 19 agencies. We can’t prosecute unless a case is referred to the D.A. To date, there was no data on referrals, public or private. There has been no public transparency or internal accountability. We’re working with I.T. on a data system to track everything.”

Pastor Lankford of the Oakland Private Industry Council and his team of citizen patrollers offered alternatives to police intervention. “When members of and from the community interact with non-violent offenders, a compassionate liaison can produce a better outcome.”

Richard Johnson, founder and executive director of FIGB, Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back, observed that many OPD SUVs are posted in the community with the engines on for hours. “I think it would be better for the environment if we had some police patrols on e-bikes”

For residents and businesses dealing with homelessness in the neighborhoods, Duffey, Oakland’s Interim City Administrator for the City of Oakland, said he is temporarily tasked with the city’s 800 homeless encampments.

Duffey discussed the process of closing city encampments and how sometimes the rules and regulations delay progress. “Our efforts to just remove encampment debris are thwarted if a person claims the items as their personal property.”

Fife empathized with the community’s frustrations and explained that the issues raised have been systemic for a long time, and she’s all about solutions and thinking “outside of the box.”

Fife suggested strengthening the 311 system and recently launched a micro-program pilot to pay a group of techies to improve the system’s functions. “311 is an operational system, but not completely funded, however we’re changing that.”

Shawn Upshaw, Triangle Response Coordinator for the City’s Department of Violence Prevention, said that more community liaisons need to be funded for violence prevention and support of people at the scene of a crime or homicide.

Price’s First 75 Days As DA...

Continued from page 1

Ray Bobbitt, co-chair; Walter Riley, attorney; John Scott, attorney; and Rev. Harold Orr, M.D.

In an interview with the Oakland Post, Price said she feels particularly good about her efforts to “provide relief to the families and people who were trapped in Santa Rita County jail with no pathway to get mental health services.”

She also has been able to bring on a number of new staff in a short time, “which is unprecedented for this county” and to provide supplies and training for Victims and Witness Advocates. “This is really huge,” she said.

She knows some people want to go back to the old days. “Ms. O’Malley is gone, holding onto the past is not an option,” Price said. “People opposing (these changes) lost the election, but they still want another shot at the apple. However, we’re in the office and doing the work.”

The D.A.’s Office is responsible for prosecuting criminal and specific civil cases for the more than 1.5 million residents in Alameda County. The office operates in nine locations throughout the county’s 800 square miles and is staffed by about 150 attorneys and an inspectors’ division, composed of about 60 experienced peace officers.

Before and after she took office, Price received little support from the previous administration.

“She received little information about office operations, protocols and standards, staff information, and fiscal management. She has worked to fill these gaps in information while maintaining the critical and essential services that the Office provides,” the report says.

“The previous administration departed without providing comprehensive transition support… (though) it was a reasonable expectation to have the previous administration provide transition support for at least 90 days,” the report said.

The failure of the previous district attorney to provide basic information for the new D.A. included:

• An up-to-date organizational chart

• A current personnel roster

• A current budget

• Comprehensive reports on the activities of each of the operating units

• A current list of the office’s contracts or operating agreements

• A current list of the boards, committees, and task forces that the office participates in or is legally required to staff

• A tour of the nine facilities that the office operates Among Price’s key initiatives are support for victims of crime. Her office is improving working conditions and support for VictimWitness Advocates.

These advocates offer emo-

Marin City’s Trammell Helps Aztecs to Play in NCAA Final Four

tional support for crime victims, victims’ rights information, help in finding needed resources and assistance in filling out crime victim-related forms.

“For the first time, the D.A.’s Office will subsidize (advocates’) parking and mileage and (cellphones) … and (sponsor) traumainformed support training and information about restorative justice strategies for the entire VictimWitness Advocate workforce.”

To implement fair and equal justice, Price has implemented a policy directive dealing with sentencing enhancements and plea bargains.

“Contrary to a false narrative, D.A. Price did not eliminate sentencing enhancements. She simply requires a case-by-case review of the appropriateness of sentencing enhancement(s) to ensure sentencing balance,” according to the report.

Price’s office has also “expanded the unit responsible for reviewing prior convictions including felony murder and serious crime cases for resentencing under the legislative mandate to eliminate disparity of sentences,” the report said.

The D.A.’s Office is improving technology to enable law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and the D.A.’s Office to share and track reports of child abuse.

Price has also expanded the types of cases pursued by the Consumer Environmental Worker Protection division to protect consumers, workers, tenants, and the environment.

To begin to hold police accountable, the D.A. has “established a protocol for officer-involved shooting reviews and updating the officer-involved shooting policy … (and) expanded the Public Accountability Unit, which announced eight investigations into officer-involved deaths,” the report said.

“In the first 60 days of the new administration, there have been four in-custody deaths at Santa Rita County jail,” the report said. “In addition, the office inherited numerous active cases of misconduct by police or public officials.”

To address mental health issues in communities, “The Office launched a community-based, countywide Mental Health Commission to advise the District Attorney on its response to Alameda County’s mental health crisis,” according to the report.

The Office (has already) “identified at least 37 people found incompetent to stand trial housed at Santa Rita County jail, (in order to) to provide them with services including housing placements and referrals,” the report said.

Faith Fancher’s Enduring Legacy...

Continued from page 1

There have been 2,500 beneficiaries, including women and some men with breast cancer.

Ricki Stevenson, a founding member of Friends of Faith, reflected on Fancher’s legacy and the enduring impact of the emergency fund that she created.

“It says that Faith continues to be a presence and it wasn’t just about her,” Stevenson said. “It was so all of the other sisters who come behind us they now have help even though they don’t have the same resources.”

Rosie Allen, another founding member of Friends of Faith, said Fancher left a lasting impact.

“Twenty years later Faith is no longer with us, but the breast cancer emergency fund lives on and the need is even greater than ever.”

The Friends of Faith used to host an annual 5K walk/run at Lake Merritt to honor Fancher after she died. It raised funds for the emergency fund and other Bay Area non-profits that provide ser-

vices to breast cancer survivors.

After Friends of Faith disbanded in 2017, the To Celebrate Life Foundation, former Friends of Faith board members and community members have continued to support the breast cancer emergency fund.

Shyanne Reese used her grant to help pay her rent while she was going through breast cancer treatment.

“I often reflect on how I wish I could share with Faith the impact her life and friends made on me in a non-judgement environment, relieving the financial stress of simply paying the rent so that I could focus on healing,” Reese said.

“With your support, we are able to continue this fund and support our community members when they need us most, said WCRC Executive Director Amy Alanes.

To donate to the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency fund, visit https://tinyurl.com/FaithFancher.

Dennis Jeffrey, 68

job to complete, and you were up against a short timeline. His ultimate goal was to please his customers.

Entrepreneur, music lover and friend, Dennis Jeffrey, coowner of the Oakland Print and Copy Center, formerly known as The Print Shop in Oakland, CA, passed away on March 16, 2023. He was 68 years old.

Dennis was born to Fannie and Robert Jeffrey, Sr. in Oakland, CA on March 11, 1955. He was raised in Oakland and attended Oakland Public Schools and the College of Alameda.

For decades, his printing business served the Bay Area and the community in a wonderful way.

Jeffrey managed to do something very special by becoming a critical element in the success and survival of many small businesses, many non-profits and even many public agencies and corporations.

He was that printer that you could go to when you had a tough

Printing was something Dennis knew very well and something he loved. He had been in the business for close to 50 years. When Dennis began his career, he was one of a few African Americans with vast experience as a press foreman, running web presses (the big presses that newspapers are printed on) for two of the largest Black newspapers in the country, Reporter Publications, which published the Sun Reporter and the California Voice, and the Philadelphia Tribune.

In 1991, Dennis stepped out on faith and started his own business, The Print Shop, which successfully met the multiple needs of the community.

He leaves to cherish his memories his father, Robert; twin sister Denise (Vernon); brothers Robert Jr., and Ronald (Renae); sister: Karen (Jeffery) and a host of nieces, nephews, loved ones, and friends.

A memorial service will be held on April 14, 2023, at Beth Eden Baptist Church at 10th and Adeline at 11:00 a.m.

Pictured: (Mom) Diema Adams and Darrion Trammell. Photo by Lester Parham.

(l-r) Pastor Raymond Lankford, Oakland Private Industry Council, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, Oakland Public Works Director Harold Duffey, Chief Assistant DA Royl L. Roberts, Pastor John Huddle, Chief Assistant DA Otis Bruce, Jr. Photo by Carla Thomas.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Y. Price front row center) with her Executive Leadership Team, including Chief Assistant District Attorneys Otis Bruce Jr. and Royl L. Roberts. Photo courtesy of Alameda County D.A.’s Office.