Ursula Jones Dickson was officially sworn into office Tuesday afternoon after a months-long process to fill the vacant position following the recall of predecessor Pamela Price.
Jones Dickson said in a press conference prior to her swearing-in ceremony at the Alameda Board of Supervisors meeting that “we need to get back to business” at the district attorney’s office.
“This is a district attorney’s of-
fice, so we’ll do the work of the district attorney, and in addition to that, hopefully facilitate other good things in the community,” Jones Dickson said.
Jones Dickson reiterated her priority for streamlining the process for attorneys to make quicker and more precise decisions, ensuring the department’s budget is balanced and addressing divisions in the office.
She stated that starting on her
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and Lambda Legal filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging three executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. According to the groups, the orders threaten civil rights and the ability of organizations to provide vital social and health services.
The lawsuit—National Urban League v. Trump—was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It claims that the orders violate the First and Fifth Amendments by targeting diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility (DEIA) programs, and transgender rights.
The lawsuit also argued that there are broader consequences of the administration’s actions. “Be-
on page 8
By Post Staff
Hoping that his resignation will help the Oakland Police Commission’s investigative arm maintain key functions, Community Police Review Agency (CPRA) head Mac Muir has stepped down after nearly two years on the job.
As Oakland faces a $130 million shortfall, CPRA’s current annual budget of $4 million was only half of the designated $8 million and going down to $2.4 million under a proposal by the Police
Commission.
“I hope my leaving would lead to salary savings that would allow the department to retain my staff,” Muir told KTVU on Wednesday.
The CPRA, which was formed in 2016 with a ballot measure, is a civilian organization charged with examining police misconduct and determining discipline.
The City Charter says that CPRA must have at least one investigator per 100 police officers. Currently there only five investi-
By Post Staff
Oakland’s nonprofits, including those offering free meals to seniors, legal aid to immigrants, and violence reduction programs, are endangered after suddenly losing $2.6 million in city funding.
This cancellation of city contacts to these nonprofits is among the drastic repercussions the city is experiencing as it works to dig itself out of a $130 million budget deficit, which also has led to layoffs of about 100 city workers.
Other cuts have temporarily closed two fire stations and canceled police training academies.
In a memo in January to the Mayor and City Council, City Administrator Jestin Johnson announced the funding cuts. He wrote that nonprofits would be paid for work already completed but not for any work going forward, even by nonprofits with signed contracts.
13 grant recipients in the first round of terminations, and the City’s expenditure savings are estimated to be $2.6 million,” according to Johnson. “This is a critical contribution building on the steps taken in December to close the projected … shortfall in the current fiscal year.”
“We will pay grantees what we owe for work already performed,” he wrote. “The City’s notices to the grant recipients will advise them, ‘The City will pay or reimburse Grantees for work properly performed under the Agreement up to the Termination Date, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. However, no additional work is authorized or requested that is not currently in progress.’”
By Post Staff
The NAACP, National Action Network (NAN), faith leaders and more are calling for a boycott for 24 hours on Feb. 28 in response to President Trump’s executive order to halt programs in federal agencies that support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) directives.
Publicized as well by word-ofmouth and social media, boycott
supporters are being asked to ‘turn it off’ from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on the last day of Black History Month. Buy nothing online
“The City Administrator’s Office is … distributing notices to recipients of City grants, providing them with 30 days’ notice that their grant agreements are being terminated,” Johnson wrote in the memo.
“This will affect an estimated
Among affected nonprofits are: Trybe; SOS Meals on Wheels; Centro Legal de la Raza; CURYJ; the Peralta Hacienda Historical Park center; and Adamika Village, which is a support group for victims of violence.
Nonprofit leaders say the services they have been providing will decline or even disappear if the city does not restore at least some of the funding, which
Mac Muir was appointed executive director of Oakland’s Community Police Review Agency. Credit: Courtesy city of Oakland
Alameda Superior Court Judge Ursula Jones Dickson was sworn into the County District Attorney
Photo by Magaly Muñoz.
Charles Dudley, Clifford Ray, Rick Berry and her Godmother of Basketball WNBA legend Nancy Lieberman with Madyson Reeves.
Retiring conductor of Oakland’s Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra Jay Trottier (left) and incoming conductor Kirsten Bradford (right).
CA Republicans Call on Trump Admin to Help Beat Back State’s Natural Gas Restrictions
By McKenzie Jackson California Black Media
California Republican leaders are pushing back against state and local initiatives across the Golden State aimed at preventing Californians from buying or installing gas appliances in their homes.
On Feb. 10, they asked the administration of President Donald Trump to intervene.
In a letter, the 28 Republican members of the State Assembly and State Senate urged U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Christopher Wright to evaluate the policies and stop gas appliance restrictions wherever possible.
“As executive orders issued by the new Trump/Vance administration recognize, America’s prosperity and national security depend on an affordable, reliable, and sufficient energy supply,” the letter reads. “Recent efforts to restrict natural gas use limit consumer choice and deny vulnerable communities access to an affordable and reliable energy source. Such efforts have created a difficult-to-navigate patchwork of local rules and impose costs on consumers, manufacturers, workers, and businesses, contributing to California’s affordability crisis.”
In a statement Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) said energy policies initiated by Democrats are hurting family budgets and escalating the state’s cost-of-living crisis.
“Working Californians already face some of the highest electric rates in the country - they can’t afford to have out-of-touch bureaucrats ban more affordable energy sources,” Gallagher said. “If California’s leaders won’t stand up for consumers, the federal government should.”
There has been an ongoing effort to decrease the use of natural gas appliances in California in recent years to improve indoor air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emis-
sions. The California Air Resources Board approved a plan three years ago requiring homes and businesses to transition to zero-emission alternatives like electric heat pumps instead of gas-powered water and space heaters by 2023.
According to the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group focused on eliminating fossil fuels in buildings to improve health and make communities more resilient to the climate change, 74 California jurisdictions have policies that seek to end the use of natural gas in new buildings.
However, many of these efforts are facing resistance and legal challenges from homebuilders, restaurants, and the gas industry.
The lawsuit came seven months after the city of Berkeley agreed to roll back a landmark climate rule that would have prohibited natural gas hookups in new homes. The 2019 gas ban was challenged by the California Restaurant Association and struck down in 2023 by a threejudge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-Santee) called the energy policies “government overreach” and said Californians don’t need to be dictated to regarding what appliances they can purchase.
“Electricity rates in California are the highest in the nation, and we barely have enough supply to keep the lights on,” he said. “Now, Democrats want to push consumers away from the only more affordable alternative.”
Jones, who represents most of inland San Diego County, told California Black Media (CBM) in an email that the cities of San Diego and Encinitas have passed natural gas bans. He hopes the U.S. Department of Energy will “step in where appropriate and overturn these overreaching policies.”
Asm. Isaac Bryan Wants Incarcerated Firefighters to Earn
By Edward Henderson California Black Media
Assemblymember Isaac Bry-
an (D-Ladera Heights) wants to amend the state’s penal code to increase the salaries incarcerated firefighters earn while they are actively fighting fires.
Assembly Bill (AB) 247 would require inmate firefighters who have completed training for assignment to a state or county facility to be paid an hourly rate equal to the lowest nonincarcerated firefighter in the state (around $28 per hour).
“I think every time we have a major wildfire, we call in incarcerated firefighters who step in heroically to help suppress these fires. Every time that happens, we have a long conversation about how they’re risking their lives for subminimum pay,” Bryan told California Black Media (CBM).
“I refuse to let this moment where California. and Los Angeles in particular, has experienced its largest wildfire, be another moment where we just talk about this issue,” Bryan continued.
During the wildfires that raged in Southern California, more than 900 incarcerated firefighters were dispatched to battle the flames. Incarcerated firefighters work on teams called ‘hand crews,’ using hand tools to clear vegetation and create firebreaks that slow the spread of wildfires. During the emergencies, it’s common for responders to work in 24-hour shifts despite the grueling conditions.
While the position is voluntary, the work can be dangerous and even deadly, says Bryan.
Despite the life-threatening conditions the incarcerated firefighters face, their pay is between $5.80 and $10.24 per day, earning an additional $1 per hour when responding to emergencies and up to $26.90 over a 24-hour shift. These wages are lower than what the lowest-level firefighters earn for only
an hour of work.
Under existing law, a prisoner can reduce his or her term of imprisonment by earning a two-day credit for every one day served fighting a fire. This would not change under the new bill.
The lower wages incarcerated firefighters earn are legal due to provisions in the U.S. and California constitutions that permits involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
Last November, California voters rejected a ballot initiative, Proposition (Prop) 6, that would have amended the State Constitution to outlaw involuntary servitude in California.
By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media
In celebration of Black History Month, the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) recognized 16 honorees at the annual Black Business Brunch on Feb. 10 at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento.
The small business owners from every corner of the state were recognized for their entrepreneurship, contributions to their respective communities, and vital roles in improving California’s economic landscape.
The proprietors were chosen by members of the CLBC and CBCC. They were honored on the Assembly floor at the State Capitol later that afternoon.
“We gather here today to honor the incredible African American, small business owners of California,” Jay King, President and CEO of CBCC, told California Black Media. “We have to show them some love because they are the heart and soul of our communities. Their tireless work and unwavering dedication show what it means to be leaders” CLBC members Sen. Laura Richardson (D-Los Angeles), Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (DLos Angeles), Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), and Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton) presented awards to respective honorees.
CITY OF SAN LEANDRO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA ENGINEERING AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
Continued on page 7
NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR MULFORD MARINA BRANCH LIBRARY, PROJECT NO. 2018.2400 BID NO. 24-25.007
1. BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for MULFORD MARINA BRANCH LIBRARY, PROJECT NO. 2018.2400 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14th Street, 2nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
2. WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of construction of a new library facility and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
3. OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at: https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Engineering and Transportation Department at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.
Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@ eastbayblueprint.com
4. PRE-BID CONFERENCE: Attendance at a pre-bid meeting is mandatory. All bidders must attend at least one pre-bid conference and be confirmed on its attendance roster. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project. Three online virtual pre-bid conferences will be held for this project as follows:
Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
5. VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $5M and $7M.
6. PUBLIC CONTRACT CODE SECTION 2.7: For proposals in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) or more, bidders are required to certify that the bidder’s company, any parent entities, subsidiaries, successors or subunits of the bidder’s company and the signator of the proposal, personally, are not identified on a list created pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2203 of the California Public Contract Code as a person engaging in investment activities in Iran as described in subdivision (a) of Section 2202.5, or as a person described in subdivision (b) of Section 2202.5 of the California Public Contract Code, as applicable.
7. SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/BusinessLicense
8. SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. An agreement to be bound is required of all contractors with the bid. Contractors attention is directed to Specification Section 01-70-11.
Dated: February 21, 2025, Kelly B. Clancy, City Clerk
This project is supported by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) at the CLBC January 2025 MLK Breakfast. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey, CBM.
Pictured left to right at the Legislative Business Brunch are CBCC CEO and President Jay King, Sen. Laura Richardson (D-Los Angeles), Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles founder Herb Hudson, and Asm. Issac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). Feb. 10, 2025. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Adult Day Program
Dedicated staff needed to work with individuals with developmental disabilities in communitybased settings, or environments. Qualifications: High school or equivalent. Driver’s license. Dependable and efficient. Background check. Physical exam and TB test. Training available. Decent wages. Please call (510) 690-9570.
The original policy was written and amended by OPD with no input or approval from the Oakland Police Commission. The original policy was based on national best practices, written and implemented by former Police Chief Sean Whent. In 2022, after two high-speed police chases resulted in the deaths of two bystand-
Vilifying the commission is the wrong target, dishonest and reflects their real opposition to oversight and constitutional policing.
OPOA has manufactured this crisis by not following the current policy and signaling to criminals that they will not do their job. OPD does not have a “no chase” policy.
OPINION: Let’s Challenge Musk’s Cruel and Senseless Downsizing of Federal Workforce
Continued on page 6
By Emil Guillermo
Special to The Post
When grants were announced
Have you or a friend been laid off or fired from a government job lately?
Every time I see a Tesla, including one of those God-ugly cybertrucks, I think of what a hack Elon Musk is as he destroys our government with glee.
land’s Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and courthouse where agencies like FEMA and the U.S. General Services Administration, among others, have offices.
land Police Officers Association (OPOA), Newsom called the Oakland Police Commission irresponsible in their duty to the safety of Oakland residents because they declined to change the pursuit policy when tasked to do so by the Oakland City Council: “In July, I wrote a letter to the Police Commission. I wrote a letter to the City Council. I wrote a let-
erts is excerpted from the MacArthur Fellows web site.
lice commission on Sept. 19, 2024, 100 residents of Oakland implored the commission to revise restrictions and restore police chase capabilities. They highlighted to the commission that “Oakland’s businesses are being targeted almost on a daily basis and we need to help our small business owners….it is a plea to help our city thrive.”
MacArthur Fellow Dorothy Roberts’ Advocates Restructure of Child Welfare System
profits. But government isn’t about profits, it’s about providing a service to the people within the federal system.
Whether it’s cutting dollars or people, DOGE actually makes things less efficient and more chaotic.
A graduate of Yale University with a law degree from Harvard, Dorothy Roberts is a legal scholar and public policy researcher exposing racial inequities embedded within health and social service systems.
Sine 2012, she has been a professor of Law and Sociology, and on the faculty in the department of Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
As far as people go, the federal government has a workforce that represents 0.6 % of the U.S. population today. In 1945, the workforce was 2.5 % of the U.S.
So why the need to make cuts?
Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty 1997)”, she analyzes historical and contemporary policies and practices that denied agency to Black women and sought to control their childbearing—from forced procreation during slavery, to coercive sterilization and welfare reform—and advocates for an expanded understanding of reproductive freedom.
vate sector. About 40% of federal workers belong to a key racial group. Blacks account for 19%. Hispanics make up 10%. Asians, 6.7%. Multi racial people, 2.2%. American Indian or Alaskan Native 1.5%. Native Hawaiian Pacific Island .6%.
tions regularly punish the effects of poverty as neglect.
iStock.
She also shows that blaming tural problems, while ignoring the historical roots of economic and social inequality, fails families and communities.
Musk is the unelected co-conspirator, er, I mean co-president, who has Trump wrapped around his money clip.
Did you vote for Musk last November? Me neither. No one did.
But Musk represents the values of the New American government. Make it cheap. Cut to the bone.
Every agency is under the microscope these days, and there are about 2.3 million people who could be affected.
They work in DC and places across the nation — like Oak-
Their names are Ruha Benjamin, Jericho Brown, Tony Cokes, Jennifer L. Morgan, Ebony G. Patterson, Shamel Pitts, Jason Reynolds, and Dorothy Roberts. This is the eighth and last in the series highlighting the Black awardees. The report below on Dorothy Rob-
Oct. 1, it was noted that eight of the 22 MacArthur fellows were African American. Among the recipients of the so-called ‘genius grants’ are scholars, visual and media artists a poet/writer, historian, and dancer/choreographer who each receive $800,000 over a five-year period to spend as they see fit.
Mostly the workers are careerists who do their jobs to keep the government running smoothly.
More senior workers are professional not political appointments. They may or may not represent bloat and waste. Taking a chainsaw willy-nilly and cutting off these people is cruel and unnecessary.
Going after careerists who have worked for both Democrats and Republicans is just illogical and dumb. These are the people who know how the system works. Their expertise should be highly regarded. Instead, many are losing jobs on the whim of Musk and his young hack team.
Corporate capitalism is about
Roberts’s work encompasses reproductive health, bioethics, and child welfare. She sheds light on systemic inequities, amplifies the voices of those directly affected, and boldly calls for wholesale transformation of existing systems.
DOGE is trying to find trillions to cut in anticipation of all the revenues the U.S. won’t be getting due to Trump’s existing tax cuts.
Because Trump has promised even more tax cuts, the priority is to find more waste to cut. That’s where all the profits will go. Not to you and me but to make Trump’s new round of billionaire tax cuts affordable.
Roberts’s early work focused on Black women’s reproductive rights and their fight for reproductive justice. In “Killing the Black
Mistakes are already being made with 325 engineers from the National Nuclear Security Administration fired who just so happen to monitor the nation’s nuclear weapons. Musk is trying to hire them back, with mixed results.
Meanwhile, most federal workers are rightfully in fear they are next. Many of these workers are like you and me.
The federal workforce is just 60% White, vs. 76% in the pri-
This work prompted Roberts to examine the treatment of children of color in the U.S. child welfare system.
More than anything, it’s the government that’s been responsible for creating a diverse workforce, a thriving middle class in America.
Urge your congressperson to challenge and check the cruel and senseless cuts of Musk, the unelected.
About the Author
Emil Amok Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. See his micro-talk show on YouTube, Patreon, and Substack.
After nearly two decades of research and advocacy work alongside parents, social workers, family defense lawyers, and organizations, Roberts has concluded that the current child welfare system is in fact a system of family policing with alarmingly unequal practices and outcomes. Her 2001 book, “Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare,” details the outsized role that race and class play in determining who is subject to
CPS disproportionately investigates Black and Indigenous families, especially if they are lowincome, and children from these families are much more likely than white children to be removed from their families after CPS referral.
Roberts argues that the engrained oppressive features of the current system render it beyond repair. She calls for creating an entirely new approach focused on supporting families rather than punishing them.
New Report Highlights Wage Gap for Black Women in California
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
In “Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World (2022),”
Roberts traces the historical, cultural, and political forces driving the racial and class imbalance in child welfare interventions.
These include stereotypes about Black parents as negligent, devaluation of Black family bonds, and stigmatization of parenting practices that fall outside a narrow set
A new report, Disrupting Disparities: Ending the Black Women Wage Gap in California, reveals that Black women, particularly single mothers, continue to face significant wage disparities, earning far less than White men in the state. At the current rate, the report highlights that California’s Black women wage gap will take 100 years to close. The report found that in 2022
Her support for dismantling the current system of child welfare is unsettling to some, but her provocation inspires many to think more critically about its poor track record and harmful design.
By uncovering the complex forces underlying social systems and institutions, and uplifting the experiences of people caught up in them, Roberts creates opportunities to imagine and build more equitable and responsive ways to ensure child and family safety.
Dorothy Roberts. Photo courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Public Notices, Classifieds & Business
Black Lawmakers and Educators Highlight Importance of AP African American Studies
By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
The California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and the College Board brought together educators, students, and lawmakers at the State Capitol to celebrate the progress of the Advanced Placement African American Studies program.
The AP African American Studies program is available to 117 schools across the
state and is implemented in 42 states. It was launched nationally in the Fall of 2024 and over 500 colleges and universities now provide college credit for it.
Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson, the chair of the CLBC, stated that Black lawmakers are “committed to expanding its reach” to all high schools in the state to ensure “every student has the opportunity to en-
gage with African American history in a meaningful way.”
“We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the success and impact of the AP African American Studies course in California high schools,” stated Weber-Pierson. “The success of this course is a testament to the power of representation in education.”
A not-for-profit organization founded more than
120 years ago, the College Board reaches over seven million students a year, helping them navigate their journey from high school to college.
AP African American Studies provides students with the opportunity to explore the history, culture, and literature of African Americans and the larger African diaspora.
The special occasion at the
Continued
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond meets AP African American Studies high school students at the State Capitol. Feb. 11, 2025. CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Black History Event Recognizing Businesses ...
Continued from page 2
Assemblymembers Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City), LaShae Sharp-Collins (D-San Diego), and Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) also paid homage to Black business leaders.
CLBC chair Sen. Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) was unable to attend due to a prior commitment. CLBC Vice Chair Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) spoke on her behalf.
“While we recognize you today, you are recognized in your communities every single day,” Bryan told the honorees. “We need you and we rely on you. You were not just picked at random (to receive this award).”
Featured speakers at the brunch were California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Tara Lynn Gray, Director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), was also present at the annual brunch.
Omishakin’s message was brief, highlighting ways the state helps support Black small businesses. The Department of Transportation’s (Caltrans) allocates substantial amounts each year to finance construction projects started by state and local governments, public transit agencies and airport authorities.
Omshakin said Caltrans’s most important tool for meeting
Wage Gap for Black Women in California ...
Continued from page 4
The financial impact extends beyond paychecks, affecting access to housing, childcare, and basic necessities. If paid equitably, the report states, a Black single mother in California could afford an extra year of rent or two years of childcare.
To address these disparities, the report recommends expanding pay
its commitment to inclusion of minority-owned businesses has been its Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) program.
Small businesses must be DBEcertified to receive state funding.
Caltrans ensures that firms competing for state-assisted contracts for these projects are not disadvantaged by unlawful discrimination. In fiscal year 2022-2023, nearly $1 billion was awarded to small businesses in the state. African American small businesses received about $40 million, leaving “money on the table,” Omishakin said.
“That’s hundreds of millions of dollars,” Omishakin said about possible procurement opportunities for Black businesses.
“There’s a lot of work still to do, with Caltrans and other places, to make sure that African American and Latino owned firms get more opportunities to get that work.”
CLBC member, Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), was presented with the Chairman’s Award for his significant leadership in fostering economic empowerment and his dedication to his constituents in the 65th Assembly District.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy,” King said. “Your role within this large framework cannot be overstated.
Black small businesses bring innovation, creativity, and vital services to every corner of California. Today, we stand together to honor and celebrate you.”
transparency laws, increasing access to affordable childcare, investing in workforce development programs, and implementing region-specific minimum wage increases. It also calls for enhanced workplace protections, leadership development initiatives, and a statewide task force to focus on Black women’s economic equity. Advocates argue that closing the wage gap is critical not only for Black women and their families but also for strengthening California’s economy.
Importance of AP African American Studies ...
Continued from page 6
State Capitol included AP students and educators who have taught AP courses in California since the program’s inception three years ago. It also combined an informational session about the program with a tribute to Black History Month.
A news conference was held to share the success of the program and talk about opportunities to expand access to the AP African American Studies’ course in more high schools in California.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) shared their thoughts as a new ethnic studies requirement goes into effect this fall.
“We know that when people learn about themselves — we all do better,” Thurmond said at the gathering. “The other thing is that an inclusive education benefits everyone of all backgrounds.”
The AP Program is designed to academically prepare students to seek out college-level studies — with the freedom to attain college credit, advanced placement, or both — while attending high school.
Tony Green, an AP African American Studies instructor at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland told California Black Media (CBM) that he and Susan Miller Dorsey High School teacher Donald Singleton have been teaching the course since the California pilot program began in 2022 and have been College Board advocates for over three decades.
“We (Singleton and Green) are among the original 60 AP professors. I have 94 students in my AP class consisting of 11th and 12th grade students,” Green said. “We are in year four (of the AP African Amer-
ican Studies course) where I teach three classes.”
“The benefits are profound,” Singleton said of AP courses and the AP African American Studies program. “It equips students with critical thinking skills.”
The AP program began at the start of the 2022-2023 school year with 60 pilot schools across the country. It has now expanded to about 700 schools in the United States.
“This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of African American culture, history, and contributions African Americans have made in our country and state of California,” “Gipson said.
Incarcerated Firefighters ...
Continued from page 2
“While it’s disappointing that our measure to remove slavery from California’s constitution was not approved by the voters, this setback does not end the fight,” said Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) in a statement after the election.
Wilson, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), authored the legislation that became Prop 6. On Feb. 6, Wilson reintroduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 6 in another effort to repeal language in the California Constitution that prohibits involuntary servitude except to punish crime and replace it with language prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude absolutely.
Bryan’s AB 247, however, has more modest goals. It would increase pay only for incarcerated firefighters actively fighting wildfires, aiding in structure fires and responding to overdoses and roadside accidents. They are often put in harm’s way responding to these situations as well.
“Every single firefighter that is out there right now, I’m sure they’re proud to be there,” said former incarcerated firefighter Amika Mota in an interview with The Marshall Project. “Every single one of those people has signed away their rights to any sort of compensation if they die on the fireground. They’re putting themselves on the frontlines without really understanding the health impacts long-term.”
1111 Broadway, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 208-7400 • www.alamedactc.org
Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) Services for Rail Safety Enhancement Program - Phase A (RFQ No. R25-0005)
The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) is seeking statements of qualifications for a contract to commence services on August 25, 2025, or as indicated in the RFQ and/or appropriate addenda.
Key Dates:
• A mandatory pre-submittal conference will be held online: February 24, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
• Proposal due date: March 18, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. PT
This contract will be funded in part by Federal Railroad Administration’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements funding and as such, will not be subject to a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program or the Alameda CTC Local Business Contract Equity Program. However, Alameda CTC strongly encourages each proposer to consider the use of disadvantaged, local and/or small business enterprises in its proposal. Any contract resulting from this RFP will be awarded without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or national origin.
All RFQ documents are available Procurement Portal at https://alamedactc. bonfirehub.com. All questions regarding this RFQ must be submitted via the Procurement Portal, no later than 3:00 p.m. PT on February 28, 2025.
Submittals must be made in accordance with the instructions in the RFQ. Any contract awarded must be in compliance with the local, state, and/or federal requirements.
Golden Gate Library Hosts Talk on the State of Black Labor
By Post Staff
The Golden Gate Branch library will host a robust, inperson discussion of the historical and contemporary challenges facing Black labor in America. Speakers at the event will examine the effects of job insecurity and low-wage work, as well as secure employment on the wellness and generational wealth of African American communities in the Bay Area, both pre- and post-COVID.
The event will take place Wed., Feb. 26, 5:30 p.m.–7:15 p.m. at the library, 5606 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland.
Panelists include Darlene Flynn, director of the City of Oakland’s Race and Equity Department; Danielle Mahones, director of leadership development at UC Berkeley’s Labor Center;
and Saabir Lockett, deputy director of civic engagement at the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy.
The presenters will examine:
• Oakland’s recent employment and housing trends through an equity justice lens;
• The history and current events affecting organized labor among Black workers; and
• Impacts of incarceration on Black employment and the work being done to knock down barriers.
A light meal and refreshments will be served.
“African Americans and Labor” is this year’s theme designated by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, an organization founded by Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month.
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gators where they should be seven and there are no licensed attorneys serving as investigators, where there should be at least one.
The Police Commission, established by voters in 2016, can audit the Oakland Police Department, influence police policy, and fire the chief.
To shore up a backlog caused by a series of firings and resignation, upon his hiring, Muir had told the commission that he could improve the CPRA performance by adding investigators and creating a tracking system to avoid missing deadlines to file discipline charges.
Muir was hired to CPRA in June 2023 when the agency was experiencing a serious backlog of cases partly due to a series of res-
ignations by investigators. Shortly after being hired, Muir warned the commission that several cases had passed a state statutory deadline that prevented discipline from being administered.
According to The Oaklandside, at the Jan. 23 commission meeting, “Muir emphasized that he was short on resources and unclear about the city’s plan for police oversight.
“My concern is, when I look at a budget proposal that slashes oversight this significantly, I have to ask myself whether there’s a real strategy,” Muir said at the Jan. 23 meeting.
Oaklandside, KTVU TV, and KALW radio are the sources for this report.
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or in person at Amazon, Target, McDonald’s, and Tractor Supply, which have all ended or rolled back their DEI efforts.
If they can, Black consumers are further urged to 1) avoid nonessential spending 2) avoid buying fast food of any kind; 3) avoid purchasing anything with a debit or credit card for non-essential spending and to; 4) instead support Black and local businesses, including for food.
The Trump Administration characterizes his order as a return to merit-based, non-discriminatory standards of access to employment and education.
Instead, the NAACP and others say the DEI rollbacks “reinforce historical barriers to progress under the guise of protecting ‘meritocracy.’”
Signed on Inauguration Day, the order met with an almost immediate response from NAN leader Rev. Al Sharpton, who called for a boycott of corporations and businesses who had instituted DEI programming in response to the worldwide public outcry over the death of George Floyd in 2020.
“Why do we have DEI? We have DEI because you denied us
Yancie
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the symphony into its next chapter. Trottier will continue with the orchestra as executive director.
The upcoming concert, set for March 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. at the Oakland Temple Hill Auditorium, 4780 Lincoln Ave., Oakland, will feature Beethoven’s triumphant “Ode to Joy” from his 9th Symphony and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Guest conductor Maestro Semyon Lohss will also lead the performance, which will showcase the Temple Hill Choir and the Solano Chamber Society Chorus as well. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
In addition to the change in musical leadership, Dr. Arthur Jue has been tapped to succeed Mike Linney as THSO Board President.
A violinist and CEO of Silicon Valley health-tech startup, LiveFreely Inc., Dr. Jue brings a wealth
Major
of experience and a passion for the arts.
“I look forward to working with the Board in ensuring that the orchestra continues its mission of providing quality, family-friendly performances to the Oakland community and surrounding areas,” said Jue.
“As the orchestra honors Jay’s incredible legacy and we begin this new era together, community support is more important than ever,” stated incoming conductor, Kirsten Bradford. “Donations by patrons and from the community are greatly needed to enable us to provide inspiring performances for years to come.”
More information about the THSO’s upcoming concert, volunteering, donating, or joining the orchestra may be found at templehillsymphony.org
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amounts to as much as several hundred thousand dollars a year for each organization.
City Administrator Johnson has brought on two outside consultants to examine the city’s finances and recommend additional steps to balance the budget before the new two-year budget begins in July.
Consultant Ben Rosenfeld will advise the city on developing a long-term fiscal strategy, and the other consultant, Deborah Edgerly, will help temporarily.
According to the East Bay Times, Maciel Jacques, a director of Centro Legal de la Raza, said, “The City of Oakland cannot continue to rely on organizations to provide life-saving services without paying for them.”
Centro Legal, which provides legal defense for tenants facing eviction, know-your-rights workshops for many Spanish-speaking day laborers, and education workshops for high school students, recently lost a $1 million city contract.
COMMENTARY:
Let’s Go to The Doctor: Obesity and Weight Management for Men
diversity, you denied us equity, you denied us inclusion,” Sharpton said at a Jan. 20 speech at the Metropolitan AME Church in New York. “DEI was a remedy to the racial institutionalized bigotry practice in academia and in these corporations.”
The NAACP released its Black Consumer Advisory to help educate Black Americans on “who’s pushing progress and who’s stuck in the past.”
Companies that “have recommitted to DEI” — such as Apple, Delta Air Lines, Costco, and Ben & Jerry’s are also on that advisory list. Sharpton brought attention to one of those companies by going shopping at a New York Costco on Jan. 23.
“We have the power to choose where we spend our money,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, urging Black Americans to leverage their $1.7 million spending power. “I am confident that this framework will support our community as we make difficult decisions on where to spend our hard-earned money.”
Sources for this story include The Hill, The Root, PBS News, the National Action Network and Facebook.
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officer. Setting his eyes on opening his own clothing store in downtown Oakland, he accomplished his dream to become the first African American to own and operate a men’s clothing boutique at 1422 Broadway in downtown Oakland.
For 21 years, Mr. Yancie’s Clothes Hanger, as it was called,
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yond spreading inaccurate, divisive rhetoric, these orders tie the hands of organizations providing critical services,” said Jani Nelson, president and director-counsel of LDF.
“We stand with our clients to ensure these unconstitutional orders are struck down.”
The organizations involved, including the National Urban League (NUL), National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), and AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC), argue that the orders “severely limit organizations’ ability to provide critical services” such as HIV treatment, fair housing support, and employment assistance.
These restrictions, they say, disproportionately harm people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those living with HIV.
Orders in Question
The lawsuit targets three executive orders signed by President Trump on Jan. 20 and 21:
1. Executive Order No. 14151 –Ending Radical and Wasteful DEI Programs and Preferencing
2. Executive Order No. 14168 –Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government
3. Executive Order No. 14173 –Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity
Together, these orders terminate equity-related grants and ban federally funded entities from engaging in DEIA efforts or acknowledging transgender identities.
“This assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion is discriminatory at best and institutionalized economic oppression at its worst,” Morial stated.
John Peller, president and CEO of the AIDS Foundation, warned that the orders could impede efforts to combat the HIV epidemic. “We must be able to prioritize Black, Latine, LGBTQ+ people, and transgender women in our work. These executive orders would prohibit us from doing that critical and lifesaving work,” he said.
National Fair Housing Alliance President Lisa Rice described the orders as “chaotic and illegal,” arguing that they dismantle longstanding fair housing protections. “The President cannot undo the Constitution or take away our rights with a signature,” Rice asserted. Legal Claims and Relief Sought
The plaintiffs contend that the executive orders infringe on their free speech by censoring DEIArelated communications, violating due process through vague prohibitions, and discriminating against marginalized groups.
They seek declaratory and injunctive relief to halt enforcement of the orders. “These orders drip with contempt for transgender people,” Abrigo said. “Defunding organizations that support marginalized communities punishes them for striving to improve lives.”
By Clifford L. Williams
Black males, and men in general, it’s time to take our weight seriously. There’s a need to take a hard look at being overweight and address the issue of obesity.
Obesity is a chronic disease. According to the Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) obesity affects 42.8% of middleaged adults and is closely related to several other chronic diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and certain cancers and joint diseases.
Being overweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) between 25.0 and 29.9, and a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. Although the disease is chronic, it is treatable. For people living with obesity, there is more to weight management than just tracking the pounds.
Obesity can have a negative impact on your health and the good news is that weight loss may improve some weight-related conditions. Knowing your BMI is a great first step when starting the conversation about weight management with a health care provider.
Years ...
attracted a diverse clientele that included baseball players Willie Mays and Vida Blue, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, attorney John Burris, KTVU anchor Dennis Richmond, as well as Chairman Huey P. Newton of the Black Panther Party. Taylor provided the black berets worn by BPP members and many others.
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health notes obesity is generally caused by eating too much and moving too little. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly fat and sugars, but don’t burn off the energy through exercise and physical activity, much of the surplus energy will be stored by the body as fat.
Black men have seen the red flags and have chosen to act. You
may cut off sugar and drinks, but exercise is what really matters. Long walks are a great place to start, and they may lead to other forms of exercise.
Getting more exercise and moving around may do wonders for your weight. Make a few adjustments occasionally; they might add up overtime. Also, watch what you consume. No foods need to be eliminated from your diet, but portions should be reduced, and healthy calorie intake increased.
Steps That Help Lead to a Healthier Lifestyle: Consult your Health Care Provider About the Risks - You should talk to your doctor and speak to them about creating a personalized strategy for you. Some Black men said they didn’t realize the dangers of being overweight until they were sick with diabetes or heart disease and their doctor brought up the link to their weight, according to research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Work With a Personal Trainer - Losing weight is a team effort that requires both a nutritious diet and regular physical activity. Like diets, there is no “right” way to exercise. You may get individualized advice on what to eat based on your body type and the recommendations of your nutritionist, in addition to a tailored exercise program to help you attain your objectives.
Set Realistic Goals - Just as you shouldn’t anticipate losing weight overnight, you shouldn’t acquire it overnight either. No weight reduction program that uses microwaves exists, and even if it did, it probably wouldn’t last. You run the danger of being disheartened when you fail to achieve your objectives if they are too ambitious.
To Our Readers:
For information on other health-related issues regarding men’s health, please share your thoughts and/or concerns with the Post Newspaper Group editorial staff.
Nelson described the orders as “unconstitutional attacks on historically marginalized communities,” adding that they “perpetuate false stereotypes and undermine multiracial democracy.”
Lambda Legal HIV Project Director Jose Abrigo called the policies “dangerous and dehumanizing,” emphasizing their potential to “put lives at risk” by defunding health services vital to marginalized groups.
Impact on Communities
NUL President and CEO Marc H. Morial noted that NUL programs have placed over a quartermillion people in jobs over the past decade, often with federal support.
A Call to Protect Civil Rights Executive orders and lawsuits have come as concerns soar about the rollback of civil rights protections. “Fair housing and equal opportunity are national policies of the United States,” Rice said. “Any effort to divide and treat people unfairly contradicts our founding principles.”
The organizations are urging swift judicial intervention to prevent further harm to vulnerable communities. “We cannot allow decades of civil rights progress to be erased,” Nelson declared. For many, the stakes are personal. Will, an AFC program participant living with HIV, shared, “As someone who has relied on these services, I am deeply concerned about what’s at risk if we can’t name the issues our people face.”
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first day, she’ll strip the lengthy charging directives that prosecutors currently have in order to proceed with their cases. The directives force attorneys to get approval from two to three supervisors before charging a case even if there isn’t much time to go through the process with a pending case.
Jones Dickson also wants to make sure the current team of attorneys is trained to be DAs, as many allegedly lack the necessary experience. Her goal is to distribute job questionnaires and have attorneys send in their resumes to get a better sense of what their experience is and what their strong suits are.
Public safety and victim advocacy were the main catalysts for the recall that resulted in the leadership change and are top concerns for the new district attorney as well, she said.
“You’re not [at the DAO] for fun, but the expectation that somebody’s hearing you and they’re listening to you and they’re making sure that your needs are being met as best as we can,” Jones Dickson said.
Esposito was seen at the Board of Supervisors swearing-in ceremony, along with several other district attorneys past and present. Former Alameda DAs Nancy O’Malley and Tom Orloff, along with current San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins joined the many community members and leaders celebrating Jones Dickson’s new role.
Price recall leaders Carl Chan and Brenda Grisham said they were excited to see Jones Dickson selected for the position and have hope that she’ll do the job justice. Chan and Grisham’s efforts toward ousting Price were first rumored almost two years ago, a few months after Price first took office in 2023.
The pair spent over a year gathering signatures and support, urging Alameda County residents to recall the former DA because of her alleged inaction in ensuring that victims’ families felt heard and that victims were vindicated for their sufferings. The recall group also pushed for better public safety efforts from leaders, particularly Price, as crime rates and resident concerns soared in the last few years.
Jones Dickson said she intends to run for district attorney in 2026, 2028 and beyond in order to build on her goals and department priorities that she’ll begin to do over the next two years.
During the public interview process in January, a promise to bring back fellow candidate Contra Costa Assistant District Attorney Annie Esposito as chief assistant is being carried out, Jones Dickson shared, but she would not name other executive team members as many have not yet given notice to their current employers about their departures to the Alameda office.
