Oakland Post
No Justice in the Justice System
Documented court transcripts reveal justice was denied by Judge Sandra K. Bean’s ruling that invalidated a Black professor’s trust and property rights. Civil case was misdirected to probate court instead.
By Tanya Dennis
On March 28, 2023, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Sandra K. Bean issued a ruling that overrode state law, federal constitutional rights, and the final wishes of the late Dr. Laura Dean Head, a well-respected Black Studies professor at San Francisco State University.
Dr. Head’s lawfully executed living trust left her home and entire estate to Zakiya Jendayi, her former student, mentee, sorority sister, and friend of 28 years. Despite this, Bean invalidated the trust based on false testimony, excluded evidence, and legal arguments that contradicted her own statements on the record. What happened in Bean’s courtroom is not just a miscarriage of justice, it is a civil rights crisis happening in probate courts throughout the nation.
Dr. Head transitioned on June 19, 2013. After she passed away, Head’s two estranged sisters, Della Hamlin and Helaine Head hired three different attorneys to sue Jendayi for Dr. Head’s estate. All three attorneys informed them that they did not have standing, since Dr. Head had a trust and they were not named in
the trust.
Seven years after Dr. Head transitioned, her sisters found probate attorney, Daniel Leahy, who took their case. He filed a lawsuit against Jendayi to invalidate Dr. Head’s trust, claiming undue influence and/or forgery. Later, they claimed Dr. Head lacked capacity.
After an 18-day trial, Judge Bean ruled the following: The evidence regarding capacity was inconclusive. Therefore, the court found that Dr. Head had capacity; The court had no credible evidence of forgery and thereby found that Dr. Head did execute the trust; The court found that Dr. Head was vulnerable and unduly influenced by Jendayi. That finding invalidated the Laura Dean Head Trust.
The evidence presented in the trial regarding Dr. Head’s capacity was not inconclusive, it was extremely conclusive that Dr. Head was of sound mind. During Dr. Head’s 10-day Kaiser hospital stay, she was seen by 12 physicians, 23 nurses and three social workers. Not one medical team member diagnosed Dr. Head lacked mental capacity. In Dr. Head’s medical records, totaling 972 pages, not once is there any
Supt. Denise Saddler Warns of ‘Difficult Choices Ahead’ for Oakland Schools
‘People we know and care about will lose their jobs. Programs our students love will be reduced or eliminated,’ she said
By Ken Epstein
Saying that the Oakland Unified School District’s budget shortfall “weighs heavily” on her heart, OUSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Denise Gail Saddler sent a social media message to the school community last week warning of “difficult financial choices ahead for our District.”
Seeking community input, the Oakland Board of Education is holding a special meeting to discuss budget matters on Nov. 19.
“Chief Business Officer Lisa
mention that Dr. Head lacked capacity. Two Kaiser doctors, two social workers and a nurse all testified that Dr. Head had capacity. Bean’s ruling that there was “no credible evidence of forgery” is fraudulent, in that it infers that forgery was, however, was suspected. Dr. Head’s estate planning attorney Elaine Lee testified that she wrote Dr. Head’s trust and witnessed her
signing her trust in the presence of two witnesses, a Kaiser nurse, her notary and Jendayi. Kaiser social worker Jennifer Hoppings testified that she filled out Dr. Head’s power of attorney and healthcare directive forms and witnessed Dr. Head signing both documents in the presence of her notary. Dr. Head’s notary, Trina E. Jackson testified that she witnessed Dr. Head signing her
trust and will in the presence of Dr. Head’s probate attorney and Dr. Head signing her power of attorney and healthcare directive forms in the presence of a Kaiser social worker.
All three of the women took an oath to the state of California to uphold the truth. None of the three women ever had a complaint filed against them throughout their careers. There was neither evidence nor witnesses presented throughout the entire 18-day trial that Jendayi committed forgery.
Despite the testimony of several credible witnesses that Head was of sound mind and judgement, Bean ruled that Dr. Head was vulnerable and Jendayi unduly influenced her, therefore Bean invalidated Dr. Head’s trust. That ruling was fraudulent because throughout the trial none of the 15 witnesses testified to nor was there evidence presented supporting Bean’s claim that Jendayi unduly influenced Dr. Head. There were, however, numerous testimonies and evidence presented throughout the trial proving Jendayi did not unduly influence Dr. Head.
Dr. Head’s legally executed trust was invalidated by Judge
Bean, based on a charge of dishonesty and subterfuge from Attorney Daniel J. Leahy, a certified specialist in Estate Planning.
In a careful examination of the trial transcript of Bean’s Statement of Decision, Jendayi discovered that of the 42 findings and rulings made against her, 30 were false, six were misleading, and six were errors.
Jendayi said she did not receive due process several times, throughout the trial, based on the Constitution of the United States, Fifth and 14th amendments, with a shocking number of fraudulent actions by Bean – all documented in trial transcripts – including, for example, that Head’s sisters had no legal rights to a probate trial.
During the first remote, pretrial hearing, Bean concurred that the petitioners, Dr. Head’s estranged and disinherited sisters, Della Hamlin and Helaine Head were neither trustees nor beneficiaries, therefore, they had no standing to have their case heard in probate court.
According to the Reporter’s transcript, Aug. 5, 2020, page four, lines 23-27, page five, lines 1-8 THE COURT: “And so, Mr. Continued on page 8
By Post Staff
The Oakland Education Association (OEA), which represents teachers and other education professionals in Oakland’s public schools, has declared an “impasse” in contract negotiations with the Oakland Unified School District, which is another formal step in the negotiating process that could potentially lead to a strike.
stabilize staffing, improve special education supports, and ensure every school is a safe, nurturing environment for our students,” according to the OEA.
Across the spectrum of care — from mental, maternal, and perinatal health to chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and uterine fibroids — Black women in California continue to bear a disproportionate burden.
Implicit bias in maternity care, for example, continues to be a challenge. It is a documented contributor to the fact that, in California, Black women die from pregnancyrelated causes at three to four times the rate of White women.
“Here’s what I know for certain: whatever plan the Board ultimately approves will hurt. There’s no way to cut $100 million – roughly 20% of our unrestricted general fund budget – without significant pain,” she wrote.
Dr. Saddler said the district has received a letter from Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro giving the district “conditional approval” of its current annual budget but harshly criticizing the Board of Education for failing to make massive budget cuts.
Castro said the school board is continuing “a troubling – and troublingly familiar – pattern of deferring difficult decisions. Rather
Grant-Dawson (recently) shared that the Board passed a resolution requiring staff to develop plans for cutting $100 million from our 2026-27 budget,” the superintendent wrote. “Since then, every department has been working to identify where those reductions might come from. Today, I want to share where we are and what comes next.
“Our 50-person bargaining team (on Wednesday) concluded its latest session with OUSD,” the OEA wrote in a letter to the community on social media. “Despite our good-faith efforts and thoughtful proposals, the District remains fixated on maintaining the status quo. OUSD offered a 0% raise, [zero] improvements to working conditions, and even proposed increasing caseloads for specialists like psychologists and speech pathologists,” the letter said.
“Every week, OEA educators have brought real solutions to the table – solutions that address the challenges our students and educators face due to chronic underinvestment in Oakland’s classrooms. We are fighting to
“Yet, while we propose meaningful improvements, OUSD’s response has been to roll back progress we’ve already made –such as raising counselor caseloads despite our recent victory lowering them to ensure quality support for students. The District once again claims it is ‘broke,’ a familiar refrain used to justify inaction. Each time, OUSD presents a ‘crisis budget’ that protects bureaucracy while our students and educators pay the price,” the union said.
After the union declares an impasse, the process moves to mediation and then potentially to factfinding with a neutral third-party panel, which issues a non-binding recommendation.
If no agreement is reached after these steps, the union can then lawfully call for a strike, while the school district may be able to implement its last, best offer.
Making its case to the public, the union letter said the school
By Kellie Todd Griffin, Special to California Black Media Partners
If recent proposals in Congress to cut funding for federal social programs succeed, the downstream effects will not be abstract or distant.
They will be immediate and blunt — and felt in every clinic, every hospital, and most homes where Black women are struggling to maintain our health, care for her children, and stay afloat. In California, where Black women already navigate a terrain of deep systemic inequities, these cuts would be catastrophic.
As a lifelong advocate for Black women in California — through my research and lived experience –I’ve seen firsthand the entrenched medical and social disparities that leave too many Black women struggling to live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Now, federal proposals on the table to slash funding for the very programs Black women rely on most: Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) SNAP/CalFresh, WIC, and federal housing and income supports. As reported in the California Budget and Policy Equity on the Line report, about one in three Black women and children in California currently depend on MediCal. Were federal cuts to force reductions in eligibility, benefits, or provider reimbursements, many Black women would lose access to primary care, chronic disease management, reproductive care, mental health and substance-use treatment, cancer screenings, and prenatal/postnatal services.
In a state already grappling with stark racial health disparities, removing coverage is not just harmful — it magnifies injustice. Black women in California face higher rates of poor health overall, lower life expectancy, and worse prenatal care statistics. When the safety net frays, they will be forced into impossible trade-offs: skip medications, delay care, or incur medical
Kellie Todd Griffin, president and CEO California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute. CBM photo by Ian Foxx.
Zakiya Jendayi (left) with Dr. Laura Dean Head. Courtesy photo.
OUSD Interim Superintendent Dr. Denise Gail Saddler. File photo.
Oakland teachers demand new contract. Image courtesy of KRON4.
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
California Attorney General
Rob Bonta said Nov. 6 that he is concerned President Donald Trump could use federal power to interfere with the 2026 midterm elections, citing a “disturbing pattern” of attempts to undermine state election procedures and voter confidence.
“I’m wary about this president, and he’s earned it. He’s earned the distrust on this issue. He has tried to interfere with elections in the past,” Bonta said in an interview, referencing Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Bonta said the state monitored Justice Department election observers during the recent vote on Proposition 50, a first in California history, to ensure federal officials did not improperly influence the outcome.
“We are in unprecedented territory with this administration,” Bonta said. “Trump hates California. Trump is targeting California.”
The attorney general also
highlighted concerns about potential misuse of the National Guard or the U.S. Postal Service to influence California elections, as well as attempts to access voter lists that could be used for voter suppression.
A White House spokesperson accused Bonta of “fearmongering to excite a radical leftwing base,” claiming that California’s mail-in voting and local voting policies create risks of fraud. The Justice Department defended its monitors, saying they are trained professionals protected by federal law.
Bonta said he expects support from fellow Democratic attorneys general, including Virginia Attorney General-elect Jay Jones, who he said will join a coalition to resist potential interference by the Trump administration.
“Political violence has no place in our discourse and in our democracy,” Bonta said, referencing controversial mes-sages sent by Jones in previous years. “He’s part of the Democratic attorneys general now, and I think he is ready, willing, able, to join the fight and add a lot of
By Alise Maripuu Bay City News
The California Historical Resources Commission has designated four sites in the Bay Area as cultural resources worthy of listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mill Valley City Hall and Fire Station, Chautauqua Hall in Pacific Grove, Claremont Country Club in Oakland and a cube-shaped home in Sea Ranch were judged Friday to be eligible for recognition.
course opened in 1904, and the Tudor style clubhouse was built in 1929. The golf course was redesigned in 1927 by golf course architect Alister MacKenzie.
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
The FBI is warning that criminals are increasingly posing as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to carry out violent crimes. The bureau is also urging law enforcement agencies to ensure officers properly identify themselves during operations.
In an Oct. 17 bulletin, obtained through a public records request, the bureau cited cases in New York, Florida, and North Carolina in which perpetrators used ICEbranded clothing or claimed to be ICE officers to intimidate victims. Reported crimes include robberies, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and other violent acts.
“Criminal actors are using ICE’s enhanced public profile and media coverage to their advantage to target vulnerable communities and commit criminal activity,” said the FBI.
“These criminal impersonations make it difficult for the community to distinguish between legitimate officers conducting lawful law enforcement action and imposters engaging in criminal activity, which damages
trust between the local community and law enforcement officers.”
Some examples highlighted in the bulletin include: in August, three men in New York robbed a restaurant, tying up staff who initially complied because the suspects identified themselves as ICE agents; in April in Florida, a woman was kidnapped after agreeing to leave with someone impersonating an ICE officer; in February in Brooklyn, a woman was assaulted by a man who posed as an ICE officer; and in January in North Carolina, a man posing as an ICE officer sexually assaulted a woman, threatening deportation.
The FBI is urging law enforcement to “clearly identify themselves during operations and cooperate with individuals who request further verification, such as calling their local precinct to verify the officer’s identity.”
Critics have argued that the anonymity provided by masks and the lack of insignia in some ICE operations not only enable impersonation crimes but also shield officers engaging in misconduct. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY13), chair of the Congressional
The register is the federal government's list of buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts deemed worthy of preservation and recognition for historical significance. The designation came from the California Historical Resources Commission at its quarterly meeting Friday.
The Mill Valley City Hall and Fire Station were built during the Great Depression in the Tudor Revival style, a type of architecture popular during the interwar period that draws from English Tudor-era and medieval buildings.
Although the interiors of the buildings have been renovated extensively, the exterior has remained largely untouched, according to State Historian Amy Crain.
"Mill Valley City Hall is an architectural gem in the heart of our downtown where civic, cultural and commercial life come together within a walkable and vibrant setting," said Patrick Kelly, Mill Valley's director of planning and building.
The Claremont Country Club in Oakland sprawls across 120 acres in the Rockridge neighborhood. It consists of a golf course, three buildings, a clubhouse manager's cottage, tennis courts, a reservoir, and several parking structures.
The first nine holes on the golf
"Claremont is undeniably a significant place that has continuously served its community since the early 20th century," said historic preservationist Nika Faulkner. "We hope that, as it continues to do that, that it will be formally honored through the National Register as one of Alistair McKenzie's great works and one of the predominant historic recreational sites in the Bay Area."
Chautauqua Hall is located in Pacific Grove in Monterey County. It was built in 1881 with materials from local Redwood trees. It has been used as a church, a social gathering space, a schoolhouse, and a gymnasium, according to Crain.
The hall has been minimally altered and "retains all aspects of historical integrity," Crain said.
Chautauqua Hall is already listed as a California Historical Landmark.
The Commission also nominated "Mini-Mod #3," a cube-shaped cabin surrounded by Redwood trees in Sea Ranch, an unincorporated community along the Pacific coast in Sonoma County. Built in 1967, Mini-Mod #3 was one of several homes constructed in the first years after Sea Ranch was established. Sea Ranch is a planned community that was created in the 1960s with the goal of prioritizing environmental sustainability and embracing the area's natural scenery.
"Mini-Mod #3 was designed by the architectural firm of Joseph Esherick and Associates, which was among the first generation of designers hired by oceanic properties to develop the environmental design concepts of the Sea Ranch," Crain said.
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.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Author: Char Adams, Copy-
right: c.2025, Publisher: Tiny Rep
Books, SRP: $32.00, Page Count:
291 Pages
You’re not planning on being selfish.
But seriously, you’ve been waiting months for the release of your favorite author’s newest book and it’s in stores NOW. You have your copy, you’ll be the first one to open it, your easy chair is ready, no bookmarks needed. As in the new book
“Black-Owned” by Char Adams, you knew just where to find it.
For many people, it’s a dream: owning a bookstore, talking about books all day, putting good reads into people’s hands. These are the kinds of stories Char Adams says
she likes telling, and she was surprised when she started researching for this book. The tales of Black bookstore owners is one that’s rarely told.
David Ruggles, for instance, was a Black abolitionist in New York, and he had quite a reputation for his ability to “inspire almost any crowd to action.” In 1834, he opened what would be America’s first Black bookstore, using it “as a home for both anti-slavery literature and his activism.”
A century later, Harlem’s Lewis Michaux became the first person to make a career with a bricks-andmortar bookstore when he opened National Memorial African Book Store in 1933. He was a man of determination, having gotten his start “selling periodicals… with a bull-
MacArthur Fellow Dorothy Roberts’ Advocates Restructure of Child Welfare System
erts is excerpted from the MacArthur Fellows web site.
horn outside his shop” every day.
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.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Black-owned bookstores such as the Drum and Spear in Washington D.C. Vaughn’s Bookstore in Detroit, and Liberation Bookstore in Harlem hand-picked their stock to reflect the battle for Black rights – and sometimes, that meant violence visited their stores.
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.
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.
Hue-Man Experience in Denver. became a home for Black authors to launch new books and nurture careers; in the 1970s through the 1990s, Black publishers began to partner with America’s Black bookstores to further those careers and mainstream publishers eventually followed suit.
examine the treatment of children of color in the U.S. child welfare system.
By McKenzie Jackson California Black Media
families are much more likely than white children to be removed from their families after CPS referral.
A new initiative launching in early 2026 aims to help Black women across Southern California build careers, break job barriers, and reclaim economic power.
Today, Black-owned bookstores likely have a digital footprint to reach readers. Digital, however, “will not be the end of Blackowned bookstores…” says Adams.
Roberts’s early work focused on Black women’s reproductive rights and their fight for reproductive justice. In “Killing the Black
“As long as the fight for Black liberation exists, so will these shops.”
Before you start reading “BlackOwned,” be sure you have a pen and notebook close. You’ll need them to write down all the bookstores you’ll want to visit, places you’ll regret missing and places you’ll learn about inside this fascinating volume.
But that’s just a part of what you’ll find here. Author Char Adams also tells the long story of Black authors and publishers, and the struggles both had – and sometimes still have - to get their books into readers’ hands. It’s a surprising journey that seems intuitive now, but it wasn’t so in the not-so-distant past. Bookstores and authors had to learn, by necessity, how to work together, which was an offshoot of the activism found in 1960s-era bookstores, and which still continues today. It’s a nice, round circle of time that readers will appreciate.
Absolutely, this is a book meant for anyone who has a sky-high TBR pile and who’s heading to the bookstore this week. Find “BlackOwned.” It’s just what you want when you have a need for read.
The California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute is set to give Black women who are unemployed, underemployed, or rebuilding their lives after incarceration an opportunity to receive free career development sup-
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
port in their SheWorks California workforce development program, running from Jan. 24 to May 16 at Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan’s community resource center in Long Beach.
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
California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute (CBWCEI) President and CEO Kellie Todd Griffin said SheWorks California is a program “designed for Black women, by Black women,” which gives participants the tools to train for a career, enter the
workforce and obtain economic mobility.
She also shows that blamingtural problems, while ignoring the historical roots of economic and social inequality, fails families andgrained oppressive features of thetirely new approach focused on supporting families rather than punishing them. 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.
“Our goal is to have women — if they want to be in health care and want to get their LVN [Licensed Vocational Nurse] license or their pharmaceutical license, for example — when they finish our program, we will transition them into a training program,” she explained. “We have another pathway for our women — those who want to be job-ready. We transfer them into
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.
Book cover of Black-Owned: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore. Courtesy of Tiny Rep Books.
Special to The Post
Oct. 1, it was noted that eight of the 22 MacArthur fellows were African American.
the
cipients of the so-called ‘genius grants’ are scholars, visual and media artists a poet/writer, histo rian, and dancer/choreographer who each receive $800,000 over
five-year period to spend as they
min, Jericho Brown, Tony Cokes,
olds, and Dorothy Roberts. This is the eighth and last in the series highlighting the Black awardees.
Dorothy Roberts. Photo courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. Ma cArthur Foundation.
Public Notices, Classifieds & Business
Continued from page 2
value to it.”
Bonta emphasized that
SheWorks
California Tackles
Job Inequity ...
Continued from page 4
jobs with our partners and help them navigate the hiring process.”
Enrollees in the Carson-based nonprofit organization’s workforce initiative will receive career coaching, interview prep, resume development, mentorship and peer support from Black women professionals, and training in digital skills, technology, and leadership in once-a-month group trainings and individual sessions catered to their needs.
The SheWorks California curriculum will include financial literacy lessons, wellness resources to promote long-term stability, access to hiring employers committed to career advancement, and connections with partner organizations that have other training and social services.
Enrollees will receive three monetary credits throughout the five-month training along with allowances for childcare and taking an Uber ride to training, if needed, said Griffin.
“We provide every person in our program a stipend to attend the program,” she added. “We want to avoid the ‘Oh I don’t have anybody to watch my kid. I can’t go to my interview.’ We try to remove all of that by giving them stipends. Our goal is
California’s elections are secure, accurate, and reliable. He pledged that the state is using every legal tool to protect election integrity and ensure voter confidence in the electoral process remains strong.
for them to be successful.”
The Institute aims to have 30 women registered for the program by the end of December.
Griffin, a committed advocate, who strives to amplify the voices and power of Black women, said the program is for Black women navigating employment instability.
“We recognize those who have been unemployed, can be chronically unemployed — meaning they are in programs where they are incentivized to not get employment, so we wanted to create a program with built-in incentives,” Griffin stated. “The underemployed have never had the time or ability to — because of personal responsibilities, livelihoods, family members, children — move up or out of something like retail to make a living for themselves. Our goal is to dismantle the barriers that stop Black women from pursuing the careers they deserve.”
The California job market, Griffin explained, isn’t easy for Black women, who often face a number of obstacles that limit career mobility including workplace discrimination and education requirements.
“You have three quarters of Black women who are of working age unable to obtain jobs with fair pay or benefits,” Griffin said. “That instability makes it hard for Black women to take care of their families.”
Pelosi Will Not Seek Reelection –California Leaders Respond
By Bo Tefu, California Black Media
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s announcement last week that she will retire from Congress at the end of her term has prompted tributes from California lawmakers who hailed her as a trailblazer, moral force and skilled political negotiator in American politics.
Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA12) and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif,), praised Pelosi’s nearly 40-year tenure representing San Francisco in Congress, highlighting her record of defending democracy, advancing women’s rights, and shaping national policy.
Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House, announced she will step down at the close of her current term, ending a career marked by historic legislative achievements such as the Af-
fordable Care Act and major infrastructure investments.
“Nancy Pelosi has never been a politician of convenience,” Simon said in a statement. “For four decades, she has stood in the storm, defending democracy, women, children, queer people, and working families with a kind of courage that cannot be taught.”
Simon said Pelosi’s decision “does not mark her exit; it marks a new type of presence,” noting that her leadership and mentorship will continue to shape new members of Congress.
Padilla called Pelosi “a torchbearer of Democratic and California values,” crediting her for breaking barriers as the first female speaker and for standing “as our nation’s chief defender against Donald Trump’s attacks on our democracy.”
He added that she was a consistent champion for LGBTQ+ rights and a steady voice through “our country’s greatest triumphs and biggest tests.”
Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco since 1987, is among the most powerful and influential Democrats in U.S. history. Her leadership defined much of the party’s agenda for decades and solidified California’s influence in national politics.
OPINION: Shutdown Politics, Newsom’s Ascent, Pelosi and Filipino Vets
By Emil Guillermo
Late on Sunday, seven Democrats and an independent joined Republicans in a Senate compromise to open the government. It didn’t end the shutdown immediately. It still had to pass the House.
Most importantly, it didn’t include the important extension of the federal subsidies on the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. Without extensions, millions of people may not be able to afford insurance.
After winning big in last Tuesday’s elections, Democrats seemed united in committing to fight for the working class. But, on Nov. 9., they let the Republicans win in the Senate without even flexing a bicep.
Then came Veterans Day.
If you’re Filipino, Veterans Day means thinking about the real fighters for freedom and democracy. For me, that’s the Filipinos in the Philippines who answered FDR’s call to serve alongside Americans during WWII. They were promised citizenship and benefits, but then the U.S. reneged on its promise in 1946.
The Filipino vets never stopped fighting. They spent the rest of their lives in a political battle to be made whole.
So, it’s fitting that is the historical backdrop for today’s column. When the vets got paid was a matter of political will. You need the right people in office who will fight for you. It finally happened for the Filipino vets in 2009.
That’s 63 years of fighting. Most of the Filipino vets of WWII died battling their most enduring
opponents—U.S. politicians.
I’m thinking about all that as I consider the other big news of last week, Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi’s announcement to retire after the end of her current term.
Pelosi’s decision to retire comes on the heels of another San Francisco politician’s ascent in the national limelight, Governor Gavin Newsom and the overwhelming victory for Yes on Prop 50.
NEWSOM’S UPWARD BOUND
After Prop 50 passed, Newsom headed to Texas to thank the Dems for getting California in-
volved in the redistricting battle.
The odds didn’t look good at first with people questioning why California would want to go backward when it already has the gold standard: an independent commission to draw its district maps.
Newsom got what he wanted. He heard the feisty Texas Congressman Al Green (D-TX-9) call him “future president of the United States.”
SO, WHO REPLACES PELOSI?
Pelosi’s announcement shows how a generational change is taking place. Everyone in their 80s
in power like stalwart James Clyburn (D-SC-6) is contemplating the Pelosi path.
I was, of course, saddened to hear the news.
I can recall a number of times when it seemed she was the one keeping Filipinos from getting their benefits.
It wasn’t until Obama came to office that a plan to give the veterans their due took shape and finally passed.
Ultimately, that’s the question we must ask when we consider our representatives in government. Who is the person who will fight, not fold? Who is the one who won’t seek compromise first?
Sure, there’s a time to compromise, but also a time to fight. If you’re a Democrat and thought they were finally fighting for you, the compromise proved us wrong. And if the health subsidies don’t get extended and millions of regular folks can no longer afford their health care, remember to vote for the fighters — not the folders.
About the Author Emil Guillermo is an awardwinning journalist, columnist, and a former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He has written columns on race and social justice issues for more than 30 years. He’s also a humorist and a stage monologist. See him perform his latest “Emil Amok” monologue, Nov. 19 at the SF Marsh. Save the date and get tickets now.
https://themarsh.org/shows_ and_events/marsh-rising-emilguillermo/
Operation Feed California Kicks Off to Support Families Hit by CalFresh Delays
By Edward Henderson
California Black Media
Amid a crowd of thousands waiting for groceries at a San Diego food distribution site on Nov. 2, Josh Fryday, Director of the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement (GO-Serve), stood alongside California Service Corps members to launch Operation Feed California, a statewide effort to help the 5.5 million Californians struggling with delayed SNAP benefits during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
“Millions of people across the state are seeing a delay in federal food benefits. We need Californians to step up to protect their neighbors from going hungry. Operation Feed California is a critical effort that offers ways to help. This is what it means to be a Californian — when challenges arise, we show up together,” said Fryday.
Despite a federal court order to release emergency funds earlier this
month, there will be a delay in those funds getting to individuals as they are released to the states and distributed onto individual payment cards.
“This time period will still be incredibly difficult for those who rely on SNAP benefits, and the longer the government shutdown lasts, the more challenging it could become to fund SNAP and similar programs like WIC,” United Ways of California stated in a press release.
The Trump administration has used tariff revenue to temporarily fund WIC, and California officials have shared that they have enough funding to keep the program running through at least Nov. 30.
“It’s also important to note that H.R. 1 (The One Big Beautiful Bill Act) includes cuts to SNAP benefits that will have detrimental effects on our communities in the longer term as well,” the United Way statement continued.
Among those feeling the effects of the delay is Tasha Reynolds, a
37-year-old single mother from San Diego’s Encanto neighborhood. She’s been waiting more than three weeks for her CalFresh funds to arrive.
“These delays? They hurt,” Reynolds said. “But they also woke me up — I can’t keep counting on that card to save me every month.”
Reynolds works part-time as a home health aide and on weekends as a grocery store cashier. Between her rent, car insurance, and childcare, CalFresh has been her family’s main buffer against food insecurity. The delay has forced her to cut portions and rely on food pantries.
“I’m not the type to just sit and wait for things to get fixed,” she said. “My kids look at me and don’t see stress — they see dinner on the table. That’s all that matters to me.”
Operation Feed California encourages residents to volunteer, donate, and find local ways to fight hunger during the shutdown. The
program recommends visiting CAFoodBanks.org to locate nearby food banks, supporting school or campus pantries, and organizing community-based aid like meal trains or grocery deliveries.
“It’s not just politics — it’s people’s well-being.” Reynolds added. “But the community’s been showing up. I’ve seen neighbors share food, gas money, babysitting — whatever they’ve got. That’s how we survive.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed California Service Corps members and the California National Guard to assist with food distribution across the state. Additionally, the governor announced that the state is fast-tracking $80 million in emergency support to help food banks manage increased demand.
“California will continue fighting to ensure that our families can access the food they need and deserve,” said Newsom in a statement.
James Clyburn (D-SC-6), 85, is contemplating retirement. File photo.
U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-11). File photo.
THE CASE AGAINST PROBATE PART 9:
Continued from page 1
Leahy, having received all of this information and documents, why shouldn’t the court dismiss this petition for lack of standing?”
MR. LEAHY: “For lack of standing?”
THE COURT: “Standing.”
MR. LEAHY: “OK, it seems like the court enumerated a number of issues that they might have concerns with the merit of my client’s claim.”
THE COURT: “No. It is a standing issue. So, Mr. Leahy, your clients are not named in the documents, right?”
MR LEAHY: “They are not.”
THE COURT: “They are not beneficiaries, so that creates a Barefoot issue.”
Despite this, Bean allowed the petitioners to proceed under Probate Code §17200, which strictly applies only to trustees and beneficiaries. This opened the door for their baseless challenge to move forward, illegally.
On May 10, 2021, during the second pre-trial remote hearing, Bean reaffirmed that the case did not belong in probate court, but authorized this trial to proceed in probate court, which was the wrong jurisdiction, even though she knew that it should have been in civil court in the presence of a jury.
Reporter’s transcript: May 10, 2021, page three, lines 15-21, page four lines 1-6
THE COURT: “Mr. Leahy, the court still has issues with standing. And here’s the issue that the court has. There is no question that you can file this case in CIVIL. But the question for this court is how we can have a petition filed under 17200 when your clients are neither trustee nor beneficiaries under any document. It’s not the court’s position that you don’t have a case. You’ve been very clear that you have some evidence, but it appears that this would be a CIVIL case, not a probate case. Do you want to speak to that?”
MR LEAHY: “Sure. So, two things. The first thing is, I believe, at the first hearing, your honor was not aware that Barefoot vs. Jennings had been overturned.”
THE COURT: “Well, I am aware of it. I just don’t believe it does what you say. We have; we have a disagreement. I believe in footnote two of the Barefoot case [that]the issue is that you can file in CIVIL, but not in, in probate.”
Yet judge Bean kept the case in probate, denying Jendayi a jury trial and protections guaranteed in civil proceedings. This was not a misstep; it was an intentional removal of jurisdictional safeguards.
Jendayi was muted by the court during both pre-trial remote hearings. Jendayi’s rights under the Fifth and 14th constitutional amendments were violated repeatedly and blatantly. Due
Then Bean invalidated the Trust, ruling that Jendayi unduly influenced Dr. Head.
Following are examples of evidence from the first pre-trial remote hearing, the trial, and statement of decision transcripts. During the first pretrial remote hearing on Aug. 5, 2020, the judge read a declaration written and signed by Dr. Head’s estate planning attorney, Elaine Lee, on July 22, 2020. The declaration stated that Dr. Head was not a victim of fraud or undue influence. The judge excluded the last three words on the declaration and therefore these words were not included into the official transcript.
process focuses on a fair trial and includes the right to be heard, which was denied. Jendayi was only allowed to speak after Bean made the decision to have a trial.
Below is evidence from the pre-trial remote hearing itself:
Reporter’s transcript, Aug. 5, 2020, page two, lines 7-14
THE COURT: “Alright. And who else do I have appearing this morning? It looks like I have Ms. Jendayi.”
MS. JENDAYI: “Zakiya Jendayi.”
THE COURT: “Ms. Jendayi, I’m going to put you on mute because this is Mr. Leahy’s petition and I have some questions for him. And when it’s your turn to talk, you can unmute yourself.”
Note: The court placed Ms. Jendayi on mute so she never had the ability to unmute herself.
Reporter’s transcript, May 10, 2021, page two, lines 11-15
THE COURT: “Alright. And the respondent?”
MS. JENDAYI: “Zakiya Jendayi.”
THE COURT: “I am getting a lot of feedback from Miss Jendayi’s microphone. I am going to keep your mic on mute until it is your time to speak.”
Reporter’s transcript, May 10, 2021, page six, lines 20-28
THE COURT: “And let me hear from Ms. Jendayi as far as whether she agrees with the trial time estimates.”
MS. JENDAYI: “Greetings, your honor. Zakiya Jendayi here. I completely object to the fact that again there’s no standing. They were never in the original trust or will. Matter of fact, the only time that the heirs were brought up in the trust or will is when they were disinherited from the will and the trust. There is absolutely no standing. 17200.”
As you can see from the above excerpts from the transcripts of these hearings, Ms. Jendayi is only allowed to state her name in the first remote hearing. After Ms. Jendayi is allowed to state her name, the judge puts her on mute and never unmutes her or invites her to speak. In the second remote hearing, Ms. Jendayi is only allowed to come off mute after the judge has decided to have the trial in probate court. Jendayi did not receive her due process.
Fraud on the court refers to actions that undermine the integrity of the judicial process, typically involving deceitful conduct that affects the court’s ability to make fair decisions. Tampering with evidence is illegal under both state and federal law. In this case, there were multiple cases of fraud which should invalidate this court ruling.
In numerous instances in the pre-trial remote hearings, the trial itself, and especially in the post-trial statement of decision, the judge excluded key evidence presented by Jendayi that had disproved the claim that Jendayi unduly influenced Dr. Head.
Della Hamlin Page 34, lines 14–17:
THE COURT: Alright. So, Exhibit 1, that’s gonna be in –Exhibit 1 is the petition to invalidate trust and/or finding of undue influence and/or forgery, filed May 18 of 2020. It is in evidence. Go ahead.
This transcript clearly reveals that Judge Bean was aware that Leahy brought his case under Barefoot v. Jennings, 17200 which should have been heard in civil court, not probate court. It was fraudulent for the Judge to hear the case in probate court.
The court fraudulently excluded key evidence from the statement of decision: Statement of decision by Judge Sandra Bean: March 28, 2023
5–15). This ruling was false according to court proceedings on Aug. 1, 2022. Attorney Elaine Lee Page 208, lines 11-25 and page 209, line 1
Leahy: You’ll see at the top we see writing that says “primary beneficiaries?”
Lee: Yes.
Leahy: And do you see how it says: “I give my entire estate consisting of both real and personal property and any and all interest therein to the following who survive me by 10 days: to my friend Zakiya Jendayi. If she does not survive me by 10 days, then my estate should be given to Hattie Simsisulu.” do you see that?
Lee: I do.
According to the Reporter’s transcript, Aug. 5, 2020, page four, lines 19-22
THE COURT: “And then the last sentence before the declaration under penalty of perjury, ‘I met with Dr. Dean Head alone, as well as with Ms. Jendayi, and I did not find her to be a victim of fraud.’”
The declaration actually states: “I met with Dr. Head alone, as well as with Ms. Jendayi and I did not find her to be a victim of fraud or undue influence.”
Reporter’s transcript, Aug. 5, 2020, page three, lines 18-19
THE COURT: “And there’s another sentence that I don’t think is relevant.”
Judge Bean is referring to a statement made by Dr. Head’s hospice nurse, Kristen Brady, made on July 18, 2013. The sentence is very relevant, considering Judge Bean ruled that Jendayi unduly influenced Dr. Head. The last sentence reads “Ms. Jendayi kept excellent records of the care she gave to Ms. Head and was a guardian who carried out her wishes.”
Reporter’s transcript, Aug. 5, 2020, page two, last paragraph:
Judge Bean excludes the entire second paragraph of a statement made by Dr. Derethia DuVal, Dr. Head’s friend and colleague of more than 20 years on July 20, 2020. The paragraph that is excluded is as follows: “As I am a psychologist and therapist through training and experience, I have professional knowledge when a person is of sound mind, if not body. Dr. Head was a rational, cognitive, functioning individual until she transitioned. I was with her the day she expired. I am a witness to the wishes of Dr. Laura Head that Zakiya Jendayi cares for her last days at her home because she discussed with me, she did not want to die in the hospital. When she was diagnosed as being terminal, she discussed with me, she wanted Zakiya Jendayi to inherit her property and belongings. They had a long-standing professional and personal relationship. I declare under penalty of perjury State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.”
Judge Bean ruled that the petitioners did not have standing under probate code 17200 and they were not bringing their case under 17200. However, trial transcript proves, that Attorney Leahy did bring his petitioners, petition under 17200, Barefoot v. Jennings, and Judge Bean was aware of that and allowed the illegal hearing in probate court.
Reporter’s Transcript May 10, 2021, page seven, lines 1-2:
THE COURT: That’s what we’re talking about, Miss Jendayi. He’s not bringing the petition under 17200.
Reporter’s Transcript, Oct. 12, 2022
The court excluded exhibits 90 and 91, and the trial transcript of Oct. 3, 2022, from the Statement of Decision. Jendayi testified for the entire trial session on Oct. 3, 2022, providing clear, persuasive, and corroborated testimony and evidence, which contradicted all three of the petitioners’ allegations against her. Additionally, exhibits 90 and 91 were key evidence supporting Jendayi and were admitted into evidence, but excluded from Bean’s Statement of Decision.
Exhibit 90 is a letter attributed to Kaiser physician, Dr. Sarafian concerning Dr. Head’s mental capacity. The letter had the wrong day, wrong month, wrong year and refers to Dr. Head as a male. Sarafian’s denial that he wrote that letter should have been included as evidence of wrongdoing. Exhibit 91 was an email dated in 1990 from Dr. Head to both petitioners proving she was estranged from both of her sisters.
Despite the obvious fraud in Dr. Sarafian’s letter on Oct. 3, 2022, the court stated that “The Court will receive Exhibit 90 in its entirety,” but it was excluded from the statement of decision.
The trial transcript below shows that there was court on Oct. 3, 2022, when Exhibit 90 was presented and admitted into evidence.
Court Reporter’s Trial Transcript on Oct. 3, 2022. Zakiya Jendayi Page eight, lines 23-28: Ms. Jendayi: Greetings. My name is Zakiya Jendayi. I’m the respondent in the Laura Dean Head Living Trust Matter, and I will present today, evidence that all three of the allegations against me are false. Through my documentation I will present today, and my upcoming witnesses, I will present to the court.
Page nine, lines 1-7:
Ms. Jendayi: Again, that all of the accusations against me for undue influence, lack of mental capacity, for Dr. Head, and forgery are all false. Thank you.
THE COURT: All right. Thank you. Any response, counsel?
Mr. Leahy: No, your honor. The court fraudulently ruled that Jendayi gave attorney Lee the names of the beneficiaries. Jendayi’s deposition page 89, lines 5-15 do not mention any beneficiaries. Jendayi did not name herself beneficiary, as the trial transcripts prove. This is another fraudulent ruling from Judge Bean.
Statement of Decision: March 28, 2023, Page three, paragraph seven, eigth sentence: The court ruled that “the Respondent gave Attorney Lee the information as to the beneficiaries of the Trust based on her conversation with Laura Dean Head”
(Exhibit 27, Deposition of Zakiya Jendayi, page 89 lines
Dr. Derethia DuVal, Dr. Head’s friend and colleague of over 20 years, which Bean read in the first remote pre-trial hearing.
“When she was diagnosed terminal, she discussed with me, she wanted Zakiya Jendayi to inherit her property and belongings.”
Bean’s denial of this statement on the record, which proves that Jendayi did not name herself beneficiary, amounts to judicial tampering.
Obstruction of Justice. Perjury. Due Process Violation.
Leahy: OK. Does that refresh your recollection then that indeed Ms. Jendayi is the exclusive beneficiary of the Laura Dean Head Trust?
Lee: Yes.
Page 263, lines 12–15:
Jendayi: Did I, Zakiya Jendayi, take any part in creating Dr. Head’s estate plan?
Lee: Other than giving me the list of assets, no.
Page 266, line 24–25: Page 267, lines 1-10:
Jendayi: When you met with Dr. Head and you all created her estate planning documents, did she inform you herself that she was making me the sole beneficiary?
Lee: We certainly discussed it.
Jendayi: Was it Dr. Head who informed you that she was leaving me her Estate?
Lee: Yes.
Jendayi: So, she clearly communicated with you herself?
Lee: Yes, she did.
Jendayi: Appeared to be lucid and of clear mind?
Lee: Yes. And she was adamant about not leaving anything to her sisters.
Trial Proceeding Aug. 3, 2022
Zakiya Jendayi, Page 397, lines 14–17: Page 398, Line 8–13:
Leahy: But you were the one who gave all the information to Elaine Lee which enabled her to draft the Laura Dean Head Living Trust. Correct?
Jendayi: No, that is not correct.
Leahy: In other words, you were already the hundred-percent beneficiary of the Laura Dean Head Living Trust when she dropped the document off. Correct?
Jendayi: No, that is not correct.
Page 401, line 17–24:
Leahy: Ms. Jendayi, does that refresh your recollection that it was actually you who informed Ms. Lee to put yourself in as the hundred-percent beneficiary of the Laura Dean Head trust?
Jendayi: That’s incorrect. And if you recall, you were very aggressive and verbally abusive, and I felt uncomfortable. That’s a very persuasive question, and it’s incorrect.
Page 493, Line 15–20:
Leahy: It was Ms. Jendayi who told Elaine Lee to make Ms. Jendayi a hundred-percent beneficiary.
Jendayi: Objection, your honor. That’s false information. I never –
THE COURT: It’s just argument. You can give me your argument. OK.
Court Reporter’s Trial Transcript, Oct. 5, 2022. Social Worker Jenna Noe, Page 17, lines 3–6
Jendayi: And it states, “She wants to leave her things to her friend, Zakiya.” Is that something she shared with you?
Noe: Yes.
Court Reporter’s Trial Transcript, July 20, 2020.
Excerpt from testimony by
This is fraud. Excluding admitted evidence and rewriting the record violates state and federal laws and is grounds for disbarment and criminal prosecution. This was not a simple probate dispute. This was theft of Jendayi’s home, car, the Laura Dean Head Living Trust bank account, all estate assets, Jendayi’s rights, and Dr. Head’s final wishes. Bean weaponized her robe to serve a false narrative.
Fifteen witnesses testified, and not one presented evidence that Jendayi unduly influenced Dr. Head, including both petitioners. Kaiser social workers, nurses, her estate planning attorney, her longtime friends, all confirmed Dr. Head’s mental clarity and her desire for Jendayi to inherit Dr. Head’s estate.
Enough is enough, we must stop the “justice system” from stealing generational wealth from the Black community. Jendayi is working with the Probate Reform Movement and the Center for Estate Administration Reform (CEAR). Together, they are calling on the legal community, elected officials, journalists, and the public to rise up and help expose this injustice within the justice system. Demand accountability. Help restore what was rightfully, and lawfully inherited.
Jendayi has completed a thorough and precise complaint on Bean’s fraudulent ruling. Pages 1-4 1/2 proves the petitioners did not have standing, the trial was heard in the wrong jurisdiction and Jendayi did not receive due process. Pages 4 1/2-27 are all examples of Bean’s fraudulent ruling directly from the trial transcripts and Kaiser medical records.
Zakiya Jendayi has not stayed silent. She has filed complaints against Bean with the California Commission on Judicial Performance, the Oakland Police Department, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Mayor of Oakland, Barbara Lee, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Oakland City Council members, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, California State senators, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
This case is illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, and a moral emergency. This case is a crime scene. This was not a legal error. This was fraud, corruption, discrimination, bias, abuse of discretion and theft disguised as justice, according to Jendayi. “I am standing up not only for myself, but for the Probate Reform Movement members and all who have also had their generational wealth stolen from them by the injustices of the probate court system as well. I will continue to fight this injustice until justice is upheld and I am victorious!”
Zakiya Jendayi (left) with Dr. Laura Dean Head. Courtesy photo.
Women’s Cancer Resource Center Receives Award from Action for Women’s Health
Global initiative recognizes Berkeley nonprofit for advancing equitable cancer care
Special to The Post
The Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) has been announced as one of more than 80 organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global open call, launched in 2024 to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world.
For nearly 40 years, WCRC has provided free counseling, patient navigation, support groups, wellness classes, and practical assistance for women and caregivers impacted by cancer. Each year, the organization supports about 1,500 clients in Alameda and Contra Costa counties through programs that combine emotional support, reliable information, and help in navigating complex health systems.
“This transformational grant will help us meet the rising needs of women with cancer,” said Amy Alanes, executive director of WCRC. “No woman should have to choose between her health, her well-being, and providing for her family. This support will help us strengthen our capacity and move forward with our strategic priorities, including expanding into areas where women are historically underserved.”
An estimated 34,021 women in Alameda and Contra Costa counties are living with cancer. Although the two counties make up only 36% of the Bay Area’s population, they account for 41% of the region’s women living with cancer, and Contra Costa County
has the highest women’s cancer mortality rate in the Bay Area. Alameda and Contra Costa are also among the most diverse counties in California, which means effective cancer care must reflect many cultures, languages, and lived experiences.
With this new capacity-building award, WCRC plans to expand programs in Contra Costa County and Alameda County, deepen navigation services for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and broaden wellness offerings that support clients at every stage of care. The organization will also work to embed services within hospitals and community sites to reduce access barriers for clients who live farther from its Berkeley office.
Over 4,000 organizations from 119 countries applied, offering solutions across the lifespan for women. After a rigorous peer and expert review process, 80+ organizations have been identified, many of which have historically lacked access to major funding streams. This funding will have real impact for women across geographies, life stages, and identities.
Action for Women’s Health is funded by Pivotal, a group of impact organizations founded by Melinda French Gates, and managed by Lever for Change, an organization with a track record of identifying bold ideas to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
More information about the initiative and awardees is available at: https://leverforchange.org/opencalls/action-for-womens-health
Violence Breaks Out at Protest Ahead of
is led off by police after he was involved in a fight with a Kirk counter protestor who was also arrested at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza, in Berkeley, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 10.
By Andres Jimenez Larios Bay
News
Special to the Post
is Changing—What Black Californians Need to Know in 2025 and Beyond
Medi-Cal is undergoing major changes. For Black Californians, these shifts bring both opportunities and challenges. As California continues to reshape its health care system through initiatives like California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM), the state is working to close longstanding racial disparities in care, especially in areas like maternal health, mental health, and preventive services.
With new rules around eligibility, asset limits, and coverage for immigrant communities taking effect in 2026 and beyond, it’s more important than ever for Black families to stay informed and empowered.
We’ll break down what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and how Black Californians can protect their Medi-Cal coverage, access culturally responsive care, and advocate for their health in an evolving system.
Medi-Cal provides low-cost or no-cost health coverage to more than 14 million Californians, including more than 1 million African Americans. Medi-Cal helps children, pregnant people, older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers get the care they need, including doctor visits and hospital stays, dental, vision, mental health, substance abuse disorder treatment, and ongoing care for chronic conditions.
A federal law -House Resolution 1 (HR 1, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”) - was signed by the President. It includes Medicaid funding cuts that could reduce support for Medi-Cal. It also changes Medi-Cal rules, affecting some low-income families, immigrants, rural residents, and seniors.
Despite these challenges, California is working to strengthen Medi-Cal and protect access to care. For now, eligibility and benefits remain unchanged for seniors, students, caregivers, and people returning home from incarceration.
Michelle Baass, Director of the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), puts it this way: “Medi-Cal is more than just health care. It’s a lifeline for the Californians it serves, providing access to vital medical and dental services, preventive care, mental health support, substance use disorder treatment, and care for chronic conditions.”
Why This Matters for Black Californians
By Tamara Shiloh
During the early 19th century, pieces of mail and packages could only be posted at the town’s post office. For many, this meant traveling long distances and delays due to inclement weather.
A more convenient solution was presented in October 1891, when Philip Downing’s (1857–1934) patent for the Street Letter Box made it possible for residents to leave their mail inside a tall metal box for the postman to pick up and take to their home post office.
The letter box was constructed of metal, had four legs and a selfclosing hinge door that kept mail safe from the elements and potential thefts. That same year (1891), he received another patent for a design with a chute that would unload mail into a postal worker’s bag.
The Providence, R.I.–born Downing was creative since childhood, always looking for ways to improve on the routines of daily life. The son of abolitionist George T. Downing, also manager of the US House of Representatives’ dining room in Washington DC, and entrepreneur Serena L. deGrasse,
Black Californians are more likely to face health issues like hypertension, diabetes, and maternal health risks, and often experience barriers to housing and mental health care.
To help address these disparities, CalAIM is transforming Medi-Cal to better meet people’s needs. Two key programs include:
• Enhanced Care Management (ECM): Connects high-need members with a lead care manager, often at a community clinic or nonprofit, who coordinates medical, behavioral, dental, and social services. ECM focuses on people who are unhoused, living with serious mental illness or a substance use disorder, frequent emergency room users, or transitioning from incarceration, foster care, or institutions.
• Community Supports: Nonmedical services that promote health and stability, such as housing support, medically supportive meals, in-home asthma help, recuperative care, and caregiver respite. Together, ECM and Community Supports help Medi-Cal members stay healthy and stable beyond the doctor’s office. What’s Staying the Same—for Now Medi-Cal eligibility and basic benefits remain unchanged. Members still have access to:
• Doctor and hospital care
• Prescriptions and vaccines
• Mental health services
• Dental and vision care
• Transportation to appointments
• ECM and Community Supports
To stay covered, keep your contact information up to date with your county and respond promptly to your Medi-Cal eligibility renewal mail.
New Supports in 2025 and 2026 Medi-Medi Plan Expansion
(2026): For people with both Medicare and Medi-Cal, integrated Medi-Medi Plans combine both programs under one card and helpline. These plans offer coordinated care and wraparound services, like rides to appointments or the pharmacy. In 2026, Medi-Medi Plans will expand to 49 counties across California.
Key Changes in 2026
• Asset Test Returns: Beginning on January 1, 2026, older adults, people with disabilities, and people with longterm care needs will face an asset limit of $130,000 for one person, plus $65,000 for each additional household member (up to 10 in the home). A home, one vehicle, household items, and some retirement accounts do not count toward this limit. Income rules will not change. Assets will be checked during the annual Medi-Cal renewal and when applying.
• Enrollment Freeze for Certain Adults: Adults ages 19 and older who are undocumented or have an immigration status that does not qualify for the federal Medicaid program will no longer be able to newly enroll in full-scope Medi-Cal beginning on January 1, 2026. This group will still be eligible for emergency Medi-Cal Undocumented members who are already enrolled in MediCal as of January 1, 2026, will stay covered if they renew on time. If their coverage lapses due to paperwork, they have a 90-day grace period to address it. Children and pregnant people can keep or apply for fullscope Medi-Cal, regardless of immigration status.
• Dental Coverage Change: For adults ages 19 or older who are undocumented or have an immigration status that does not qualify for the federal Medicaid program, full dental benefits will end on July 1, 2026.
They will still have access to emergency dental care (for situations like severe infections or needing to get a tooth pulled). Pregnant people in this group keep full dental coverage during their pregnancy and for one year postpartum. Looking Ahead to 2027
• Work Requirements: Starting Jan. 1, 2027, adults ages 19–64 must show proof that they are working 80 hours each month or doing a similar activity (like volunteering, going to school, or participating in a job training program) to keep their Medi-Cal coverage. There will be exceptions for children (0-18); older adults (65+); pregnant people, including one year postpartum, regardless of birth outcome; parents with children ages 13 or younger; people with disabilities; and others.
• Monthly Premiums: Beginning July 1, 2027, adults ages 19–59 who are undocumented or do not have an immigration status that qualifies for federal Medicaid must pay a small fee to keep full-scope Medi-Cal. Without payment, coverage will be limited to emergency and pregnancy-related care.
• Biannual Eligibility Checks: Starting in 2027, Medi-Cal will check eligibility twice a year instead of once. That makes it even more important to keep your contact information updated and to submit renewal paperwork on time. What You Can Do Now Medi-Cal is more than a safety net. It’s your family’s gateway to lifelong health. Keep your contact information up to date, respond to renewal mail promptly, and talk to your Medi-Cal health plan about all the benefits available to you, from doctor visits and prescriptions to ECM and Community Supports. To maintain coverage or apply for services:
• Visit BenefitsCal.com,
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.
• Call the Medi-Cal Member Help Line at (800) 541-5555.
• Or visit or call your county Medi-Cal office. In Alameda County call (510) 272-3663 or the toll-free number 1-800698-1118. In San Francisco call (855) 355-5757.
Stay tuned in 2026 for more updates so you can take advantage of new services and prepare for changes in eligibility and benefits.
introduced were specifications for installing curbside mailboxes that included placing the letter box 6–8 inches back from the curb.
Still, many features stemming from Phillip’s invention have remained intact.
Although best known for the letter box, Phillip received patents for other inventions. His first, the New and Useful Improvements in Street Railway Switches (June 1890), was for an improvement in streetcar and train switches that allowed the switch to be opened or closed by the brakeman from the platform of the car. This patent ultimately led to the light switch. Later, in January 1917, he would, using a roller and an attached water tank, create and receive patent for an envelope moistener.
young Downing had a lifetime of exposure to influential leaders. In fact, in the mid-1830s, his grandfather Thomas Downing was a key player in the United Anti-Slavery Society of the City of New York. Later, young Downing would always be at his side, watching and learning.
Downing’s idea for the letter box came about because his family relo-
cated often. In what seemed to have been every city, they too had to travel far to post mail. Like all great inventors, he saw a gap in progress, became creative and filled it.
His letter box (known today as a mailbox) has since gone through several improvements. During the early twentieth century, the US Postal Service approved the design of a locking curbside mailbox. Also
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Downing successfully filed at least five patents with the US Patent Office. None, however, were more widely used than the letter box. After a long career as a postal clerk, he died in Boston in 1934. He was 77. Perhaps one day his face will appear on a postage stamp.
Photo courtesy Women’s Cancer Resource Center.
Student Wounded in Shooting at Skyline High School
By Post Staff
A teenager was wounded Wednesday in a shooting at Skyline High School in the Oakland Hills. The young person was hospitalized and is in stable condition, according to authorities.
Officers received calls at about 1:30 p.m. of the shooting at the school. Police offered medical assistance to the victim before transporting him to a local hospital.
Police arrested two suspects, who were minors, recovering two firearms. At present, it is not clear whether those involved in the incident were students at the school.
Officers arrived at the school within two minutes after they received a 911 call and quickly detained two suspects.
The school was placed on lockdown shortly before 2 p.m. But the security protocol was lifted a few minutes later. A message from the school said, “The lockdown is lifted, and we will be dismissing students at the gate.”
Another message later in the afternoon from the Skyline administration notified the school community that someone had been shot in the school’s 20 Building and that their injuries were not life-threatening.
Skyline held classes Thursday, offering counseling for students and staff, according to John Sasaki, OUSD’s director of communications.
Mayor Barbara Lee, who went to the school shortly after the shooting, issued a statement. “My thoughts are with the students, families, and staff affected by today’s shooting at Skyline High School. We are praying for the victim’s full and speedy recovery, and to his family, we send our strength and support,” she said.
“I am in close contact with OPD as they conduct their investigation,” said Lee. “We are deeply grateful for the quick response and actions of OPD, Skyline staff and students.”
“Every child deserves to feel safe at school. Gun violence is a crisis we must address with unwavering urgency. We will continue working with law enforcement, community partners, and school officials to protect our children and ensure our schools remain sanctuaries of learning, not scenes of violence like today,” she said.
In a social media post, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) said, “Our hearts go out to the students, teachers, and families at Skyline High School in Oakland, as they navigate the aftermath of today’s terrible shooting. We stand with you and are committed to working toward safer schools and communities.”
The Hidden Toll ...
Continued from page 1
debt. Nutrition assistance programs, which many Black women rely on to keep their families healthy and out of the hospital, are similarly endangered. Nearly half of Black women in California receive WIC, and 47% percent use CalFresh. Cuts or cost-shifts in those programs would worsen food insecurity, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. Malnutrition or diet instability can lead to adverse birth outcomes, weakened immunity, and worse recovery from medical interventions.
Compounding the harm is the assault on social determinants of health. The Equity on the Line analysis shows how housing assistance, income support, and childcare subsidies are already stretched. Any rollback will accelerate housing instability, homelessness risk, and family stress — all of which manifest in worse health outcomes: higher hypertension, depression, chronic illness, and reduced ability to adhere to medical regimens.
California has taken important steps to protect Black women’s health. One good example is Assembly Bill, AB 2319, authored by Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City). That law strengthens the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act by expanding and enforcing implicit bias training for providers in perinatal settings, and requiring reporting and penalties for noncompliance.
The state is also taking legal and policy action to mitigate the impact of cuts to SNAP/CalFresh food stamp benefits – like mobilizing $80 million in state funds to support food banks. It is also taking action
to shore up against federal cuts to Medi-Cal.
In our communities, organizations like California Black Women’s Health Project and Black Women for Wellness are already doing the groundwork — advocating for culturally centered care, education, and infrastructure to mitigate harm.
As Californians, we must all roll up our sleeves and amplify and bolster their efforts. These organizations serve as our voice. They are our watchdogs, too, documenting where bias persists, where systems fail, and where state enforcement is weak.
The stakes are too high for complacency. As we strategize to keep Black women healthy, we must also document and share our stories with others — every death, every untreated illness, every delayed pregnancy.
Let us be resolute, organized, hopeful, and persistent. California can be a model of how a state defends Black women’s health amid significant challenges, presenting a full vision to America, and the world, of how we can make health justice a reality and make California healthier for all our communities.
About the Author
Kellie Todd Griffin, President and CEO California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute. With a deep commitment to equity and justice, she champions initiatives that amplify the voices and influence of Black women across California. Known for her strategic insight and passion for community empowerment, Kellie is a driving force in fostering systemic change and collective progress.
Oakland Teachers Union ...
Continued from page 1
district has the lowest pay in the region and “suffers from 25% annual teacher turnover – a crisis for both stability and student learning.”
“Educators received no raise in 2024, and now the District is proposing no raise for 2025 and 2026,” according to OEA. “How can Oakland hope to keep teachers
if the District refuses to pay them a fair wage? How can we improve student outcomes when there is no effort to build or sustain a stable, experienced workforce?”
“OUSD’s current approach fuels high turnover, under-resourced programs, and inadequate special education services staffed by temporary outside agencies. This must end,” the union said.
Supt. Denise Saddler ... Continued from page 1
than adopting a concrete, timebound plan to address significant budget shortfalls, the Board approved what can best be described as a plan to have a plan.”
Castro emphasized: “OUSD’s history reveals an undeniable pattern: requesting plans, then disregarding them; rejecting staff recommendations; changing direction and directions, and, when difficult decisions are finally made, rescinding them shortly thereafter.”
Saddler said the district must face “the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead. We must get this right.”
These financial dangers have been growing since the district received COVID pandemic dollars, Dr. Saddler wrote. “We knew the one-time COVID pandemic dollars were approaching their expiration date last year, (and) we could see the need to take measures to mitigate the financial drop off on the horizon.”
The district’s current budget shortfall is unlike past crises, she wrote. “I’ve worked in Oakland schools for 45 years. I’ve lived through budget crises before –including that terrible time when we fell into receivership in 2003.
But I’ve seen us find creative solutions – increased fundraising, philanthropic support, and during the pandemic, federal relief dollars that gave us breathing room for several years. Now those onetime funds are gone.”
“(But) this time, our financial situation is genuinely urgent,” she wrote.
She said the board has directed the administration to keep reductions as far from schools as possible and to focus first on Central Office operations.
“That’s what I’ve asked every department to do: protect classroom instruction, even when it means deeper cuts to support services,” she wrote.
She said she directed the district finance team to adopt a “Care-Centered framework,” which means “centering the needs
of students and families first, caring for the teachers and staff who support them, and doing our very best to minimize the pain in these difficult times.”
She also emphasized that the district will do everything it can to preserve local control. As one principal told her, she wrote, “We can’t help our students if the state is making our decisions.”
Dr. Saddler recognized that some people may believe that her “dire warnings” might seem to be exaggerated, like they may have seemed to be during past budget crises.
But, based on her 40 years of experience, she wrote, “I care too much about Oakland’s children to cry wolf.”
The superintendent urged parents and the community to get involved. “I want your partnership and participation in the weeks ahead, and I want to hear from as many voices as possible – school site councils and principals, parents and guardians, students, teachers and staff, concerned citizens, and advocacy groups. Every perspective matters,” she wrote. While the board must act in December to “address our most immediate crisis,” she wrote, the work of stabilizing district finances is ongoing.
“We still have hard choices that lie ahead for future budgets,” she concluded. “I’m committed to maintaining our focus on fiscal discipline and keeping our financial house in order and using our limited resources more effectively to better support all Oakland students.”
There are several important upcoming meetings on budget issues, including: Special Board Meeting on Budget Issues: Nov. 19; • Regular Board Meeting, where there will be an anticipated vote: Dec. 10 Go to www.ousd.org/budget for updates, documents, and ways to share input with the Board and the administration.
How Charles R. Drew University Navigated More Than $20 Million in Fed Cuts – Still Prioritizing Students and Community Health
By Charlene Muhammad California Black Media
Earlier this year, when the federal government slashed more than $20 million in grants to Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), the leadership of California’s only historically Black medical school scrambled to stabilize its finances — while protecting its staff and students.
Named after the pioneering physician Dr. Charles R. Drew, famous for his work in blood preservation, CDU’s mission is to cultivate “diverse health professional leaders dedicated to social justice and health equity for underserved populations through education, research, clinical service, and, above all, community engagement.”
The school is widely recognized as a vital pipeline for Black doctors and other health professionals throughout California.
Dr. Jose Torres-Ruiz, CDU’s Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, said the university—designated as a Historically Black Graduate Institution (HBGI)—was notified in early March 2025 that most of its major grants, including the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) award, known at CDU as the “Accelerating Excellence in Translational
Science” (AXIS Grant), would be terminated. Initially renewed, the grant was later revoked because its language did not align with the current federal administration’s priorities.
The AXIS Grant provides $4.5 million per year for five years through the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. CDU quickly reallocated other funds to protect its scientists, staff, and technicians, though some personnel losses were unavoidable.
“We didn’t want to fire them because these people have expertise that takes years to gain,” TorresRuiz said.
The grant is crucial, he added, funding research in cancer, diabetes, and metabolic diseases that affect the Willowbrook community in South Los Angeles, training the next generation of scientists, and supporting community outreach. Programs at the school, including its youth and teen mentoring programs reach beyond the walls of the university, impacting the lives and quality of health care of people in the surrounding community, one of the most underserved areas in Los Angeles County.
Confronted with the harsh reality of funding cuts, the university’s leadership made an early, strategic choice to honor its foundational commitment and pri-
oritize its students. Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, dean of CDU’s College of Medicine, highlighted the school’s deliberate focus on admitting students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds — many of whom are Pell Grant recipients and graduates of public high schools.
“We are staying true to our mission, finding creative ways to prioritize what’s most important,” she said. “I’m optimistic because of our students—they are dedicated and committed to service.”
In addition, the $2 millionper-year John Lewis NIMHD Research Endowment Program, intended to strengthen CDU’s research infrastructure, was terminated with three years remaining after a February 2025 freeze on nearly all federal grants for public health, education, and infrastructure projects.
Following an appeal, CDU learned in June that the RCMI
grant had been fully reinstated, along with all but eight smaller grants. The university’s next priority is restoring the John Lewis Endowment.
“We are working with NIH staff to adjust the language. Certain words like ‘diversity’ and ‘equity,’ which are core values of our institution, are now under scrutiny,” Torres-Ruiz explained.
CDU has also expanded funding sources by targeting foundations and private donors. “This may happen again. We cannot rely solely on federal agencies,” Torres-Ruiz said, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with politicians and private partners.
Prothrow Stith echoed Ruiz’s perspective on cultivating multiple funding sources. “Building bridges with private foundations helps, but it doesn’t erase the disruption,” she said.
Many students rely on federal
loans, CDU leaders say. Those loans are now capped at $150,000. So, most medical students graduate with $300,000–$350,000 in debt when accounting for tuition and living expenses.
To lower the burden on students, CDU is exploring options to make education more affordable, including overlapping school years to reduce annual costs.
Students like Isaiah Hoffman and Bailey Moore epitomize CDU’s values.
Hoffman, an aspiring orthopedic surgeon from Inglewood, credits Drew for inspiring his career choice. Out of 12 medical school acceptances, he chose CDU to give back to his community and continue Drew’s legacy. Hoffman also founded H.O.M.I.E.S. Inc., a nonprofit pairing Black K–12 students with mentors to support academic and personal growth.
Moore, 23, from Southeast Washington, D.C., pursued CDU to address maternal health disparities she observed in her own community – an underserved area of the nation’s capital city. “CDU pours into you. It emphasizes service, and I hope for a world without health disparities,” she said. “Drew may be small, but Drew is mighty. It was created out of necessity to save lives and empower communities.”
CDU President and CEO Dr. David Carlisle acknowledged
during the Aug. 28 “State of the University” that the institution faces ongoing challenges. Political threats and grant disruptions contributed to a sizable unrestricted budget deficit, despite achievements over the past year.
Successful appeals and alternative sources of funding, led by Vice Provost Dr. Ali Andallibi, have now restored all the monies previously lost in research funding, he said.
Carlisle expressed gratitude to L.A. Care Health Plan and Sutter Health for providing multimillion-dollar scholarships and highlighted that CDU would welcome approximately 1,050 incoming students—near its highest enrollment ever. “I’m deeply grateful for the resolve, diligence, and unwavering commitment of everyone here, even when the path is not easy,” he said. At the gathering, Carlisle referred to the sounds of ambulances passing by with blaring sirens as- the “music of healthcare,” while students and the school’s leadership attending expressed resilience in their speeches and conversations. The activities of the day captured the institution’s focus on education, service and advancing health care across disadvantaged communities in California – and beyond.
Skyline High School entrance. Courtesy photo.
The campus of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in Los Angeles. CBM photo by Max Elramsisy.