Oakland Post
Mayor Lee Reports Progress
Since Lee has been mayor, police reported a 40% drop in robberies and a drop of 27% in homicides
More than 1,000 affordable housing units are under construction
For the first time in more than 20 years, every fire station is open and fully staffed Oakland has adopted a balanced city budget in the face of a $130
By Carla Thomas Crowds of fans filled
Oakland on Sunday, Oct. 5, as the city came together to celebrate the Oakland Ballers’ historic championship victory, marking the first baseball title for an Oakland team in 36 years.
Fans of all ages lined the streets, waving gold-and-green banners and wearing Ballers gear as the daylong celebration moved from
City Hall to Raimondi Park and Prescott Market.
The Oakland City Hall rally included remarks from Mayor Barbara Lee, Councilmember Carroll Fife, Ballers co-founders Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman, manager Aaron Miles, and catcher Tyler Lozano.
Lee presented the
Special to The Post
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) hosted a roundtable in Oakland on Oct. 4 to discuss how the Republican shutdown is impacting federal workers and working families on the ground.
Bay Area Unions urged Simon and all Democrats to continue fighting for affordable health care, which is threatened by the cuts
‘Oakland is on the move … and we are seeing results,’ says Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee
By Post Staff
“Oakland is on the move, and we are moving with purpose, with urgency, and we are seeing results,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee this week in her first State of the City address since she took office about 140 days ago.
“I am proud to report that, yes,
Oakland is cleaner and safer and open for business,” said Lee in her speech Tuesday as she urged the public and the media to “reject these false narratives that tear us down.…We must be focused on the task at hand — moving the city forward.”
By Post Staff
Oakland Police Chief Floyd
Mitchell announced this week that he will be stepping down from his position after 18 months. His final day will be Dec. 5. Mitchell, who was appointed by former Mayor Sheng Thao in May 2024, submitted a resignation letter to the City on Wednesday, according to a press release from
the City of Oakland.
So far, it is not clear why the chief resigned.
“Deciding to resign was not an easy decision, nor was it made in haste,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am confident that this department will continue to thrive and reach new heights.”
Mayor Lee said strategies she is supporting like the anti-
Despite allegations promoted by the Trump administration and some local critics, violent crime in Oakland has dropped dramatically this year. Police have reported a 40% drop in robberies and a 27% drop in homicides.
Mitchell, collaborating with Mayor Barbara Lee and City Administrator Jestin Johnson, will work together over the next few weeks to select an interim police chief, according to the city’s media release.
“Under his tenure, we have seen significant reductions in crime — a testament to his commitment to public safety and the hard work of our police officers,” Lee wrote in the city’s press release.
"I want to thank Chief Mitchell for his dedicated service to Oakland and his leadership during a critical time for our city,” the mayor said. “I am grateful for Chief Mitchell's collaboration with our administration and his focus on community-centered policing. The women and men of the Oakland Police Department have my full support as we work together to ensure a smooth transition and continue building on the progress we've made for Oakland's residents.”
“I’d like to thank Chief Mitchell for his service to the city of Oakland and his unwavering support provided to the women and men of
Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell. Courtesy photo.
Enid Magali Rosario, center, is honored for her community work by her daughter, State Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, to her right. They are joined by (l. to r.): former KTVU broadcaster Mark Ibanez, Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, OPIC CEO Mark Lankford, Bonta, former OPIC Executive Director Gay Cobb, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and former educator Kitty Kelly Epstein. Photo by Carla Thomas.
At BWOPA headquarters in downtown Oakland on Thursday night, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Photo By Carla Thomas.
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon
Courtesy photo.
At the championship rally at Oakland City Hall, Oakland Ballers cofounders, Bryan Carmel and Paul Freedman are presented the key to the City of Oakland by Mayor Barbara Lee with District 3 Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife. Photo by OB.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee addresses the City Council in her first State of the City Address. Facebook photo.
Dis Gov. Newsom Signs Two Bills Authored by Black Caucus Members ... see page 2 OPINION: With Government Shutdown, Trump’s Parked Us in the ‘King Zone’... see page 2 OPINION: Don’t Fall for Lies – SB 41 is Critical to Reducing Drug Costs and Improving Access .. see page 2 Before New York City’s Central Park: The Story of Seneca Village ... see page 4
Why Toni Atkins Dropped Out of the Governor’s Race
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
Former California Assembly Speaker and State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins has ended her campaign for governor, citing the need for Democratic unity as the state prepares for the 2026 election.
In a message to supporters on Monday, Atkins said, “That’s why it’s with such a heavy heart that I’m stepping aside today as a candidate for governor. Despite the strong support we’ve received and all we’ve achieved; there is simply no viable path forward to victory. Though my campaign is ending, I will keep fighting for California’s future.”
Atkins, an LGBTQ+ trailblazer, was the lead author of California’s 2022 constitutional amendment enshrining the right to abortion. The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus praised her, saying, “Toni Atkins’ run in this race is only the latest chapter in a career defined by trustworthy service and lifting up others – a legacy that will continue to shape California for generations to come. As the first openly LGBTQ+ individual and woman to lead both houses of our State Legislature, and as a proud member of our Caucus, Toni has shattered barriers once thought unbreakable and led
with compassion, courage, and conviction.”
Her departure marks the second high-profile Democratic exit from the race, following Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis’ decision to drop out in August. It was reported that former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris also considered a campaign but ultimately declined to run.
Despite Atkins’ exit, several Democrats remain in the contest, including former U.S. House Rep. Katie Porter, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and former State Attorney General Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor and former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, California Democratic Party Vice Chair and former State Controller Betty Yee, and former California Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon.
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla has not ruled out a run for governor, even as his Senate term runs until 2029.
The Republican field currently includes Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton.
A Berkeley IGS Poll last month showed Porter holding a slight first-choice lead, but nearly twice as many voters remain undecided, signaling a competitive primary.
Gov. Newsom Signs Two Bills Authored by Black Caucus Members
By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
On Oct. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills written by members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC): Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles).
Weber Pierson’s bill, Senate Bill (SB) 39, titled “Cosmetic safety: vaginal suppositories,” extends California’s existing ban on cosmetics containing specific ingredients, including boric acid.
According to Weber Pierson, chair of the CLBC, the bill, titled postpones the effective date of the state’s ban on boric acid from Jan. 1, 2027, to Jan. 1, 2035.
The product labels on boric acid vaginal suppositories must include a warning to consumers, with a specific focus on pregnancy risks, stated Weber Pierson, who is also a medical doctor and board-certified for Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN).
“It also allows continued access if federally regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” Weber Pierson stated on Oct. 3.
Deeannah Seymour, co-founder and CEO of pH-D Feminine Health, a company that creates wellness products for women, stated that SB 39 marks a milestone in women’s access to cosmetic products, including expanding the exemption for boric acid suppositories from the state’s extensive chemical ban.
“This conversation is much bigger than a product,” Seymour added. “It is about access, affordability, and collaborating with policymakers, scientists, and regulators to keep women at the center of the conversation.”
Newsom also signed SB 303, the Public Workplace Bias Mitigation and Employee Protection Act,
1111 Broadway, Suite 800, Oakland, CA 94607 (510) 208-7400 • www.alamedactc.org Request for Proposals (RFP) for Contract Compliance, Monitoring And Equity Support Services (RFP No. R26-0005)
The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) is seeking proposals for a contract to commence services on April 1, 2026, or as indicated in the RFP and/or appropriate addenda.
Key Dates:
- Optional Online Pre-Proposal Meeting is scheduled for October 10, 2025, at 1: 00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
- Proposal due date: November 4, 2025, BEFORE 3:00 p.m. PT
Proposals are subject to Alameda CTC’s Local Business Contract Equity Program. The Program goals for professional services are 70% for Local Business Enterprise (LBE) and 30% for Small LBE. For Program requirements and forms, visit Alameda CTC’s website. Any contract resulting from this RFP will be awarded without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or national origin.
All RFP documents are available Procurement Portal at https://alamedactc. bonfirehub.com. All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted via the Procurement Portal, no later than 3:00 p.m. PT on October 17, 2025. Submittals must be made in accordance with the instructions in the RFP. Any contract
authored by Smallwood Cuevas.
That legislation focuses on implicit bias awareness training and strengthens the use of evidence in workplace discrimination cases.
SB 303 enables state and local agencies to engage in antidiscrimination programs while keeping employees' participation in these programs confidential and inadmissible in civil court proceedings.
On the Senate floor on May 28, Smallwood-Cuevas explained that the protection SB 303 provides aims to foster more open and honest participation in training, ultimately creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces.
“Let me be clear, the goal of this bill is not to shield employees from accountability or from discriminatory action or speech or shared intent to discriminate from their employees,” Smallwood Cuevas said. “The bill simply, narrowly focuses on admission of bias and mandatory training.”
Smallwood-Cuevas introduced SB 303 in May as part of a broader bill package designed to advance equity, strengthen worker protections, and expand opportunities for all Californians.
That package included SB 75, the Reentry Pilot Project. SB 75 was enrolled and presented to Gov. Newsom on Sept. 23, for his consideration after it passed both houses of the California Legislature.
It requires the California Workforce Development Board to establish a Reentry Pilot Project in the Counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego to provide workforce training and transitional support to formerly incarcerated individuals committed to careers in the skilled trades.
By Emil Guillermo
The government isn’t “shut down.”
Trump and his executive branch are active as hell.
And they’re operating — in the “King Zone.”
Arcane laws are being used to justify federalizing national guard troops, and putting cities run by his political opponents under siege.
And the MAGA movement sees it as A-OK.
If you’re a federal worker living in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), the backbone of the region’s Black middle class, you’ve got to be worried about being among the tens of thousands of layoffs and furloughs that Republicans are threatening.
Trump could have stopped it, but in the final hours, Trump showed no serious attempt to stop the pain the majority of us are feeling.
On his official social media account, Trump posted a fake AI generated video featuring Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the first African American to lead a major party in the history of Congress.
The video was racist and demeaning. Trump reposted it as truth.
The Republicans used a fake video to illustrate a lie, knowing many people would think it was real.
VP J.D. Vance said it was a joke.
And they were just “having fun.”
Funny how Vance didn’t laugh when Jimmy Kimmel joked that Trump was exploiting Charlie Kirk’s death.
But that’s how politics is played today.
To the GOP that’s “fun.”
On Day 2 of the shutdown, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson picked up where the fake video left off.
Johnson was on cable news saying the impasse is because Democrats want to give health care to “il-
legal immigrants” (his racist term).
To its credit, CNN stopped showing the Johnson event on its air, and an anchor confirmed the health care/illegal immigrant charge was a lie.
This is the problem with a shutdown fueled by lies and racism.
The fact is Republicans are cutting existing credits that will make your health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act unaffordable. Up to 24 million people could lose their coverage.
Democrats want to negotiate the point now and end the shutdown. Republicans would rather play dumb, keep the shutdown, and do all they can to tear down government.
That’s why the shutdown will go on.
Trump has us in a place where the unlawful, the unconstitutional, the illegal and the immoral in government can all happen before our eyes. No gaslight needed.
Government continues the way the chief executive likes it. No checks. No balances. No democracy.
Trump has parked us in the “King Zone.”
About the Author Emil Guillermo is an awardwinning journalist and stage monologist. See him in a staged reading of Oakland writer Ishmael Reed’s new play on Uncle Remus and Joel Chandler Harris, “The Amanuensis.” Thursday, Oct. 16; Friday Oct. 17; and Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 pm. Sunday matinee, 3pm. Theater 33, 533 Sutter St. 2nd floor, San Francisco.
http://www.theater33.com/ See his “Emil Amok, 69,” a live monologue. One night only, Nov. 19 at the SF Marsh.
https://themarsh.org/shows_ and_events/marsh-rising-emilguillermo/
cess to care is critical. Unfortunately, even with good insurance, health insurance plans and their affiliated Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) are inflating costs and driving community pharmacies out of business, particularly in Black and Latino neighborhoods.
By Zenay Arnold Special to California Black Media Partners
I was diagnosed with lupus while recovering from a divorce I did not see coming. Not only did I believe I was happily married, but I was only 32 and at the top of my game working at a very prestigious law firm. Then, one morning, I couldn’t move at all.
Managing my emotions related to my divorce, let alone my diagnosis, was challenging. If it were not for my faith in God and my family, I don’t think I would have transitioned through that awful time as well
as I did.
My diagnosis felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me, but I knew I would never give up. What followed were two words that still define: We Win.
Twenty-one years later, I am still alive, fighting through good and bad days. I’m grateful to God for letting me live each day and that my good days outweigh my bad days.
Living with lupus can cost more than $60,000 a year depending on the severity of the disease. Particularly with a condition like lupus that has no cure, timely and affordable ac-
PBMs are the companies that operate as go-betweens with pharmaceutical manufacturers, your health insurance plan, and pharmacies. Essentially, they determine how much a medication will cost, and if insurance will cover it. Over the years, PBMs’ role in drug pricing has grown dramatically, and not for the benefit of patients. In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission released a report which found that “PBMs wield enormous power over patients’ ability to access and afford their prescription drugs.”
The longstanding lack of oversight regarding PBM practices has also led to massive vertical integration and exacerbated existing “pharmacy deserts.” For example, the largest PBM, CVS Caremark, is owned by CVS Health, which also owns the CVS pharmacy chain and is affiliated with the health insurer Aetna. The conglomerate also now owns primary care clin-
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law authored by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson regarding the sale of boric acid vaginal suppositories. SB 39 delays the state’s prohibition on the manufacture and sale of vaginal suppositories containing boric acid until Jan. 1, 20235. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
Former California Assembly Speaker and State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins.
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A Thousand Ways to Die
visual and media artists a poet/writer, histo rian, and dancer/choreographer who each receive $800,000 over
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
Author: Trymaine Lee, Copy-
right: c.2025, Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, SRP: $29.00, Page Count: 257 Pages
Face it: some scores can never truly be settled.
You can try tit-for-tat, you can scheme and plan, but making things even? Not a chance; the other guy is probably scheming, too, so full pay-back ain’t happenin’. And besides, why let revenge live in your head? Life’s too short, you just can’t do it – and especially, as in the new book “A Thousand Ways to Die” by Trymaine Lee, you can’t do it with a gun.
Eight years ago, Trymaine Lee almost died.
olds, and Dorothy Roberts. This is the eighth and last in the series highlighting the Black awardees.
Fortunately, the blood clot in his body, the “widow-maker,” was caught in time but the whole episode affected his then-young daughter, who continued for some time to beg for stories about it, and to ask about life and death.
Lee didn’t always know what to say.
“I struggle,” he says, “to answer why things are the way that they are, especially when it comes to Black folks like us.”
Death by violence happened in his own family: in 1923, a young great-uncle left on horseback to run an errand and was never seen alive again, which “ripped a hole in the family” that resonated for generations.
Lynchings were common then, as was Jim Crow and so “Black folks… began leaving the South
MacArthur Fellow Dorothy Roberts’ Advocates Restructure of Child Welfare System
Before New York City’s Central Park: The Story of Seneca Village
By Tamara Shiloh
en masse…”
erts is excerpted from the MacArthur Fellows web site.
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.
Guns, he says, were “central to the violence” then, on both sides.
Violence followed Black soldiers to Vietnam, and home again. It went to prison with some people, most often, men. Lee himself almost got in trouble once for a “twelve-dollar toy gun from Walmart” that looked realistic.
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.
Black funeral directors learned how to hold open-casket funerals, as death stalked Black Americans for not learning to swim because Jim Crow kept them from it. Cancer caught others in unequal numbers. Some were wrapped up in “the deadly grind of the drug trade,” while “innocent victims [are] caught in the crossfire.”
Roberts’s early work focused on Black women’s reproductive rights and their fight for reproductive justice. In “Killing the Black
“We still bleed,” he says. “… yet salvation from America’s violence has remained out of our grasp, like trying to put shape to the wind.”
On the surface, you may think there’s not much new to say about violence, when talking about Black life in general. In many ways, it’s been a part of American life for so long, it’s almost some sort of a wrong-headed new normal. And yet, read “A Thousand Ways to Die” and your thinking is going to twist, and twist again in a whole new direction.
While author Trymaine Lee’s main focus is on gun violence in the past century or so, he diverts readers’ attention sometimes. Don’t forget this. Remember that. Here’s a story for you, here’s something else and as Lee totes them up, one by one, each point shows hidden costs attached to violent acts.
Readers will be hit hard by the fact that it’s a long list.
This is the kind of book that your mind will carry with you for days, and it begs to be shared and discussed. You owe it to your community, in fact, to talk about “A Thousand Ways to Die” because this powerful book scores.
Did you know that before Central Park in New York City was built, there was a neighborhood called Seneca Village? It was home to African American families, along with Irish and German immigrants, and it became an important place in history.
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.
This work prompted Roberts to examine the treatment of children of color in the U.S. child welfare system.
Seneca Village began in 1825, when a free Black man named Andrew Williams bought land between what is now 82nd and 89th Streets in Manhattan. Soon, other African Americans followed, buying land and building homes. Owning land was very important at that time, because in New York State, Black men had to own $250 worth of property to be able to vote. So, Seneca Village gave many people the chance to have both a home and a voice in their community.
The people of Seneca Village built houses, planted gardens, and raised their families. They created a neighborhood where children could play safely, and fami-
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
In “Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World (2022),”
She also shows that blaming tural problems, while ignoring the historical roots of economic and social inequality, fails families and grained oppressive features of the tirely new approach focused on supporting families rather than
These weren’t
lies could live with more space than in the crowded downtown area. Unlike the tiny and unhealthy apartments that many people lived in, Seneca Village had two-story houses with yards and trees.
Roberts traces the historical, cultural, and political forces driving the racial and class imbalance in child welfare interventions.
Churches were at the heart of the community. There were three main churches: All Angels’ Episcopal Church, African Union Methodist Church, and AME Zion
These include stereotypes about Black parents as negligent, devaluation of Black family bonds, and stigmatization of parenting practices that fall outside a narrow set
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.
Continued on page 6
Special to The Post
Oct. 1, it was noted that eight of the 22 MacArthur fellows were African American. Among the re cipients of the so-called ‘genius grants’ are scholars,
a five-year period to spend as they
min, Jericho Brown, Tony Cokes,
Dorothy Roberts. Photo courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. Ma cArthur Foundation.
A Map of Seneca Village. Public Domain.
Cover of A Thousand Ways to Die. Courtesy of St. Martin’s Press.
Public Notices, Classifieds & Business
The Story of Seneca Village
...
Continued from page 4
neighborhood. About two-thirds of the people were African American, while the rest were Irish and German immigrants. They lived side by side, making it a rare example of cooperation during a time when discrimination was common in New York.
Sadly, the story of Seneca Village did not have a happy ending. In the 1850s, New York City lead-
SB 41 is Critical to Reducing Drug Costs ...
Continued from page 2
ics, yet they continue to push anti-patient and anti-pharmacy practices.
Fortunately, SB 41 authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) will crack down on these harmful schemes. Among other provisions, it will require PBMs to be licensed with the state, ban patient-steering toward PBMaffiliated pharmacies, prohib-
ers wanted to build a big public park—what we now know as Central Park. To make room, the city forced the people of Seneca Village to leave their homes. This was done through a law called eminent domain, which allowed the government to take private land for public use. Although some families were given money, it was usually not enough to make up for everything they lost. By 1857, Seneca Village was gone.
For many years, few people
it the use of “spread pricing,” where PBMs charge a plan more for a drug than it pays for a pharmacy, and require that PBMs pass through all negotiated drug rebates.
Let’s be real – neither a political strategist nor a chamber of commerce understands what an individual living with a chronic disease deals with every single day.
It’s critical that Gov. Newsom understands the broad and significant support behind SB 41. Don’t fall for PBMs’ lies and political attacks. They’re
even knew that Seneca Village had ever existed. But in recent times, historians and archaeologists have worked to uncover its history. They’ve found items like dishes, shoes, and tools that tell us about the daily lives of its residents. Today, signs and memorials in Central Park honor the village and its people.
Seneca Village is an important reminder that Black folks, even in the early 1800s, worked hard to build safe, thriving communities.
scared about their bottom lines and profit margins; we’re scared about whether a PBM will force another pharmacy to close, like Ten Acres in Sacramento and Yosemite Drug in Fresno, or if my PBM will suddenly decide to no longer cover the only treatment that helps mitigate my symptoms.
Let’s hold them accountable.
About the Author Zenay Arnold is the CoFounder of We Win Foundation. Learn more via wewinfoundation.org.
CALIFORNIA TEACHERS ARE VOTING
YES ON PROP 50!
Our union of 310,000 educators across California is YES on 50 to defend democracy, and to ensure funding for public education and essential services for our communities.
THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS:
SLASHED funds for critical education programs
DISMANTLED the Department of Education including the Office of Civil Rights FIRED hundreds of thousands of federal employees, disproportionately affecting Black workers
CUT healthcare for millions of California students and families
Meanwhile, the wealthiest top 1% will receive $1 trillion in tax cuts from Trump’s Megabill over the next decade.
WE DESERVE ELECTED LEADERS WHO WILL REPRESENT US, NOT CUT FROM OUR COMMUNITIES TO GIVE MORE TA X BREAKS TO BILLIONAIRES.
Oakland Ballers Championship Victory Rally ...
Continued from page 1
created at The Crucible Industrial Arts School in West Oakland.
The crowd was filled with energy as Lee praised the Ballers for “bringing pride and unity back to Oakland,” while Lozano told fans the championship belonged as much to the City as to the team.
After the rally, a championship parade circled historic Raimondi Park drawing cheers as Ballers players, coaches, front office staff, and sponsors waved from decorated floats and vintage trucks. The Oakland 68s drum crew led the rhythm accompanied by Scrappy the Rally Possum, the team’s mascot.
The summery evening at Prescott Market pulsed with music, and chanting the Oakland Ballers slogan, “We Build Together, We Win Together,” symbolizing the city's resilience and love for the game of baseball. Streets surrounding the park between 18th and 20th, Wood, and Campbell,
were closed to accommodate the crowd, and fans packed sidewalks to cheer on their new hometown heroes. Floats and classic cars added to the festivities.
Following the parade, an all-out block party featured live performances by Oakland rapper and Ballers co-owner Jwalt, Richmond’s Fijiana, Oakland Jazz Funk Project, and DJ Black Woman.
Food vendors and local artisans filled the streets, while Ballers players mingled with fans. Ballers Manager Aaron Miles, reflecting on the team’s championship run, said he was inspired as a child by professional baseball players, the late Rickey Henderson and Dave Stewart and had fond memories of the sport.
“It has been such an honor to provide an unbelievable memory to the same people that I hold the same memories with, the people that built my passion for the game.”
Community Leaders Address
Prolonged Closure of the West Oakland Senior Center
By Carla Thomas
The future of the West Oakland Senior Center (WOSC) remains uncertain more than a year after its closure for renovations in May 2024. On Oct. 6, representatives from the Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC) and the Alameda County Senior Center Coalition gathered with Morris Birdsong to address the continuing lack of progress at the site, which many fear may never reopen.
The meeting included community advocates Paul Cobb (by telephone), Glenda McComb, Bishop J. E. and Faye Watkins, Dr. Geoffrey Watson, and Priscilla Banks. Birdsong provided an overview of the center’s history, noting that the building was initially closed to allow upgrades to the kitchen, computers, security system, and multipurpose room.
However, he reported that, as of this month, the facility remains fenced off, marred by graffiti and litter, and damaged by multiple break-ins and vandalism. While the city has conducted some cleanup efforts, residents remain frustrated by the lack of transparency about the upgrade project’s timeline.
Oakland’s four senior centers ,located in East, North, Downtown, and West Oakland, are operated under the City’s Department of Human Services and its Division on Aging. Since WOSC’s closure, members have been redirected to the North Oakland Senior Center, creating strain due to overlapping management.
Currently, directors Mia Thibeaux and Aaron Wong oversee multiple sites, with vacant leadership positions in East and North Oakland. Community members expressed further concern over limited communication from District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife and the city’s leadership. They questioned why updates on construction, funding, and reopening plans have not been shared publicly.
U.S. Rep Simon Meets with Bay Area Workers ...
Continued from page 1
to spending Republicans want. Although the GOP controls Congress, it doesn’t have the necessary votes to force their budget through.
“The message that we want you to take back to D.C. is that Democrats must support a spending bill that protects health care. Period. End of sentence,” said Zach Goldman, political director of SEIU 1021, during the roundtable, according to ABC News 7.
There are 10,400 federal employees in Alameda County and 78,000 in the Bay Area, according to the Alameda Labor Council. The discussion included local union representatives from SEIU 1021 and SEIU UHW, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) local 1230 and 3172; La Clinica de La Raza, a community-based clinic in Fruitvale; Alameda County employees, and federal workers like Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees from the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport.
While some workers are on unpaid leave, by law, TSA employees, represented by AFGE, must continue working.
“We have families. A lot of our TSOs live paycheck to paycheck. They have childcare issues. They have to show up at 3 o’clock in the morning to fly out the traveling public,” AFGE’s Gilbert Galam said, according to ABC 7 News.
At the roundtable, Congresswoman Simon stated:
“I want to give an opportunity for members of this community, who again are representing the folks who are keeping the Bay Area
and the nation running, for what this moment means for them...
“The small business economy relies on Medicaid and Medicare for their folks. So, this fight isn’t a political boxing match. This is about the foundation of the American people…
“We are following, really, the direction of low-income and working-class people on the ground, to say that our health care is not an option. It’s the floor.”
On Sept. 30, the eve of the shutdown, Simon’s view was that, under Trump, the government has been closing down little by little because of massive layoffs and firings. “The reality is that the government has been shut down since Trump was elected back to office. His administration has illegally terminated at least 12 percent of the federal workforce – and wants to continue to fire even more people during a government shutdown. Trump has defied court orders and rulings, gutted the social security net, and decimated our public education system. Trump’s true intentions are to eradicate the federal government.”
Congresswoman Simon’s office remains open and ready to assist constituents from California’s 12th Congressional District throughout the shutdown, whether constituents are looking for answers, help navigating a federal agency and your benefits, or want to share their story.
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon’s media relations office and ABC 7 News are the sources of this report.
Oakland is On the Move ...
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gun violence program Ceasefire, and Measure NN, which raised millions of dollars for police and violence prevention services, are making a difference in the city.
Under Lee’s administration, Oakland is leading a regional gun violence prevention effort.
Oakland’s 2025-2027 budget includes funding for five police academies and $1.4 million for anti-sideshow enforcement, Lee said. Oakland also has received $1 million from the state for MACRO, Oakland’s non-police emergency response program.
Lee highlighted improvements in the city’s emergency response abilities. “For the first time in more than 20 years, every fire station is open and fully staffed,” she said.
Citing progress on illegal dumping, Lee said more than 30 tons of trash have been cleared from areas around schools and 30 miles of city streets have been cleaned since she took office.
“Keeping ‘The Town’ clean is an all-hands-on-deck pursuit, tackling gateways into Oakland and the blocks we all call home,” she said. “We’ve got to clean the city up, and we’re doing that, but we need to do a lot more.”
agents to Oakland, the way he has already done in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Portland and other cities. “I will not allow Oakland to be bullied by the President of the United States,” she said. “My top priority is to protect our community from the militarization of our streets and from discriminatory raids that tear families apart.”
She said the City has developed a protocol for potential National Guard deployment. Lee underscored that Oakland is a ‘Sanctuary City,’ meaning that local police do not cooperate with ICE. She also mentioned a partnership with the San Francisco Foundation, which will provide $10 million in assistance for immigrant families.
Lee reminded protesters who plan to organize resistance against federal agents in Oakland, “We’re not going to be provoked into any action that gives Trump an excuse to occupy our streets.”
So far, there have been three reported ICE arrests in Oakland since Trump took office, including one inside a courthouse in September.
Birdsong said many fear that the City may be considering the sale of the property to private interests, a move that would deeply impact West Oakland’s aging population. Before its closure, WOSC was a vital hub for elders – offering memory care programs for Alzheimer’s patients, caregiver therapy, and social activities. Membership costs just $12-$15 annually, yet the center’s operations have suffered severe budget and staff cuts, including janitorial and maintenance services.
Cobb proposed the formation of the “Friends of the West Oakland Senior Center Committee,” including Birdsong, Banks, the Watkinses, McComb, and Dr. Geoffrey Watson to advocate for accountability, investigate contractor progress by Mar Con Builders, Inc. and engage city officials directly.
Watson stated that the group hopes to finalize a strategic plan before Oct. 10 to press for clarity and ensure that, in West Oakland, service to seniors continues to be valued as “the rent we pay for living on this earth.”
During a brief encounter outside City Council chambers prior to the State of the City Address at City Hall on Tuesday, Fife expressed sincere concern about the center and encouraged the newly formed group to meet with her and raise concerns with the City Administrator.
“Let’s get together, go to the City Administrator and ask them to expedite the timeline for re-opening the center for our seniors,” said Fife. “And we’ll find out more information on the status, because it’s been closed for a long, long time and our seniors of West Oakland have been displaced to North Oakland, and I just want them home and I know they want to be home.”
Oakland Private Industry Council Hosts Tropical Sunset Soiree Fundraiser
By Carla Thomas
The Oakland Private Industry Council hosted their Tropical Sunset Soiree fundraiser at the Torch Rooftop Lounge in downtown Oakland on Thursday, October 2. Retired broadcaster of KTVU Channel 2 Mark Ibanez served as the master of ceremonies along with OPIC Executive Director Raymond Lankford.
OPIC honored Charles Turner, Ronald Forbes, Michael Hughes, developer Alan Dones, Post Publisher Paul Cobb, San Francisco Foundation CEO Fred Blackwell, and filmmaker Marcus King among many others.
Mayor Barbara Lee commended the honorees for their civic impact.
She also described her longterm friendship with Gay Cobb, thanking her for her dedication to making significant contributions to the community.
Paul Cobb paused to celebrate his 55 years of marriage to Gay,
CEO Emeritus of OPIC and Copublisher of the Oakland Post. Lankford honored Mayor Lee for her legendary advocacy and public service.
Chef Michauxnee Olier, owner of Willow and Pines Restaurant and Catering, provided a Caribbean and Soul Food buffet while talented students from the Oakland School for the Arts played live jazz.
One lucky person won the raffled TV while others bid on auction items such as a weekend getaway to Arnold, Ca., a meetand-greet with Jeffrey Osborne, and a private dinner for six by Chef Jalen Ware.
Among the 100 attendees were Iris Merriouns, chief of staff for District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, District 5 Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, and Dr. Nadine Scott and Pastor Karla Jackson of Ariel Outreach Ministries.
Police Chief Floyd Mitchell to Resign ...
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the Oakland Police Department,” said Johnson, the city administrator. Violent crime through early September was down 26% compared to the same point last year, according to OPD data(opens. Overall crime is down 29% this
year
Prior to coming to Oakland, Mitchell was the first Black police chief of Lubbock, Texas, serving from 2019 to 2023. He worked as
a police officer in Kansas City for 25 years.
As an employee of Oakland, the had a three-year contact, earning $365,000 a year.
The Oakland Police Commission will have the responsibility of recruiting new candidates for chief. The commission will interview the candidates and send a list of the top three to Lee to make the final decision, probably next year.
Looking at the City’s efforts to advance the local economy, Lee pointed out that Oakland has adopted a balanced city budget in the face of a $130 million deficit. Further, she said, her administration has taken steps to make opening and sustaining a business in Oakland more feasible, including removing bureaucratic obstacles to obtaining business permits.
“We’ll ensure our government moves at the speed of innovation,” Lee said, saying she’s on the phone with companies around the country daily, encouraging them to come visit Oakland.
Lee also responded to President Trump’s threats to send federal
Speaking about housing and homelessness, she said more than 1,000 affordable housing units are under construction in Oakland, and 700 are about to break ground. Oakland also is set to receive funding for homelessness programs and housing, as a result of Alameda County’s Measure W. Summing up the efforts of her administration, Mayor Lee said, “We build on the foundation we’ve laid these past 140 days. More officers, youth jobs, and addressing root causes of crime,” as well as more community cleanups, increased illegal dumping enforcement, and cultural events like the Oakland Ballers parade last weekend.
“We’re seeing progress, but we can’t stop now,” she said.
BWOPA Hosts 2-Day 2025 Power Up Leadership Summit in Oakland
Special to The Post
Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) will host its biennial Power Up Leadership Summit Oct. 24-25 at the Kissel Uptown Hotel in Oakland. This year’s theme, “Power. Purpose. Possibility.”, highlights BWOPA’s mission to strengthen Black women’s political power and leadership.
The two-day gathering begins Friday evening with the High5 Black Leaders Rooftop Mixer (Oct. 24, 6-9 p.m.), presented in partnership with the Black Elected Officials of California. This celebratory kickoff will honor outstanding leaders and provide networking opportunities with elected officials, community advocates, and emerging voices.
Saturday, Oct. 25, features the full-day Leadership Summit with plenaries, empowerment sessions, and candidate development workshops. Confirmed speakers include:
L. Joy Williams — National political strategist and commentator delivering the morning keynote, “Courage to Govern, Power to Lead.”
Dr. Michelle Taylor (Feminista
Jones) — Scholar, author, and activist presenting the empowerment keynote, “Voices, Votes & Visibility: The Future of Black Women’s Power.” The summit will also feature an empowerment luncheon, interactive leadership labs to prepare the next wave of candidates, and the Power Luxe Lounge — an all-day exhibitor and networking space spotlighting small businesses, nonprofits, and corporate partners.
“With the Nov. 4 Special Election and Prop 50 redistricting vote just days away, the Summit is both a leadership experience and a call to action,” said LaNiece Jones, state president and CEO of BWOPA. “Black women’s voices, votes, and visibility must be front and center.”
Event Details: Friday, Oct. 24 – High5 Black Leaders Mixer (6-9 p.m.) Saturday, Oct. 25 – Leadership Summit (9 a.m. -5:30 p.m.) Kissel Uptown Hotel, 2455 Broadway, Oakland, CA For more information, exhibitor opportunities, or registration, visit www.bwopatileleads.org.
West Oakland Senior Center at the corner of 18th and Adeline remains fenced off and under repair. The prolonged projected has attracted graffiti and garbage among the construction site. Photo By Carla Thomas.
Confirmed keynotes speakers include Dr. Michelle Taylor and L. Joy Williams.
Left to right: Dr. Geoffrey Watson, Marcus King, Gay Plair Cobb, Ray Lankford and Lester Conner. Photo by Jonathanfitnessjones.