Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) issued the following statement on the passing of Maudelle Shirek: “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Maudelle Shirek, and my thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family. “Maudelle was truly the “godmother of East Bay progressive politics.” The former City of [...]
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By Vanessa Le Blanc Albertine Thomas passed away at the age of 83, and was the only child of Alberta and Joseph Wilson of New Orleans, Louisiana. While growing up in the South, she attended segregated schools. However, the injustice and bigotry of segregation did not diminish her dreams. As integration transformed society, Albertine worked [...]
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Winter Noel of Oakland was crowned Miss Congeniality in the 2013 Miss Teen Oakland pageant competition on Saturday, April 6. Judged on personality and modeling routines of casual and formal wear, Noel participated in the Junior Pre-Teen division, one of four divisions in which young ladies ages 7 to 19 competed. Winter says she was [...]
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Dr. Helene Gayle, a leading world public health expert, will discuss the declining state of health in America, as part of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m. at Parks Chapel A.M.E. Church 476 34th St. in Oakland. Dr. Gayle is president and CEO of CARE USA, a [...]
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Published in the Wall Street Journal Researchers are saying they have mapped an “arms race” in the human body between the AIDS virus and powerful antibodies that fight it off—the latest of several recent scientific advances accelerating the pursuit of a vaccine. In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers showed how a virus [...]
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By Tanya Dennis Rudsdale High School in Oakland will rename its school library on April 26 for Ronald James “Joe Black” LaFleur, who dedicated his life to his students at the school. LaFleur, who died last year on April 16, was well known for his humor and charming personality, but more importantly, remembered for his [...]
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The Bay Area is invited to celebrate the 80th birthday of Dr. Nathan Hare, the father of Black Studies in the United States, Saturday, April 13, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, 410 14th St. in Oakland. A sociologist and clinical psychologist, Dr. Hare, who was born on April 9, 1933, was [...]
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By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor The City of Oakland took a first step towards putting a dent in Oakland’s pressing unemployment crisis this week with City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee giving unanimous approval to opening a West Oakland Job Resource Center. Budgeted at $500,000 per year for both operation and city support and scheduled [...]
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By J. Douglas Allen-Taylor Oversight of the massive Oakland Gateway Army Base development project – which has been confined to Oakland City Council’s Community and Economic Development committee for several months – may soon be moving into larger forums following two formal requests for investigations into the project. Construction on the multimillion-dollar contract by Oakland-based [...]
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Turner Group Demands Ruby’s Retraction by April 15 By Ken A. Epstein The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce is saying that City Auditor Courtney Ruby’s recent report “maligns” the reputation of Turner Group Construction, a local contracting firm that Ruby accused two city council members of trying to favor. In a separate letter, the [...]
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Israel put its best face forward for President Obama, and what better face to put forward for than Israel’s first Black beauty queen? Titi is her name, short for Yityish Aynaw, is newly crowned Miss Israel, an Ethiopian Jewish immigrant to Israel. She joined Obama Thursday for the official state dinner in Jerusalem. Ethiopian immigrants [...]
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Alameda County recently honored trailblazing women who have broken through the glass ceiling as CEOs and leaders of some of the most influential health care organizations in the East Bay. Honoree at the March 28 at the 2nd “Women’s History Month Trailblazers” were Elaine Brown, author, activist and former chairperson of the Black Panther Party; [...]
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The 9th Annual CubaCaribe Dance Festival will present performances, workshops, demonstrations and lectures by master and emerging Caribbean and Latino musicians and choreographers, April 12 through April 28 in San Francisco and Oakland. The theme of this year’s festival is “Tributes to our Teachers.” Among the groups that will perform are the modern dance company [...]
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By Andrew Cohen, UC Berkeley News The Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice has never shied away from difficult subjects, and its spring symposium—Race, Domestic, and Sexual Violence: From the Prison Nation to Community Resistance—was no exception. Scholars, activists, and community members gathered recently to discuss the topic against the backdrop of a fast-growing [...]
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By Janice Ewing and Lateefa Ali The Tuskegee Airmen earned their place in history as they bravely defied convention and fought for what they loved. We remember these men. But we seem to forget their wives who have also earned their place in history, defying convention and fighting for what, and who they loved. One [...]
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Part 3 Propitiation honoring Ancestors According to the Odu Osa Meji, in the Yoruba belief system, Odu (female oracle) established all the sacred groves (places) and maintained secrets of the sacred shrines of the Orisas (belief of the Yoruba, divine system) after descent. Women were not excluded from performing rituals at any sacred grove. Odu [...]
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By Kia Croom, Contributing Writer Local extent organizer Dante Toomer recently held “Daddy Day,” an afternoon of activities for fathers to share with their children. The event, held on the afternoon of March 16 at Marina Park, took place in conjunction with a carnival sponsored by the City of Emeryville. Fathers and their children enjoyed [...]
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By David Scott You don’t have to be rich or a movie star to find good help to do your taxes, according to Robin Swarn, a tax preparer with Jackson Hewitt. “We have news for everyday people seeking a tax refund or needing help with tax issues,” she said. ‘’Whatever is going on, we can [...]
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By Ashley Chambers Oakland native James Meeks Jr. will get the chance to live out his dream, taking the opportunity of a lifetime in the NFL Draft next month. Towering at 6’5”, he will compete in the regional combine on March 23 with the Seattle Seahawks in Washington. A graduate of Central Washington University (CWU), [...]
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The Stanford Cancer Institute’s Community Partnership Program is hosting the second annual conference, Breast Cancer and African Americans, on Saturday, May 4, 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the South San Francisco Conference Center, 255 South Airport Boulevard, S. San Francisco. The purpose of this event is provide culturally tailored breast health and cancer information [...]
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The Sickle Cell Community Advisory Council of Northern California is offering the Samuel Wallace Scholarship Award to high school seniors and college students living with the Sickle Cell disease. The advisory council was started in 1999 as a collaboration between patients of the former Alta Bates Sickle Cell program, administrators at Children’s Hospital of Oakland [...]
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In the wake of a year of unprecedented violence, which ultimately led to the murder of four Youth UpRising youth members, the agency is showcasing young artists who will display their artwork focused on community violence. The open house will be held Friday, March 29 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Youth Uprising at [...]
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Borrowers and lenders of loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will have greater access to capital and less paperwork as a result of a proposed regulation aimed at streamlining the SBA application process. “Streamlining and simplifying has been a key focus of our agency over the last few years. The changes are [...]
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By Keli Walker I paint faces that hold stories. I paint them to understand their histories, emotions, and dreams. My process is dialectic; conversing with the face through every brush stroke. The more time I spend painting faces, the more the face tells me about who they are and how to render their appearance. They [...]
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By Ashley Chambers Gospel radio stations KDIA 1640 AM, “The Light at the Top of the Dial,” and KDYA 1190 AM, “The Light,” put on their first Praise in the Pavilion gospel concert on March 16 at Richmond’s Craneway Pavilion. Featuring praise dancers, gospel recording artists, children’s activities and vendors, the event appealed to family [...]
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The City of San Leandro and the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce will host the annual State of the City address with Mayor Stephen Cassidy Thursday, March 28 at 6 p.m. at the San Leandro Senior Community Center, 13909 East 14th St., next to San Leandro Hospital. “This is a dynamic and challenging time in [...]
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The San Leandro Police Officers Association and the City of San Leandro have agreed to a three-year labor contract. The 2013-2015 agreement provides wage increases to retain officers and to recruit qualified new officers, while keeping the city financially sustainable for the long term, according to city officials. “We commend the San Leandro Police Officers [...]
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By Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm Sez The dirty glasses haven’t quite made it to the kitchen yet. They’re still communing with last weeks’ newspaper in the living room, while dust bunnies dance with cookie crumbs strewn on the carpet. Forgotten toys lie everywhere and your sweatshirt is right where you left it, balled up as [...]
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New research conducted by USF’s Human Rights in Criminal Sentencing Project reveals that U.S. criminal sentencing practices are out of step with 193 nations. Criminals in the U.S. receive longer sentences for lesser crimes, including life without parole (LWOP) for nonviolent offenders and for juveniles, putting the country at odds with sentencing practices in the [...]
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By Uche J. Uwahemu Given the toxic nature of our ongoing national debate on gun control, it is prudent to tackle an element that is seldom discussed: the economy of the gun business. So far the debate has largely centered on the Second Amendment right to bear arms. In order to have a successful gun [...]
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By Post Staff Union protesters joined whistleblower Stacie Plummer at a City Council meeting this week to demand the firing of Human Resources Director Leslie Knight after an investigation funded by the city found she had violated several city policies. Holding signs that read “Hold power accountable” and “Richmond needs accountability,” protesters at Tuesday’s meeting [...]
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By Danielle Savage From an early age, Jael Myrick seemed destined for a life in politics. He remembers how his mother signed him up for the debate team before his freshman year at Kennedy High School in Richmond. “That summer I wanted to go to KMEL Summer Jam, but my mom made me go to [...]
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By Kyra Worthy Dr. Sylvia Greenwood often remembers a quote her father kept on his desk as a teacher, principal and later interim superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified School District: “It is better to build children than to repair men.” It’s a phrase that the longtime Richmond educator carries with her when she [...]
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By Kia Croom Longtime Richmond resident and former Harlem Globetrotter Leroy Walker recently celebrated his 70th birthday, at the Rockefeller Lodge in San Pablo where friends and relatives shared childhood memories, basketball stories and fish tales about the local businessman. Among those attending were Elzer Minor, Joe Fisher of BAPAC. Carl Adams and Donald Hampton, [...]
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The Oakland Athletic League (OAL) held a Hall of Fame induction ceremony last Saturday at the Oracle Arena to honor some of the stars who represent the city’s rich athletic heritage. The inaugural event honored Oakland’s homegrown high school athletes who became national and global icons in their respective sports. Inductees were Don Budge (posthumously), [...]
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Three local high school students joined Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) in the recent 13th Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage. The pilgrimage of more than 20 Members of Congress included events, meetings and tours in Birmingham, Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. This three-day passage, March 1-3, through living history demonstrated the powerful role that non-violence and courage have [...]
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By Conway Jones Federal Small Business Administration-backed lending is rising to record levels in Northern California, according to SBA Regional Administrator Elizabeth Echols. Echols, who met recently with the Post, talked about what President Obama is doing to help businesses to grow or get off the ground. “Under his watch, we have had two record [...]
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By Mieasha Harris It was Black Friday in November, and like many other holiday shoppers, Sharon A. Kidd-Lewis, was standing in line with hundreds of other people waiting to buy one of the latest electronic gadgets that was at the top of the lists of a lot of children. Reaching the front of the line, [...]
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Robert Chrisman, co-founder and editor of the internationally acclaimed journal, “The Black Scholar,” died March 10 in San Francisco. He was 75. Under Chrisman’s leadership, The Black Scholar – founded in 1969 by Chrisman and Nathan Hare – was a beacon of achievement and hope within the movement to create Black Studies departments and ultimately [...]
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By Tanya Dennis Internet payday loans that offer money due by the next pay day can cost up to $30 per $100 borrowed. The consumer, already on shaky financial ground, typically faces annual interest rates (APRs) of 650 percent. which is among the reasons why these loans have been controversial since their inception 20 years [...]
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By Post Staff Supporters of the American Indian Model Schools (AIMS) are pledging to carry their fight to the county and Sacramento after the Oakland school board voted this week to shut down their charter schools, which have gained a wide reputation for providing top quality urban education. The board voted 4-3 to close the [...]
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By Ken A. Epstein A proposed decision on how to divide up federal job money for youth for the next two years is stirring charges that nonprofits that provide services to Latinos and young people in West Oakland are excluded and that the decision favors the bigger, better-funded agencies. “When do you show fairness?” asked [...]
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Part II By Babatunde Harrison In the ancient African empires of West Africa, the Griot was the custodian of the histories and genealogies of the people of West Africa. Through epic songs and poetry, the Griot told and preserved the traditions and memories of ancient Mali, Songhai and Ghana.. Since the arrival of the Portuguese, [...]
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Part II By Kayode Gbadebo According to historian John Ridpath, “Observers of traditional African culture, so inevitably influenced by Western style of thought and intellectual traditions, failed to understand and interpret the culture.” This may be because, according to writer John Bascom. “The Yoruba way of life is traditional, dating back well before the period [...]
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Authorities are offering a reward up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of 31-year-old Isaac Don Burks, who has been accused of intentionally infecting hundreds of men and women in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania with HIV. Police say his potential victims could date back as far as 2003. He has had [...]
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Reba Williams, a 106-year-old woman from Columbus, Ohio, is finally receiving her high school diploma. She never graduated from Mount Vernon High School even though she completed all 12 years. Apparently, she was being punished for being in “academic rebellion,” when she refused to read the final book assigned by her teacher during her last [...]
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Security officers who work at Kaiser rallied this week in Oakland and Los Angeles calling on the state’s largest health care provider to provide more sick days and family medical benefits. The workers are members of SEIU USWW, which represents more than 1,800 contracted security officers at Kaiser facilities throughout California. The officers are currently [...]
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The Nubian Academy for Girls, which is opening on April 6, will host a Saturday school every weekend until the summer. The Saturday school will serve up to 50 girls from sixth through eleventh grades and will be hosted by several community centers, churches, public schools and colleges. Activities will include homework help, cultural celebrations, [...]
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Wells Fargo Bank has announced it will lend a total of $55 billion to women-owned businesses by the year 2020. The announcement was made recently by Lisa Stevens, Wells Fargo lead executive for Small Business and West Coast Regional Banking president, at the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) 22nd Annual Latina History Day conference [...]
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By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press A baby born with the virus that causes AIDS appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday, describing the case of a child from Mississippi who is now 2 1/2 and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection. There is no guarantee the child [...]
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