City Government

Oaklanders Fight for the Right to Watch their Watchmen

Published

7 years ago

April 12, 2019

Oakland residents are fighting for more power to oversee the actions of the Oakland Police Department (OPD).

On April 2, 2019, attorneys for the Coalition for Police Accountability (CPA) filed a motion to intervene in the ongoing federal oversight of OPD, established in 2003 by a Negotiated Settlement Agreement in a major police misconduct case.

This settlement required OPD to make 51 improvements, and granted some authorities to the plaintiffs and lawyers in the case to oversee OPD’s fulfillment of the required tasks.

Many in the CPA resent that after 16 years and over $30 million in public funds, the NSA still isn’t complete and the public’s role in the process is minimal.

If approved, the motion would allow CPA to attend and participate in meetings related to police policy and practice that are currently closed off to them. CPA members feel that intervening in the case would make it easier for Oakland residents to influence and change police policy.

“We would file our own reports and be able to do our own investigating because we’d have access to the same information as the other parties in the case,” said CPA member Rashidah Grinage. CPA wants the authority to hold police accountable that was granted in the settlement of the 2003 police misconduct case to plaintiffs and their lawyers James B. Chanin and John Burris, to extend to them.

CPA member Pamela Drake said they need that access and can be of service because they have deep and broad connections to people in Oakland. They represent about 25 local organizations.

“You need people on the ground who have a broad base and spend their time doing outreach in order to make a difference,” said Drake. “We have the outreach and access to political pressure of a kind that Burris and Chanin don’t because we represent so many people and we have people who are living it.”

Chanin said public oversight is important and he advised CPA in its push to pass Measure LL, a bill which resulted in the creation of Oakland’s Police Commission, a portion of the city government that provides civilian oversight to OPD policy and practice. But Chanin disagrees with CPA’s motion.

Chanin and Burris currently have authority to participate in the oversight of required improvements as representatives of the community’s interest. The 2003 NSA required a set of improvements, which the court calls “tasks.” They were to be fulfilled in five years. Sixteen years later, of the original 51 tasks, four tasks remain incomplete.

“It might have been a good idea for CPA in intervene in the case in 2003,” said Chanin. “But we have so few tasks left and there’s so much time that’s gone by that I don’t think their participation at this point would shorten the NSA.”

Members of CPA insist that, though only four tasks remain, those tasks involve some of the most important issues for both the public and OPD.

The most recent report by independent monitor Judge Robert S. Warsaw shows task numbers 26 and 30 still incomplete. These tasks relate to use of force. Task number 34 is also still incomplete. It deals with racial discrimination against Black people.

While Chanin and Burris both have suggested that the CPA focus their attention on collaborating with the Police Commission instead of intervening in the case, CPA members already regularly attend their meetings but see the commission as limited in what they can control and do.

By intervening in the case, they hope to obtain more resources and control for the commission which would allow for more public oversight of OPD. The City of Oakland and OPD originally planned for the publicly funded NSA process to last only five years.

Many in the CPA resent that after 16 years and over $30 million in public funds, the NSA still isn’t complete and the public’s role in the process is minimal. “We’re paying a huge amount of money for this process and we’re not getting the results that we need,” said Grinage.

Zack Haber

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Activism

Post Newspaper Invites NNPA to Join Nationwide Probate Reform Initiative

The Post’s Probate Reform Group meets the first Thursday of every month via Zoom and invites the public to attend. The Post is making the initiative national and will submit information from its monthly meeting to the NNPA to educate, advocate, and inform its readers.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Tanya Dennis

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) represents the Black press with over 200 newspapers nationwide.

Last night the Post announced that it is actively recruiting the Black press to inform the public that there is a probate “five-alarm fire” occurring in Black communities and invited every Black newspaper starting from the Birmingham Times in Alabama to the Milwaukee Times Weekly in Wisconsin, to join the Post in our “Year of Action” for probate reform.

Reporter Tanya Dennis says, “The adage that ‘When America catches a cold, Black folks catch the flu” is too true in practice; that’s why we’re engaging the Black Press to not only warn, but educate the Black community regarding the criminal actions we see in probate court: Thousands are losing generational wealth to strangers. It’s a travesty that happens daily.”

Venus Gist, a co-host of the reform group, states, “ Unfortunately, people are their own worst enemy when it comes to speaking with loved ones regarding their demise. It’s an uncomfortable subject that most avoid, but they do so at their peril. The courts rely on dissention between family members, so I encourage not only a will and trust [be created] but also videotape the reading of your documents so you can show you’re of sound mind.”

In better times, drafting a will was enough; then a trust was an added requirement to ‘iron-clad’ documents and to assure easy transference of wealth.

No longer.

As the courts became underfunded in the last 20 years, predatory behavior emerged to the extent that criminality is now occurring at alarming rates with no oversight, with courts isolating the conserved, and, I’ve heard, many times killing conservatees for profit. Plundering the assets of estates until beneficiaries are penniless is also common.”

Post Newspaper Publisher Paul Cobb says, “The simple solution is to avoid probate at all costs. If beneficiaries can’t agree, hire a private mediator and attorney to work things out. The moment you walk into court, you are vulnerable to the whims of the court. Your will and trust mean nothing.”

Zakiya Jendayi, a co-host of the Probate Reform Group and a victim herself, says, “In my case, the will and trust were clear that I am the beneficiary of the estate, but the opposing attorney said I used undue influence to make myself beneficiary. He said that without proof, and the judge upheld the attorney’s baseless assertion. In court, the will and trust is easily discounted.”

The Black press reaches out to 47 million Black Americans with one voice. The power of the press has never been so important as it is now in this national movement to save Black generational wealth from predatory attorneys, guardians and judges.

The next probate reform meeting is on March 5, from 7 – 9 p.m. PST. Zoom Details:
Meeting ID: 825 0367 1750
Passcode: 475480

All are welcome.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Community Celebrates Turner Group Construction Company as Collins Drive Becomes Turner Group Drive

The event drew family, friends, and longtime supporters of Turner Group Construction, along with a host of dignitaries. The mood was joyful and warm, filled with hugs, handshakes and belated New Year’s greetings. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and a festive display of gourmet cupcakes as they conversed about the street sign reveal.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

The Turner Construction group members.

By Carla Thomas

It was a family affair on Friday, Jan. 23, at the corner of Hegenberger Road and Collins Drive in East Oakland as community members, local leaders, and elected officials gathered to celebrate the renaming of Collins Drive to Turner Group Drive. The renaming saluted the Turner Group’s 45-plus years of economic development and community investment.

Special guests included former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, veteran broadcaster Valerie Coleman-Morris, Chevron Senior Public Affairs Representative Andrea Bailey, community leaders Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson and Beatrice “Aunt Bea” Johnson of the Oscar Grant Foundation, and Oakland City Councilmembers Ken Houston, Carroll Fife, and Kevin Jenkins. Members of WEBCORE, the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC), Swinerton and Alten construction companies, activists Elaine Brown and David Newton, and many others joined the celebration.

Inside the event tent, an emotional Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston spoke of his deep connection to the Turner family.

“I grew up on the same street with the Turners,” he said. “When my father passed away, their parents and siblings embraced me like family. This is our city, and it’s an honor to name this street Turner Group Drive because of the love and effort this company and family have given. Many dreams came out of this building. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Turners.”

Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, whose father once taught the Turner brothers, added, “Len Turner is an amazing person. He’ll help anyone.”

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee praised the company’s legacy, noting its creation of the Construction Resource Center, which trains and mentors the next generation of builders and developers through partnerships across the region. “This is a great day for Oakland and a profound acknowledgment of the Turner Group’s contribution to our community,” she said.

Fife echoed that sentiment: “This is a day for celebrating Black excellence. The Turner Group has poured into people and the community, showing us what’s possible.”

Among the many family members in attendance was the Turners’ 92-year-old patriarch, whose presence underscored the strength of the family’s legacy.

A touching highlight of the event came when Coleman-Morris was honored for her lasting mentorship of LaTanya Hawkins, now program manager of the Construction Resource Center. In 1979, Hawkins, then a fourth-grader, wrote Coleman-Morris a letter seeking advice. Coleman responded with words of encouragement that inspired Hawkins to pursue her dreams. The two stayed in touch for decades. On stage, they embraced as Coleman reflected on “the power of small acts of kindness to change a life.”

Coleman-Morris also shared reflections on leadership and community spirit, saying, “If we change the way we look at things, the things we see will change.” She then recited the Serenity Prayer, reminding the crowd, “We are a powerful community, we just need to believe it.”

Company leaders Len and Lance Turner closed the ceremony with words of gratitude and humor. Len thanked his mother, wife, family, legal team, and longtime supporters including Carson, Geoffrey Pete, and the late Dorothy King of Everett & Jones Barbecue. He also acknowledged the challenges the company had overcome, saying, “Without all of this support, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Through Turner Group Construction and the Construction Resource Center, the Turners have created new opportunities for underrepresented groups in the construction industry and continue to inspire the next generation of builders.