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2024 in Review: 7 Questions for Outgoing Black Caucus Chair Asm. Lori Wilson

A native Californian raised on the west side of Fresno, Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) is married to her high school sweetheart, Chavares Wilson, a retired Air Force Reserve Technical Sergeant. They have been blessed with two sons, Tyler and Kiren, a daughter-in-law, Brittney, and a grandson, Weston. California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Wilson about her accomplishments, challenges and lessons she learned over the last year.

Published

2 years ago

December 8, 2024

Oakland Post

Asm. Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City) is greeted by ACA 8 supporters from across the state after the bill's passage in the Senate. (CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey, June 27, 2024)

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) was elected in a special election in April 2022 to represent California’s 11th Assembly District, which includes all of Solano County and portions of Contra Costa and Sacramento Counties.

In August of 2022, Wilson was elected Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC). Her tenure ended this month.

In the Assembly — and as CLBC Chair — Wilson says she has prioritized bringing state services directly to individuals, local businesses, veterans, non-profits, and local governments.

A native Californian raised on the west side of Fresno, Wilson is married to her high school sweetheart, Chavares Wilson, a retired Air Force Reserve Technical Sergeant. They have been blessed with two sons, Tyler and Kiren, a daughter-in-law, Brittney, and a grandson, Weston.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Wilson about her accomplishments, challenges and lessons she learned over the last year.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement as Chair of the CLBC and why?

The End of Slavery Act — getting that across the finish line and to voters as Prop 6. It was a central piece of our reparations legislative package. It failed last year at the very end. I was so disappointed.

How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians?

Well, I think, for sure, there are so many of us; we’re disproportionately impacted by the carceral system, and so if we can get this language changed, I think it will make an impact to ensuring that Black Californians in the system have dignity as well as truly get an opportunity to rehabilitate.

On the education bond, I was instrumental in getting the add-on language for resources like school kitchen facilities to have more access to produce and farmers markets.

On the climate bond, I was instrumental in getting the agriculture section in there with a substantial number of investments.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

My greatest frustration is centered around misinformation and the weaponization of people. Stakeholders in the community who are lobbying directly on bills when they’re not getting their way, or something happens, they go to the community with soundbites and try to weaponize the community against something that might be beneficial.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

Always people.

What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Behind my nameplate, there was a card there since 2015. Somebody wrote down a quote from Jerry Brown. It says, “the challenge is to build for the future, not steal from it.” That is such a profound statement.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

Familiarity. People are so familiar with our struggle that they minimize it. Other people struggle, but ours is so just so familiar that you have to remind people how terrible it is. You have to remind people what racism looks like.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?

Increasing the quality of life of people in California.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 9 – 15, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 9 – 15, 2026

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2 days ago

September 14, 2026

Oakland Post

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The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.