Bay Area

3-Alarm Fire Damages FAME, Oakland’s First Black Church

On Sunday night, February 19 a 3-alarm fire ripped through the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church, near Telegraph and MacArthur in Oakland. Flames engulfed the rooftop and much of the interior of the oldest church in Oakland. Firefighters said it was such a challenge to put out the fire from the inside, that they retreated to the exterior while extinguishing the fire for five hours.

Published

3 months ago

February 25, 2023

Oakland Post

FAME, First African Methodist Episcopal Church near Telegraph and MacArthur was damaged by a 3-alarm fire late Sunday night, February 19. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Photo by Auintard Henderson.

By Carla Thomas

On Sunday night, February 19 a 3-alarm fire ripped through the First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church, near Telegraph and MacArthur in Oakland.

Flames engulfed the rooftop and much of the interior of the oldest church in Oakland. Firefighters said it was such a challenge to put out the fire from the inside, that they retreated to the exterior while extinguishing the fire for five hours.

FAME Church was established in 1858, serving as a spiritual and cultural center for the African American community in Oakland for over 160 years. The church was a sanctuary of hope and perseverance for many who had faced discrimination, segregation, and racism.

On President’s Day, the following morning, many church members, clergy and community members — still in disbelief — stood outside the charred structure where pieces of debris, and black ash surrounded the front entry and side street of the church.

While the Oakland Fire Department investigators observed the damage to the church, onlookers drove by to view the remains of the building while some parked and chatted with congregation members to offer support.

The cause of the fire is undetermined and is under the investigation of OFD as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive.

A homeless neighbor says he witnessed another homeless person light a fire for warmth or drug use, that smoked up the block. An hour later, he said, the church was on fire.

Congregation member Tasion Kwamilele was saddened to see the devastation but felt confident the church would be rebuilt. “I’m still in shock, but our pastor’s sermon yesterday entitled, “Shrink,” meaning decrease so that God can increase gives me hope,” said Kwamilele. “My faith teaches me that God will strengthen us as we rebuild and God will provide us with a place to worship.”

Harold R. Mayberry, presiding elder of the Oakland/San Joaquin District of the AME Church who has served as the senior pastor of FAME for 24 years, said the fire was tragic and impacts the community deeply.

“Not only does it displace the oldest Black congregation in the East Bay from the home that they have worshipped, witnessed and worked from, for over 68 of its 165 years of existence, but it also displaces a portion of the community.”

Mayberry further described the Oakland congregation as resilient and experienced in overcoming previous challenges like those caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

“The congregation understands the magnitude of the hurdles that they face, however, they also understand the power of God who has never let them down,” said Mayberry.

For the past 30 years, FAME has been distributed much-needed supplies throughout the neighborhood. With a homeless encampment just a block away, the church has regularly provided food, clothing, and shelter. Oakland District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife plans to help the church continue its meal giveaways.

The denominational district leader of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Clement Fugh, said he stands in “unity and total support” of Dr. Rodney D. Smith, FAME’s pastor and the historic congregation.

A GoFundMe page with a goal of $1 million has been set up by the FAME treasurer to raise funds to rebuild and support the church. To access the link visit: gofund.me/4f586f89

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Oakland Post: Week of May 24 – 30, 2023

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 24 – 30, 2023

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2023

Oakland Post

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 24 - 30, 2023

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Activism

Rise in Abductions of Black Girls in Oakland Alarms Sex-Trafficking Survivors

Nola Brantley of Nola Brantley Speaks states, “America’s wider culture and society has consistently failed to address the abduction and kidnapping of Black girls in Oakland and across the country, and this lack of concern empowers and emboldens predators.”

Published

1 week ago

May 20, 2023

Oakland Post

Nola Brantley and Sarai Smith-Mazariegos

By Tanya Dennis

Within the last 30 days there have been seven attempted kidnappings or successful abductions of Black girls in Oakland.

Survivors of human trafficking who are now advocates are not surprised.

Nor were they surprised that the police didn’t respond, and parents of victims turned to African American community-based organizations like Adamika Village and Love Never Fails for help.

Advocates say Black and Brown girls disappear daily, usually without a blip on the screen for society and government officials.

Perhaps that will change with a proposed law by state Senator Steven Bradford’s Senate Bill 673 Ebony Alert, that, if passed, will alert people when Black people under the age of 26 go missing.

According to the bill, Black children are disproportionately classified as “runaways” in comparison to their white counterparts which means fewer resources are dedicated to finding them.

Brantley, a survivor of human trafficking has been doing the work to support child sex trafficking victims for over 20 years, first as the director for the Scotlan Youth and Family Center’s Parenting and Youth Enrichment Department at Oakland’s DeFremery Park, and as one of the co-founders and executive director of Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth (MISSSEY, Inc.)

“It really hit home in 2010,” said Brantley, “before California’s Welfare Institution Code 300 was amended to include children victimized by sex trafficking.”

Before that law was amended, she had to vehemently advocate for Black and Brown girls under the age of 18 to be treated as victims rather than criminalized.

Brantley served hundreds of Black and Brown girls citing these girls were victims so they would be treated as such and offered restorative services. “To get the police to take their disappearances seriously and file a report almost never happened,” she said.

Then Brantley received a call from the Board of Supervisors regarding a “special case.” A councilman was at the meeting, as well as a member of former Alameda County Board Supervisor Scott Haggerty’s Office who had called Brantley to attend.

“The child’s parents and the child were there also. They requested that I give my full attention to this case. The girl was white and there was no question of her victimization,” Brantley said.

Brantley felt conflicted that of all the hundreds of Black and Brown girls she’d served, none had ever received this type of treatment.

Her eyes were opened that day on how “they” move, therefore with the recent escalation of kidnapping attempts of Black girls, Brantley fears that because it’s happening to Black girls the response will not be taken seriously.

Councilwoman Treva Reid

“I thank Councilwoman Treva Reid and Senator Steven Bradford (D) for pushing for the passing of the Ebony Alert Bill across the state so that the disappearance of Black girls will be elevated the same as white girls. We’ve never had a time when Black girls weren’t missing. Before, it didn’t matter if we reported it or if the parents reported the police failed to care.”

Senator Steven Bradford

Sarai S-Mazariegos, co-founder of M.I.S.S.S.E.Y, and founder and executive director of Survivors Healing, Advising and Dedicated to Empowerment (S.H.A.D.E.) agrees with Brantley.

“What we are experiencing is the effects of COVID-19, poverty and a regressive law that has sentence the most vulnerable to the sex trade,” S-Mazariegos said. “We are seeing the lack of equity in the community, the cause and consequence of gender inequality and a violation of our basic human rights. What we are seeing is sexual exploitation at its finest.”

Both advocates are encouraged by Bradford’s Ebony Alert.

The racism and inequity cited has resulted in the development of an underground support system by Brantley, S-Mazariegos and other community-based organizations who have united to demand change.

Thus far they are receiving support from Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, and Oakland City Councilmembers Nikki Fortunato Bas and Reid of the second and seventh districts respectively.

For more information, go to http://www.blackandmissinginc.com