Featured
COMMENTARY: The Polarity of a Black Man in the White House
As a black Republican I have so much I want to share; debate; explore and examine with you. Our weekly conversations will go all the way from the genesis of the Republican Party up to and including the current news of the day from the riots in Missouri to the ever growing presence of blacks on Wall Street and at the head of corporate America.
When Charles Dickens coined the phrase “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” in the 1800’s he could have easily been describing this day in 2014. The state of black America is experiencing this very polarity, with a black man in the White House and riots in the streets, with the incredible wealth of those such as Oprah Winfrey to the depths of poverty of black America.
Per the most recent State of Working America report, among racial and ethnic groups blacks had the highest poverty rate at 27.4 percent, with 45.8 percent of young black children (under age 6) in poverty. The thread of politics has been prominently interwoven into the very fabric of Black America.
Like no other demographic, we have survived the slave trade, we fought in the Civil War, we earned our emancipation, we were subjected to Jim Crow laws, we sought relief from desegregated education through the Brown vs. Board of Education
decision from the Supreme Court and we exercised our right to vote to help elect and re-elect America’s first Black President Barack Obama.
In light of these amazing historical contributions, many of my columns and weekly conversations will revolve around race and politics. Understandably, some of my thoughts might spark disagreements, but I also deeply feel that we will find that we agree on far more topics than we disagree.
Karen Watson is author of the book, “Being Black and Republican in the Age of Obama”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
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