Community

Roundtable participants address challenges, opportunities

DEFENDER NEWS NETWORK — In preparation for the upcoming State of Black Women Summit, the Defender Network and the Barbara Jordan Institute at Texas Southern University hosted more than 100 Houston-area women. The goal of the State of Black Women Roundtable, held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch, was to develop a list of the most pressing issues for the summit,

Published

5 years ago

April 5, 2019

Oakland Post

By Marilyn Marshall

In preparation for the upcoming State of Black Women Summit, the Defender Network and the Barbara Jordan Institute at Texas Southern University hosted more than 100 Houston-area women.

The goal of the State of Black Women Roundtable, held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch, was to develop a list of the most pressing issues for the summit, which will be held Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21 at TSU.

Education, family, finances, health, law and criminal justice and politics topped the list of issues shared by the group.

The Defender asked several SOBW Roundtable participants to discuss the greatest challenges and opportunities facing Black women today:

WANDA ADAMS, HISD trustee

“One of the greatest challenges affecting Black women is having the same equality as our male counterparts. We can do anything as Black women but people just don’t see us as equal. If they can begin to see that we can provide the same quality of work, the same standards, then we’ll all be on the same page. The greatest opportunity is being the best mothers, raising the best children and being able to set the bar high. I’m a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and I am amazed knowing that we have eight powerful women who are Deltas and serve in Congress. We can accomplish anything as long as we put our mind to it.”

JUNE WILLIAMS COLMAN, M.D., Ob-Gyn

“The greatest challenge is that we are discounted every day. We are only as strong as the weakest among us. I desire to host a Mother-Daughter Initiative empowering all mothers with knowledge and wherewithal needed to raise successful, whole daughters who will not succumb to the pitfalls of life that can destroy or limit us, like unplanned pregnancies, educational failures and poor choices in our friends (both romantic and platonic). I feel we are obligated to help those who may not have had the benefit of the lessons that we were taught that helped us become successful. We have an opportunity to reach back and help others.”

TONI JACKSON, Attorney, Jones Walker

“We still have the challenges of dealing with the institutional racism that people think doesn’t exist anymore, but comes in micro-aggressive form. We have to recognize how to deal with that, always be 200 percent better than everyone else and not let the stress of all of that weigh us down when we’re trying to achieve in their world. The greatest opportunity for us lies in our strength, because we walk in knowing that we have been raised and groomed for those challenges by the women before us.”

JERALYNN MANOR, Attorney, the Manor Law Firm

“One of the greatest challenges if not the greatest, is division and the inability to come together for various reasons. I find that in our community we have one thing that is a big deal for us, which is competition as opposed to coming together, holding each other up, reaching back. Lately, I see a lot of colorism, and stigma with hair and that type of thing. I find that a lot of times we’re judging ourselves and each other based on a standard and perception that was set by someone else. I think the day we’re in now, is the day of the woman. We have more opportunities, especially in Harris County, open and available to us.”

GEORGIA PROVOST, Owner, Provost & Associates

“The challenge I see today is that we don’t share. We should have a sisterhood. We should share our plans and start networking with each other so we can be a more powerful force.

Everything is a good opportunity for Black women now and if we don’t take advantage of it, it’s going to be too late. First of all, society has recognized that we are here. Number two, they recognize that we are a force. Number three, they’re threatened. So, we have our opportunity if we just take advantage of it. My favorite word is l-o-v-e. If we love each other we automatically have unity, and if Black women fall in love with themselves, fall in love with the good Lord and their sisters, we will be an unstoppable force.”

This article originally appeared in the Defender News Network.

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Arts and Culture

Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

Published

8 mins ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Scene from the 2023 Cinco de Mayo parade from Richmond to San Pablo. Photo courtesy The Richmond Standard.

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.

The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.

The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.

Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.

San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.

“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”

Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.

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Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Published

21 mins ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Angel Jackson. Photo courtesy of Jackston State.

The Richmond Standard

Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.

“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.

That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.

Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.

Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.

“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”

The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.

She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”

“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.

All she could do in that moment was cry.

“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”

There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.

Her high school coach agrees.

“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”

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Bay Area

Faces Around the Bay: Sidney Carey

Sidney Carey was born in Dallas, Texas. He moved with his family to West Oakland as a baby. His sister is deceased; one brother lives in Oakland. Carey was the Choir Director at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church for 18 years.

Published

31 mins ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Courtesy of Sidney Lane.

By Barbara Fluhrer

Sidney Carey was born in Dallas, Texas. He moved with his family to West Oakland as a baby. His sister is deceased; one brother lives in Oakland.

Carey was the Choir Director at Trinity Missionary Baptist Church for 18 years.

He graduated from McClymonds High with a scholarship in cosmetology and was the first African American to complete a nine-month course at the first Black Beauty School in Oakland: Charm Beauty College.

He earned his License, and then attended U.C., earning a secondary teaching credential. With his Instructors License, he went on to teach at Laney College, San Mateo College, Skyline and Universal Beauty College in Pinole, among others.

Carey was the first African American hair stylist at Joseph and I. Magnin department store in Oakland and in San Francisco, where he managed the hair stylist department, Shear Heaven.

In 2009, he quit teaching and was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. He was 60 and “too old for a heart transplant”. His doctors at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) went to court and fought successfully for his right to receive a transplant. One day, he received a call from CPMC, “Be here in one hour.” He underwent a transplant with a heart from a 25-year- old man in Vienna, Austria

Two years later, Carey resumed teaching at Laney College, finally retiring in 2012.

Now, he’s slowed down and comfortable in a Senior Residence in Berkeley, but still manages to fit his 6/4” frame in his 2002 Toyota and drive to family gatherings in Oakland and San Leandro and an occasional Four Seasons Arts concert.

He does his own shopping and cooking and uses Para Transit to keep constant doctor appointments while keeping up with anti-rejection meds. He often travels with doctors as a model of a successful heart-transplant plant recipient: 14 years.

Carey says, “I’m blessed” and, to the youth, “Don’t give up on your dreams!”