Business

Black Wall Street Spring

THE FLORIDA STAR — On Saturday, March 30th, an event was held at The Bethel Church to do just that. It was called Black Wall Street Spring, hosted by Gene Dot Com.

Published

7 years ago

April 10, 2019

Oakland Post

By Carmen Davenport

On Saturday, March 30th, an event was held at The Bethel Church to do just that. It was called Black Wall Street Spring, hosted by Gene Dot Com and I must admit, it was an amazing event. His first Black Wall Street event occurred in November of 2018, with a purpose of encouraging people to forgo Black Friday and invest in BOBs instead. That event was such a success, Gene Dot Com decided to hold another one this spring.

“The purpose for this event is to support small businesses,” states Gene. “I believe that if we support each other, then the black dollar will continue to exist and continue to be an impact. Sometimes people forget about the small businesses which are cornerstones for our communities and neighborhoods and tend to get past away due to lack of support.”

The event in Tulsa, Oklahoma drove his decision to create this event in Jacksonville, Fl. Gene expects for this event to grow and continue to be a beacon light for each other.

I had the personal pleasure of meeting many business owners who possess a true desire of bringing value to other peoples’ lives. Approximately 70 vendors to include 5 food vendors were on site. Approximately 30 vendors were unfortunately turned down due to a lack of space. Business owners displayed clothing, body care products, hair care products, jewelry, and natural oils. Service providers such as authors, financial managers, and realtors were in attendance. Teachings on managing children in managing finances were all available.

We are not able to feature all of the businesses but was able to capture a few.

Black Wall Street: What Is It and Why Should We Care

What is it Black Wall Street?

Information of one of the most traumatic events in the history of America is disappearing. Yes, literally. Court records have disappeared and this particular event was accidentally omitted from history books. This event is known as the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, however, it is known by survivors as a massacre. Most of us are aware of the history of segregation and racial tension in America. Blacks were not allowed in white-owned stores, they were not able to use the same amenities whites used nor could they eat in places owned or occupied by whites. In many cases, whites did not want blacks around them.

Blacks in this area were barred from white areas, therefore, they built their own area for shopping, entertainment, surviving and thriving. This area called Greenwood was considered the Black Wall Street of America. There were 108 businesses, 15 doctor offices, 2 schools, 2 movie theaters, banks, pharmacies, barber shops, beauty shops and anything else needed for survival or entertainment. All businesses were black-owned and for blacks only. They dressed exceptionally and elegantly well, suits, ties, and hats for the men and elegant dresses, gloves, and hats for the women. Against popular belief, black people were and still are highly educated, extremely intelligent and most important, thriving survivors.

Since blacks were prevented from the use of white amenities, one would think whites would be satisfied. Unfortunately, that did not solve the problems whites had with blacks. The success of blacks became the next thing whites did not like. Many became jealous of what blacks achieved, such as possessing grand pianos in their living rooms. This jealousy created a range of emotions and whites only needed one little spark to blow the top off their frustrations.

Unfortunately, this little spark occurred on May 31, 1921. Dick Rowland, 19, a black shoe shiner entered an elevator as he had numerous times prior to this day. This elevator was operated by 17-year-old Sarah Page. The doors closed, a scream was heard from Sarah, the doors opened and both ran out of the elevator. Rumor mill was told of an assault which as time went on, turned into a rape by the time it went through the town. Dick was arrested the next day and taken to the courthouse. Approximately 1000 armed whites surrounded the courthouse requesting for Dick to be lynched. Blacks heard of what happened and also went to the courthouse armed to protect this young boy. The size of the black group did not compare to the size of the white group. An argument and tussle ensued between an armed white and black man. A weapon was fired and the white man was shot. This is the moment when literally, all hell broke loose.

That was the spark the white crowd was waiting for. Over 1000 whites headed to the prestigious town of Greenwood. They looted businesses, murdered black people and set fire to 35 blocks of black-owned businesses. 1,200 homes, 108 businesses were burned and over 300 black people were killed. The bodies of these residents have yet to be located. It is believed they were dumped in mass graves.

Survivors recalled seeing planes overhead shooting down as they tried to escape and dropped bombs on their community. For two days, the prestigious town of Greenwood burned to the ground without relief. There were a few survivors who lost everything. They had to create and live in a tent city. Over 2.7 million dollars in insurance claims were filed and submitted however, all were denied.

Why Should We Care?

Nielson 2018 reported American consumer spending at $13,032.30 billion. The Share of the U.S. White Population for 2018 was 76.4 percent with a Buying Power of $12.1 trillion. The Share of the U.S. Black Population for 2018 was 13.4 percent with a Buying Population of $1.3 trillion. The Buying Power of the Black community is expected to grow to $1.5 trillion dollars by 2021.

So you ask, why should we care? We should care because this is hard-earned money the black community contributes to society. We pay state and federal taxes to a society we fight daily to be recognized as equal. We strive to be treated fairly, we fight to protect the lives of our children and we are killed by the hands that should protect us. We are beaten and killed by people who will never like black people and who are never brought to justice. We are falsely or unjustly imprisoned with unacceptable jail or prison sentences as another means of oppression.

We march but our voices are unheard, we vote but our votes are stolen. Those are situations we obviously cannot control. What can be controlled is how each of us invests our hard earned money. If that means supporting Black Owned Businesses (BOB) for our voices to be heard, then we do so. Can you imagine the difference the black community can make by investing black money with BOBs? That is $1.3 trillion dollars placed back in the black communities. It could be invested to help fight homelessness, drive out drugs, provide proper education where our children can learn about their history, and create other black business owners.

This article originally appeared in The Florida Star.

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From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

Published

4 days ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”

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County Office of Education Says OUSD Finances Are Getting Healthier, Materially Stronger

The Oakland Unified School District’s recent budget submission has been deemed “materially stronger” by the Alameda County Office of Education, reflecting deliberate work by the new board and superintendent. Despite needing further cuts in the coming years, the district is progressing toward financial health, according to ACOE Superintendent Alysse Castro. This assessment counters critics who suggest a dire financial outlook for Oakland schools, acknowledging the district has made significant reductions and adopted a plan to address structural challenges. The ACOE commended the district’s efforts to get its financial house in order. Read more to learn about the details of these financial improvements.

Published

4 days ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

ACOE Supt. Alysse Castro; OUSD Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photos.

By Ken Epstein

County’s letter counters critics who offer Doomsday scenarios for Oakland schools

The Oakland Unified School District, under the leadership of a new board majority and new superintendent, recently submitted a budget to the county “that is a materially stronger submission than the district has filed in recent years, (which) reflects difficult and deliberate work,” according to a letter to the district from Supt. Alysse Castro of the Alameda County Office of Education.

While OUSD still must make more budget cuts in the next two years, the district is on the road to financial health, according to a Sept. 15 letter from Castro to the district.

Under the California Education Code, Alameda County and other county offices of education (COEs) have the legal responsibility to review, approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove local school district annual budgets and interim financial reports.

“The Alameda County Office of Education wants to acknowledge that the district has submitted a budget that shows a positive fund balance, meets the state minimum reserve for economic uncertainty in each year of the multiyear project and is accompanied by a board-adopted commitment to close the remaining structural challenges,” the letter said.

“After two decades of state receivership and significant changes in OUSD’s budgeting practices,” it is understandable that there may be “considerable confusion” in the public about the district’s current financial condition, according to the letter.

However, the district’s current fiscal position and practices are “materially” better than prior years, though they “do not yet eliminate underlying structural challenges,” the letter continued.

Castro also commended the board and staff for working to get their financial house in order.

“There are three essential parts to addressing a structural deficit: staff must identify and bring

forward hard choices; the governing board must make those choices; and staff must follow

through and implement them,” she wrote.

“All three appear to be happening in OUSD, and that represents meaningful progress,” she wrote. “The district has made significant reductions to ongoing expenditures, increased its use of available restricted resources, and adopted a plan to address the remaining gap.”

According to the County, the district already has approved budget cuts of about $30 million in the current year. Additional reductions of about $30 million will be necessary next year, and another $11 million the following year.

These cuts are necessary, the county says, because “the district is still operating at a structural

deficit, meaning spending more every year than it brings in.”

In a statement released earlier this month, the district announced it had “finished the year with $170.1 million in its General Fund and an unrestricted reserve of $32.3 million, finishing $16.4 million ahead of what the district projected in March.”

The budget reflects progress toward putting the district in a stronger financial position to better serve students and families, said district leaders, while also acknowledging the need for significant reductions across the board.

“This turnaround happened because our board was willing to make difficult decisions rather than pass them along, and because our staff did the work,” said Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. “None of this came easily, and there is more ahead of us. What these closed books show is that the direction is right.”

In October 2025, the board directed staff to prepare budget scenarios totaling $100 million in adjustments. In December, presented with a choice between borrowing to bridge the gap and making the reductions directly, the board chose the latter, the district statement said. As part of the reduction plan, the board approved cuts to more than 400 certificated and classified positions, along with a retirement incentive that converted some layoffs into voluntary departures.

“Closing our books is not the same as finishing the work, and we are not stopping here,” said Tara Gard,deputy superintendent of Business and Operations. “We will continue with the actions in our Financial Stabilization Plan because of where they lead.”

In a statement released on social media, Oakland Education Association (OEA) President

Kampala Taiz-Rancifer strongly criticized those who allege the district is collapsing and supported members of the school board majority who are working hard to stabilize the district’s finances while minimizing disruption for schools and employees.

Jennifer Brouhard (D2) and Valarie Bachelor (D6), who are running for reelection, “are moving the district toward a ‘materially stronger’ financial position than we’ve seen in recent years—all while investing in school sites and the employees who serve Oakland students,” she wrote.

“For years, we’ve heard billionaire-backed board members say they had to make ‘tough choices’ to balance the budget,” she continued. “Those choices almost always caused disruption and instability for our schools and communities. This is a different approach: financial stability alongside investments in students, schools, and workers. All in the effort to improve student outcomes.”

“The real hard work is tuning out the rage bait, the chaos agents, the attacks on unions and workers, and ignoring the loud corporate profiteers—and staying focused on what matters: improving outcomes for students while creating stable teaching and learning conditions,” said Taiz-Rancifer.

“Let’s not go backward into the days of manufactured panic.”