Community

The Bay Area Black Expo Blue Diamond Awards Shines in Oakland

Published

7 years ago

July 25, 2017

Bay Area Black Expo Honors Pastor Joseph Cotton, Jr. with the Leadership Award. Left to Right: International Model, John Calton, Black Expo CEO Rose Lyles, Act Full Gospel Youth Pastor, Honoree Joseph Cotton, Jr., Act Full Gospel Senior Pastor Doris Limbrick, International Model, Jonathan Calton. Photos by Carla Thomas.

The Bay Area Black Expo held its 4^th annual Blue Diamond Awards ceremony “Embracing Excellence through Diversity & Global Standards” last weekend at the Oakland Coliseum’s East Side Club.

The annual event highlighted the achievements of individuals and companies creating diversity in Oakland and the Bay Area.

Hosted by international models and identical twin brothers John and Jonathan Calton, also known as “The JJ Twins,” the event celebrated six community leaders: community advocate Ken Houston, social engineer Kevin Nichols, Pastor LJ Johnson of Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship Church, Shirley R. Tatum and Pastor Joseph Cotton Jr. of Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ.

Houston, discussed his experiences when he lived among the homeless for a week. “I am committed to finding solutions and collaborating in the community to fight homelessness,” he said.

Nichols discussed how de developed a consulting business. He recently began a non-profit that provides a summer STEM program for youth and builds pipelines to promote diversity in the science and technology workforce.

Pastor Joseph Cotton Jr. was awarded for his leadership. He currently serves as the youth pastor at Acts Full Gospel Church, the follow-up chaplain at Santa Rita and Glen Dyer prison facilities and is one of the lead chaplains at juvenile hall.

“I spend my days encouraging inmates with the love of Christ and connecting them with vital resources such as employment, housing, and resources to help with an easy transition back into the community,” he said.

Cotton also empowers inner-city boys through the Our Kids, “OK” Program in Oakland, a national collaboration between school districts, faith-based communities and local law enforcement.

“It’s time for us to bridge the gap between officers and the community,” he said.

“With the help of Christ, we’ve gotten the (juvenile jail) population down from 360 incarcerated to 67, over a 3-4 year period,” he said. “As long as I have strength in my body, I will do everything I can to prevent our youth from experiencing prison and rehabilitating those in prison.”

Pastor Jennings of Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship received the Legend Award, and the Humanitarian Award was presented to Community Advocate Shirley Tatum.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

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.

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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.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

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.