Community

Black Coalition Sends Open Letter to Mayor Schaaf Demanding Answers on OPD Actions

Published

9 years ago

August 4, 2017

We, the undersigned, are concerned by your lack of control over the Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the resulting impact on the African American community. The Department’s continuing lack of respect for the African American community as evidenced by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt’s recent report, and OPD’s failure to address systemic racial inequities in policing policies after 14 years of a Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) is extremely problematic.

Historically, Oakland’s African American communities have been besieged with crime. Residents are treated as suspects when we are victims. We are arrested at disproportionate rates. Far too often we have had to suffer the indignities of officers who are less respectful; and we have tolerated elected and appointed officials who seem incapable or unwilling to meaningfully address these longstanding issues. Our tolerance has worn thin. We don’t want any more apologies; protestations of accountability; or good intentions. Oakland’s African American community demands strategic engagement, transparent actions aligned to firm deadlines and the elimination of excuses for inaction.

The recent scandals, cover-ups; and reports set forth below have severely tarnished OPD’s reputation and image throughout the community. Our confidence in you and the Department have been severely diminished. We respectfully seek answers to the questions below to begin the process to repair the relationship with our community, and to restore our confidence and trust.

Stanford Report issued March 26, 2017, Demonstrating Lack of Respectfulness of African Americans by OPD Officers.

Please specify what tangible steps will be taken to address the issues raised by Dr. Eberhardt’s recently released report.
The timeline for implementation.
The methods to evaluate success.

Recent Las Vegas Street/Muhammad Mosque Incidents.

The Las Vegas Street incident and the recent Muhammad Mosque incident are eerily similar. In both, a white man terrorized African Americans unfettered while OPD responded with great patience and tolerance for the suspect. In the Las Vegas incident despite the shooting his weapon at a homeless African American gentleman, OPD waited a week before taking definitive action. At the Mosque OPD allowed the suspect to remain in his apartment unfettered for two hours.

Rather than exercise procedural justice with the victims, the members of the Mosque, OPD exercised procedural justice with the white suspect.

Please indicate all policy changes and corrective steps taken after the Las Vegas incident to address OPD’s inadequate response. Please provide copies. If no action was taken, why explain why not.
Please explain why these procedures were not implemented in the recent Mosque incident.
Please provide a written critical incident review/after action report for both incidents.
Please provide copies of all policies and procedures utilized by officers responding to both incidents.
Provide a copy of the policy regarding notification of Council/Mayor.

Recent Promotions

The recent expedited promotion of Assistant Chief John Lois and Captain Roland Holmgren are troubling at best. Both gentlemen are implicated in public records, the Swanson report, and various media outlets in conduct which calls into question their supervisory abilities, leadership, judgement, and compliance with the requirements of the negotiated settlement agreement. Given this cloud, it would have been prudent to complete any investigation prior to their promotion. Unfortunately, the public is now left with the assumption that you either don’t care about these potential transgressions, or that you condone their behavior because in the face of this information, and absent a transparent investigation which completely exonerates them, you promoted them.

Please advise whether you will conduct a transparent investigation of the allegations against these individuals.

Swanson Report Uncovers a Culture of Cover-Ups.

It appears that none of the officers or supervisors who observed the misconduct in the Guap matter were ever investigated, and if appropriate, disciplined by the Oakland Police Department. This is true even though they failed to report the misconduct, stop the misconduct, or discipline their subordinates for the misconduct.=

Please prepare a list of every incident in the Swanson report that OPD believes constituted potential misconduct and/or deficient performance and procedures and investigate and/or make inquiries accordingly.
Please state whether any allegation of potential misconduct referenced above that was investigated was sustained or not sustained.
Please state what was the discipline that was imposed regarding any allegation that was sustained.
Please state whether any of the incidents that constituted potential misconduct and/or deficient performance and procedure was not investigated and give the reason for the failure to investigate said incidents/behavior.
Please state, for each incident that constituted potential misconduct and/or deficient performance and procedure the date of the occurrence and the 3304 date.
if you have determined that any of the incidents/behavior referenced above that cannot be investigated because of the deadlines imposed by Government Code 3304 or for some other reason please set forth the reason.
Please identify the person(s) most responsible for any of the incidents/behavior that should have been investigated and were not investigated.
Please state whether the person(s) identified in Number 6 above will be subject to discipline and if so, whether it will be conducted in a timely manner and who will be responsible for the investigation.

The community demands and deserves an effective, respectful, and accountable police force. The issues raised above must be fully addressed as they have an adverse effect on already tenuous community inter-actions with the Department. We look forward to your thorough response. Please provide responses to each question within 15 days to the address listed above. Upon receipt of your responses we look forward to meeting with you to determine next steps.

Respectfully,

Desley Brooks, Oakland City Council, District 6
Keith Carson, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 5
Darleen Brooks, Former Member, Democratic Central Committee
Aaron Goodwin, Former Commissioner, Alameda County Oakland Coliseum JPA
Frank Tucker, Former President, 100 Black Men
Jumoke Hinton Hodge. BOE Director District3 OUSD
Bishop Keith Clark, Word Assembly of Churches
Rev. Dr. Harold R. Mayberry, Senior Pastor, First A.M.E. Church Oakland
Rev. L. J. Jennings, Senior Pastor, Kingdom Builders Christian Fellowship
Rev. Dr. Gerald Agee, Friendship Christian Center
Rev. Dr. Ambrose Carroll, St., Church By The Side Of The Road
Rev. Raymond E. Lankford, Healthy Communities, Inc.
Rev. Dr. Lawrence Van Hook, Pastor, Community Church
Rev. Brondon Reems, Pastor, Center of Hope Community Church
Rev. Maria Reems, Pastor, Center of Hope Community Church
D’Wayne Wiggins, Internationally Known Recording Artist, Toni, Tony, Tone
Siri Brown, Ph.D. Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Peralta Community College District
Michelle Hailey, Real Estate Agent
Assata Olugbala, Community Advocate
Elena Serrano, Member, Eastside Arts Alliance
Candice Elder, East Oakland Collective
Tony Coleman, Bikes 4 Life
Toni Cook, Former Director, BOE Oakland Unified School District
Dr. Lynn Dodd, Administrator, Educational Leadership
Pamela Price, Attorney
Carroll Fife, Director, Community Advocate
Nehanda Imara, Community Advocate
Gus Newport, Former Mayor, City of Berkeley
Simone Delucchi, Program Coordinator
Tonya Love, Community Advocate
Monetta O. Gilbert, Community Member
Ryane Yarborough, Community Member
Jiayu He, Community Member
Martinet Phan, Community Member
Simone Thelemaque, President, BWOPA, Oakland/Berkeley Chapter
Charles Washington, Community Member

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Asm. Corey Jackson Announces Launch of 24-Hour Childcare in His District

Assemblymember Corey Jackson has secured $2 million in state funding for a proposed childcare special district in Moreno Valley and Perris. This funding aims to establish a system providing 24-hour, seven-day-a-week childcare, which would be California’s first special district focused solely on childcare. The initiative seeks to address the area’s designation as a “childcare desert” and high costs for working families. The funding will cover startup, planning, and formation costs for the district. Read more about the specifics of this groundbreaking initiative.

Published

4 days ago

September 28, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley). File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley) has secured $2 million in state funding to launch a proposed childcare special district serving families in Moreno Valley and Perris, paving the way for a system designed to provide childcare 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Moreno Valley-Perris Childcare Special District would be the first special district in California focused specifically on childcare, according to Jackson’s office. The state funding will cover startup, planning, and formation costs and help the district meet requirements set by the Riverside Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO.

The proposed district would coordinate a mixed-delivery childcare system that could include home-based and center-based care. The goal is to provide universal childcare for families who work overnight, early morning, or other nontraditional shifts.

Jackson’s office says Moreno Valley is a certified “childcare desert,” with licensed childcare spaces available for only 15% of children with working parents. Infant care in Moreno Valley averages $2,776 a month, or about 35.7% of median household income. In Perris, licensed infant care can cost more than 60% of an individual worker’s gross median earnings, according to the assemblymember’s office.

“Securing this $2 million in startup funding is a monumental victory for the working-class families of Moreno Valley and Perris who have been trapped in a childcare desert for far too long,” Jackson said.

The proposal follows Jackson’s unsuccessful effort to establish the district through Assembly Bill 2083. The legislation would have created the district as a dependent special district covering Moreno Valley, Perris and their spheres of influence, with Riverside LAFCO responsible for reviewing its formation and boundaries.

The new funding allows the district’s formation to move forward without requiring mandatory contributions from local school districts and other stakeholders, according to Jackson’s office. His spokesperson, Daniel Peeden, said Jackson hopes the district can be operating by 2028.

The proposal has faced questions from some local officials. Moreno Valley City Councilmember Ed Delgado, who is running against Jackson for the 60th Assembly District seat, said he supports affordable childcare but questioned how the proposed district would operate and how much it would ultimately cost.

“Basically, he didn’t have a plan. We didn’t see a plan,” Delgado said, adding that officials had questions about operating costs, insurance and eligibility.

“It’s going to take a lot more than $2 million to create a special district to provide affordable childcare,” Delgado said.

Delgado has suggested working with existing childcare centers to subsidize costs for local families rather than creating a new agency.

Jackson’s office says the program will lower barriers to “workforce participation” and reduce “affordability anxiety” for young families. This landmark District is poised to trigger a virtuous cycle of economic upward mobility and long-term regional prosperity in the 60th Assembly District, his office added.

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Black History

IN MEMORIAM: The Rev. Leon “Sonny” Clark, Longtime Orange County Pastor and Community Leader, Dies at 72

Rev. Leon William “Sonny” Clark, the longtime pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church in Santa Ana and a prominent faith and community leader in Orange County, passed away on September 9 at the age of 72. Born in Bennettsville, South Carolina, Clark was a U.S. Navy veteran who dedicated his life to service. He served various Southern California churches before leading New Spirit Baptist Church for over 22 years, extending his work into counseling, mentoring, and civic engagement, and supporting the African American community. To learn more about his life and contributions, read more.

Published

4 days ago

September 28, 2026

Post News Group

The Rev. Leon “Sonny” Clark. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Rev. Leon William “Sonny” Clark, longtime pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church in Santa Ana and a respected faith and community leader in Orange County, died Sept. 9. He was 72.

Born Oct. 2, 1953, in Bennettsville, South Carolina, Clark was a U.S. Navy veteran who later built a life of service centered on family, faith, ministry, and community.

Clark began his formal ministry at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Altadena in 1978. After acknowledging his call to ministry in 1980, he preached his first sermon and went on to serve churches throughout Southern California, including Second Baptist Church in Riverside, Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Rubidoux, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Pomona, and Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda.

In November 2003, Clark was called to lead New Spirit Baptist Church in Santa Ana, where he served as pastor for more than 22 years. His work extended beyond the pulpit through counseling, mentoring, civic engagement, and efforts to strengthen Orange County’s African American community.

Clark served on the Orange County Heritage Council and supported efforts to preserve and celebrate African American history and culture. He helped organize the Orange County Black History Parade and Unity Festival, served on the Interfaith Committee and the Orange County Transit Authority, and served as president of the Orange County Ministers Conference.

In 2024, the City of Santa Ana recognized Clark for his contributions to the community. He also received the Orange County Southern Baptist Association Hall of Faith Award and was previously honored as Pastor of the Year by the Orange County Heritage Council.

Clark is survived by his wife, Andrea Joyles Clark; six children, Shawn Williams, Le Ondra Clark Harvey, Kyla Coward, Joshua Clark, Marissa Clark and Ashley Clark; grandchildren and great-grandchildren; siblings; extended family; and the New Spirit Baptist Church congregation.

A wake will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, from 4 to 8 p.m. at New Spirit Baptist Church, 701 S. Sullivan St. in Santa Ana, with a remembrance service from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, Oct. 2, at Friendship Baptist Church, 17145 Bastanchury Road in Yorba Linda. Viewing begins at noon, followed by the service at 1 p.m.

Burial will take place Monday, Oct. 5, at 10:15 a.m. at Riverside National Cemetery.

Clark often shared a guiding principle that shaped his ministry: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

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Business

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

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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.”