Berkeley
Barack Obama, Stephen Curry host town hall for MBKRising
Oakland, CA – Former President Barack Obama hosted a powerful town hall with special guest Stephen Curry. One of Oakland’s most recognized Warriors player sat along side Obama on stage in between twenty chosen young men. The mood was light and laughter was present.
Obama whose an excellent speaker and motivator was in the driver’s seat while Curry rode along during their Q&A session. Introducing himself as “Oh I’m Michelle’s husband and this is Ayesha’s husband.” Obama brought some light to a sold out private event that brought out hundreds of young African-American men from all over the U.S.
It’s the fifth anniversary of My Brother’s Keeper Rising of the initial launch of My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative started by the former President following the death of Trayvon Martin. An opportunity for young men of color and community leaders to connect, learn and share. Today’s event kicked off the two-day event and it did not disappoint.
The MBK Alliance, now part of the Obama Foundation, leads a national call to action to build safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear paths to opportunity, with a focus on encouraging mentorship and reducing youth violence.
Musical genius and EGOT recipient, John legend held a Q&A with the mom’s who lost their sons to senseless violence. Dr. Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, Rep. Lucy Mcbath, mother of Jordan Davis, and Rev. Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant. Each woman spoke to the young men about hope, faith and not giving up on themselves.
“This is a club no one wants to be a part of, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” said McBath.
“I was broken and hurt and didn’t know how to deal with that type of pain,” Martin explained. “I reached out to other mother’s who sons were killed to senseless gun violence. I helped other woman and that helped me.”
Obama talked about his own childhood and how hard it was for him to grow up without a father present. When Curry spoke about his upbringing, he focused on not much of his dads 16 year NBA career but more his consistency to be present in his life for the ups and the downs.
“I was all kinds of screwed up when I was in high school,” said Obama. For me, I was a good kid in the sense that think I was always kind to people, I didn’t have a mean spirit. But I did not have a clear purpose or clear sense of direction during a big chunk of my high school years. Some of it was anger about my father not being there.”
Curry who relished in Obama’s advice often joined in to discuss his own hurdles throughout his career. Obama gave him an assist when he brought up his ankle issues that kept him sideline much of his early career. Curry through laughter explained just how tough that process was and how a good surrounding can lead you to success.
“The confidence to kind of get over that hump was a process,” he explained. “The swagger that you see on the court now it wasn’t always there. It was a constant struggle.
Self confidence was something that wasn’t always natural for me. It took me awhile to get to a place where I was comfortable in the room and comfortable in dealing with challenges.”
Tomorrow is Day 2 and will conclude MBKRising. Guest speakers will feature Ryan Coogler who directed “Black Panther” and is a native of Oakland along side actor Michael B. Jordan.
Activism
Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders
Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.
By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post
For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.
Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.
The results speak for themselves.
Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.
Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.
Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.
BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.
We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.
As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.
We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.
BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.
The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.
For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.
The next great artist may already be among us.
The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.
We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.
For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com
Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.
Bay Area
UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’
Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.
The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries
By Lila Thulin
U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.
Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.
Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.
Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.
“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.
The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.
This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.
In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.
That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.
Arts and Culture
Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh
The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.
By Antoinette Porter
Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.
The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.
Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.
Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.
A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.
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