Activism

Bay Area Backs #FreeBlackMamas Bail Out National Campaign for Mother’s Day

Published

7 years ago

May 10, 2019

Children and families gathered for a rally Wednesday in Oakland to call attention to the injustice of the bail and pretrial detention system as part of the national #FreeBlackMamas annual bail out campaign (www.nationalbailout.org).

In the week leading up to Mother’s Day, dozens of racial and criminal justice organizations coordinated in 24 cities across the country to bail out as many Black mothers and caregivers as possible so they can spend Mother’s Day with their families and communities.

Hosting the rally on the steps of the Rene C. Davidson Alameda County Courthouse were Essie Justice Group, in partnership with the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office, Young Women’s Freedom Center, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Sisters Warriors Coalition and TGI Justice Project.

Since launching in 2017 with the Black Mama’s Bail Outs, the National Bailout Campaign efforts has freed more than 300 people across the country. In 2017 and 2018, Essie Justice Group bailed out five Black mothers who were able to spend Mother’s Day with their families rather than in prison because of the unjust bail-for-profit system.

This year, Essie expanded its bailout efforts to Los Angeles.

The national #FreeBlackMamas bailout campaign raising awareness of the human and financial costs of money bail and emphasize its impact on Black people. Every day nearly 700,000 people are incarcerated solely because they can’t pay money bail, despite often never being charged for a crime.

Eight in 10 women in jail are mothers and many of the Black women serving pre-trial detention have been accused of minor drug and “public order” offenses that disproportionately target Black people. The impact of the bail system—including the loss of homes, jobs, and custody of children—is acutely felt by communities of color and women.

The rally in Oakland lifted up the voices of directly impacted women and children, along with the community leaders and advocates and policymakers dedicated to reforming the pretrial detention system.

The advocates, policymakers and community members expressed their support for the “Getting Home Safe” Act, reintroduced in December 2018 by state Sen. Nancy Skinner in partnership with Young Women’s Freedom Center.

The bill seeks to stop the practice of dangerous late night releases from county jails in response to the tragic and preventable death of Jessica St. Louis. Jessica was released from Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail at 1:25 a.m. on July 28, 2018.

For more information on the national campaign, visit nationalbailout.org.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

6 days ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.