Activism

Local Organizers Demand Community Benefits Agreement for A’s Ballpark

Published

5 years ago

October 10, 2019

Over 100 Oakland residents and community organizers attended a public forum at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in West Oakland on Saturday Oct. 4, to discuss the Oakland Athletic’s plans to purchase and develop the Coliseum and Howard Terminal sites.

“This is urgent…and Oakland United wants you to know that the time is now to speak up,” said Jahmese Meyers, deputy director of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), who spoke to a crowded room.

EBASE is one of several organizations that joined to form the Oakland United Coalition five years ago when the talk of a new Coliseum development began, Meyers said.

The coalition has demanded a written community benefits agreement (CBA) — a legally binding contract that would ensure that the A’s meet community demands — before plans advance.

Community organizers and Oakland residents gathered for a Town Hall in West Oakland, demanding a community benefits agreement from the A’s. Photo by Saskia Hatvany.

“We have a choice, we can have a playground for the wealthy out-of-towners or we can have a community-centered project that represents and supports the needs of the existing community and uses public land for public good,” said Meyers.

The CBA would legally bind the A’s to a series of promises to the community, which include living-wage jobs for residents, significant affordable housing, anti-displacement measures, and a cleaner environment.

President of the Oakland Athletics Dave Kaval said that the A’s have long been “committed” to the community benefits agreement, but that the contract is largely in the hands of the City of Oakland.

“To date, in all our signed agreements both with the city and the county and the port, we’ve agreed to a framework around community benefits,” said Kaval. “We’ve made ourselves available to the meetings and we’ve agreed to the intent of what needs to be discussed, and we look forward to the city leading that effort.”

A CBA is usually negotiated between a local coalition and the developer. When the contract involves local government, the city is granted the power to legally enforce the terms of the agreement.

Despite the A’s verbal support, according to Meyers the team has not yet agreed to a CBA on paper, which concerns Oakland United.

”Oakland is working hard to keep the A’s in Oakland, but how hard are they working to keep us in Oakland?” said Alma Blackwell, Housing Rights Organizer at Causa Justa/Just Cause, who also spoke at the event.

“We want development that will serve the people who live in the neighborhood and a development that will keep public land in the public hands,” said Blackwell.

Former Oakland mayoral candidate Cat Brooks also made an appearance and declared her support for a community benefits agreement no matter where the A’s choose to build.

“I see pros and cons for both (locations). I’m very concerned about the Black community around the Coliseum that will be pushed out as a result of any development, and I’m very concerned about the remaining Black community in West Oakland that will be pushed out as a result of the (Howard Terminal) development,” said Brooks.

Cat Brooks speaks to the crowd at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in West Oakland. Photo by Saskia Hatvany.

While the A’s ambitions have the very public support of Mayor Libby Schaff, the City of Oakland filed a lawsuit against Alameda County on Sept. 29 in an attempt to block the sale of the county’s portion of the Coliseum for $85 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

In response to the suit, Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred warned that if the city does not drop the charges, Oakland will risk losing the A’s altogether.

“We love our team. We want them to stay. We’re proud that they’re rooted in Oakland and we want them to also be rooted in community,” said Meyers. “For Oakland United, ultimately, no matter where the stadium locates, whether it stays at the Coliseum or at Howard terminal it’s public land, it needs to be for public good.”

The Oakland Post will continue to provide coverage on this story. Stay tuned for next week’s article featuring A’s President Dave Kaval’s response to community concerns over the proposed ballpark development at Howard Terminal.

Saskia Hatvany

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Activism

Calif. Anti-Sex Trafficking Advocates Discuss Competing Bills, Strategies

Advocates from across California are challenging state officials and community leaders to support legislation that provides resources and services for survivors and victims of human trafficking, as well as assistance as they transition back into civil society.  Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

Published

23 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

Shutterstock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

According to the FBI, a report covering a two-year period found Black children accounted for 57% of all juvenile arrests for prostitution. In addition, 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black and 60% of those victims had been enrolled in the foster care system.

“It is time to hold the perpetrators who take advantage of our children accountable,” said the Rev. Shane Harris, a San Diego-based activist, former foster youth and founder of the Peoples Association of Justice Advocates, (PAJA), a national civil rights organization and policy think tank.

“It is time to send a thorough message that if you seek to buy a child for sex, you will pay the highest criminal penalties in this state,” added Harris who was speaking at a rally at the State Capitol earlier this month. Harris was speaking in support of Senate Bill 1414, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (D-Bakersfield), which calls for people who buy sex from minors to be punished with a felony. The punishment includes a two-year prison sentence and a $25,000 fine.

Harris said the PAJA is the only civil rights organization in the state that supports SB 1414.

Harris urged other Black-led groups who favor anti-trafficking legislation more focused on criminal justice reforms (as opposed to stiffer penalties), to “join the movement.”

Many of those civil rights groups fear that SB 1414 could lead to the incarceration of more Black youth.

Those sentiments were echoed in a panel discussion organized by Black women advocates on April 26 to examine the cause and effects of human trafficking in California’s Black communities. The virtual event was hosted by the Forgotten Children, Inc, a faith-based nonprofit that advocates for survivors and victims of human trafficking through anti-trafficking campaigns and initiatives.

Panelists shared the psychological impact of sexual exploitation on youth and children in the long term.

Author and educator Dr. Stephany Powell shared statistics and information revealing that African American women and girls are the most trafficked nationwide.

Powell, who serves as the senior advisor on law enforcement and policy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said that national data indicates that sex trade survivors are disproportionately women of color. She stated that male survivors often go unnoticed because boys rarely report trafficked crimes.

Powell said that decriminalizing prostitution in California could increase human trafficking. She argued that Senate Bill 357, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), which was signed into law in 2022 and legalized loitering for prostitution, caused a surge in street-level prostitution.

Panelist and psychologist Dr. Gloria Morrow shared opposing views on decriminalizing prostitution. She said that decriminalizing prostitution could help survivors gain access to state resources and support.

Despite opposing views, Powell and Morrow agree that the Black community needs resources and educational programs to address human trafficking.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Obituary: Social Justice Leader, the Rev. Cecil Williams, Passes at 94

On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family. He was 94 years old.

Published

1 day ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

The Rev. Cecil Williams, civil rights activist and social justice leader was the head pastor of San Francisco’s non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church.

By California Black Media

On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family.

He was 94 years old.

The reverend was a civil rights leader who advocated for the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in the Bay Area.

Williams was the head pastor of the non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church. The church welcomed individuals from the queer community and people struggling with homelessness, housing instability and substance use disorder (SUD).

Through his work, Rev. Williams attracted national attention. Prominent political and cultural leaders such as Maya Angelou, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Clinton all attended church services at Glide.

Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) said she is deeply saddened about the passing of her dear friend.

“The Reverend changed the lives of millions through radical love, support, inclusivity, and a commitment to service to the most marginalized,” Lee said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the reverend inspired people across California to embody the values of generosity and acceptance.

Rev. Williams was, “a visionary leader whose legendary compassion and love for his community transformed the lives of people from all walks of life,” Newsom said.

Rev. Williams served as the chief executive officer of the Glide Foundation until his retirement in 2023.