Oakland Post

Oakland Businessman Yanci Taylor Sr. Turns 96

Published

4 years ago

March 5, 2020

Yanci Taylor celebrates his 96th birthday on February 24, 2020. He was born in a rural town of Lot, Texas, in 1924 to Yanci Taylor Sr. and Mariah Taylor. Taylor was the fourth out of eight children.

He would complete high school and later marry Alberta Taylor in 1945. This union would produce two children. Shortly after, he was drafted into World War II, becoming a non-commissioned officer.

While in the Army, Taylor was a barber and learned how to be an electrician. He had skills in carpentry that he learned from his father and skills in clothing from his mother who was a seamstress.
After three years of service, Taylor purchased his first property.

He applied to join the union for electricians but was denied because the electrician union did not accept African Americans. Taylor then joined the union for carpenters, eventually becoming a subcontractor.

Taylor set his sights on starting and owning a clothing store in downtown Oakland. He hired an attorney to obtain a master lease for Yanci’s Clothes Hanger store from Coldwell Banker in June 1964. Taylor had to get an attorney to obtain a lease because there was a lot of reticence from the property managers to lease to an African American man.

Taylor would go on to become the first African American to own and operate a retail shop in downtown Oakland. The store was in a prime location at 1422 Broadway and it became very successful with 21 years of business.

The store carried suits, shirts, shoes, exotic furs and excellent fabrics. Mr. Taylor would travel to manufacturers’ conventions and shop for the clothing himself. The high quality of the materials attracted a diverse clientele from baseball player Willie Mays, to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, civil rights attorney John Burris, Congressman Ron Dellums, Huey P. Newton of the Black Panther Party and many influential people.

Taylor has been a member of North Oakland Missionary Baptist Church since the 1940s, joining upon his arrival on the U.S. Army base. He is the father of renowned jazzman Yanci Taylor Jr.

Taylor has won two trophies in recent years for being the oldest living family member at his family reunion in Texas. His grandmother lived to be 100 years old.

At 96, Yanci Taylor does 50 push-ups every morning, listens to jazz, cooks for himself and makes his own juice from his lemon tree.

Yanci Taylor. Photo by Tymeesa Rutledge.

Taylor drives his car and his California driver’s license will expire in 2024 when he turns 100.

Saskia Hatvany

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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

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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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.