Berkeley

Opinion – Congress’ COVID-19 Recovery Must Also Help Blacks in Gig Economy

Published

6 years ago

April 22, 2020

The term “gig” has its modern origins in music.

Jazz musicians in the early 20th century used to refer to any job that paid money as a “gig.” They used the term to differentiate between playing with friends and playing for money because musicians, like pretty much all artists, tend to follow their passions in life and business whether it pays the bills or not.

They do what they love.

If they can string enough gigs together to make a career out of doing what they love, they’re living their dreams. The great Louis Armstrong once said, “Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them.”

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed gaps in our economic safety net across all industries, including today’s “gig-economy” workforce, which is big and diverse.

Ironically, the “gig-economy” is uniquely resilient to the kind of global economic body blow COVID-19 has delivered. Yes, millions of free-lancers and gig workers had work disappear the instant the economy shut down as businesses across the globe froze spending. But unlike millions of people with traditional employment whose actual jobs disappeared, there is a ton of work waiting for gig workers the moment the economy opens up again. In fact, the gig economy generated nearly $1 trillion to the US economy in 2019 and it will be the gig-economy that leads America back to economic health in a post-COVID world.

Federal and state policies aimed at helping the independent workforce recover from COVID-19 is a uniquely important issue for Black-owned businesses. With income disparity having reached toxic levels before the COVID-19 crisis, Black and Brown communities will be facing even steeper challenges in recovering from its aftermath. Regulations that hamper California businesses from hiring local, independent talent will cripple Black-owned businesses and the communities we serve.

I am a publisher of the Black Voice News, a weekly newspaper that has been in my family for two generations. When my sister Regina and I decided to work for the family business we started BPC MediaWorks, our first firm so that we could contract with our parents business. We wanted to maintain some independence and we each formed other companies: she has RBW Communications and I have Voice Media Ventures, a firm specializing in media and community engagement strategies. To serve the newspaper and my media clients I hire communication experts, writers, graphic artists, photographers, videographers, social media strategists, researchers and editors.

But the California law has made this business model nearly impossible.

When I pleaded with lawmakers to fix the law so it didn’t hurt businesses like mine, my words fell on deaf ears. The author of the legislation actually said she does not believe that freelancing is “real” work.

Unfortunately, thousands of African American independent contractors were laid off before COVID-19 because of the misguided policies of a badly-drafted law passed in the name of protecting Gig workers. Thousands more have now lost work as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

If we fight for policies that support and respect independent professionals and local businesses as our elected leaders draft economic stimulus legislation that will define our future; if we are included as full partners in designing a “future of work” that empowers independent professionals; if we are free to harness our passion without sacrificing our freedom to work as we choose, then as Louis Armstrong implied, we can continue playing the music “as long as it’s in us.” But if Congress leaves us out, the music stops now for generations to come.

Dr. Paulette Brown- Hinds is the founder of Voice Media Ventures and the second-generation publisher of The Black Voice News. She is also the Founding Co-Chair of the Independent Contractors Association. www.Indywork.org

Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds

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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.

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

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.

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.

Oakland Post

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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.

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

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.

Oakland Post

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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.

Published

12 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

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.

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.