Community
New Oakland Mural Will Celebrate Diversity, Support Local Black Artists And Enhance Social Justice Efforts In The Community
Large wooden panels outside a Kaiser Permanente building in downtown Oakland will soon be transformed into colorful art in support of the social justice movement and will ultimately be housed permanently in the Black Cultural Zone at the new Liberation Park.
Kaiser Permanente is donating the mural as part of its commitment to advancing equity, inclusion and diversity in our community. The partnership with ABG Art Group and the support being provided to local Black artists will result in a dynamic display representing racial equity and justice for all.
“Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to ending systemic racism in our nation and breaking down barriers to equality,” said Yvette Radford, vice president, Kaiser Permanente Northern California External and Community Affairs in the November 6 announcement. “As an organization with deep roots in Oakland, we want to do our part to help our community heal by showcasing the amazing contributions of Black artists and creating an inspirational-piece of art to remind us all of the importance of social justice, inclusiveness, and racial equity.”
Two well-known Oakland artists are currently creating the mural on wooden slabs outside of a Kaiser Permanente building on the corner of 20th and Broadway streets. ABG Art Group is one of OakArtist Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith paints a mural highlighting equity and diversity on a Kaiser Permanente building at 20th and Broadway streets in downtown Oakland. Kaiser Permanente is donating the mural as part of its commitment to advancing equity, inclusion and diversity in our community. The partnership with ABG Art Group and the support being provided to local Black artists will result in a dynamic display representing racial equity and justice for all.
“We are honored and excited to partner with Kaiser Permanente and curate this amazing art installation,” said Sorell Raino-Tsui, director ABG Art Group. “Kaiser Permanente has shown their deep commitment to the art community by sponsoring this piece, and I couldn’t be happier to bring two of Oakland’s best AfricanAmerican artists together to create something special.”
Artists Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith and Joshua Mays have deep ties to the Oakland community. Both have created some of the city’s most signature public art displays representing their cultural history and beliefs.
Wolfe-Goldsmith is an American painter and muralist, who is primarily self-taught. She is a large-scale muralist and has created murals throughout the United States, Costa Rica and Australia.
She is excited about the creation of the mural: “Amidst uncertainty and unrest, it is a crucial time to use art to push culture forward.”
Mays is an American painter, illustrator and muralist whose work typically features Black subjects in fantastical settings. In 2018, San Francisco Magazine named him as one of the “100 artists putting the East Bay on the map”.
Mays has created other murals in downtown Oakland and recognizes the importance of this piece: “With all that is unfolding in the landscape, I’m thrilled to use this platform to express all that is available within the current moment. I expect, through color, texture and narrative, we create a piece that reveals and transmits much needed doses of hope, perspective and possibility.”
The mural will take about two weeks to create and will remain temporarily on display in downtown for several months before it is permanently moved to the Black Cultural Zone, inside the new Liberation Park, which will showcase art that has cultural significance to the community.
Kerri Leedy is the public relations and media relations manager of Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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