Bay Area

City Council Moves to OK Establishment of Public Bank for Oakland, East Bay

Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, a longtime supporter of strengthening funding for local small businesses and important public projects, successfully moved to approve the resolution along with the viability study. Kaplan had proposed the initial public bank study in the previous Oakland budget, and the regional multi-city collaboration that allowed the public bank effort to get to this stage.

Published

4 years ago

December 28, 2022

Oakland Post

As reported in their mission statement, the vision for the Public Bank East Bay is to: “invest public monies from participating governmental agencies to meet the needs of local communities."

From City Hall Reports

The City of Oakland took another step toward establishing the Public Bank of the East Bay.

The Oakland Finance and Management Committee voted to approve forwarding District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife’s resolution to the City Council meeting on Dec. 20, 2022, with the intent for the City of Oakland, in collaboration with Alameda County, City of Berkeley and City of Richmond, and additional cities as interested, to establish the bank.

“I want to thank everyone who has been working for many years to bring a public bank to the East Bay – not just to the City of Oakland – a regional collaborative of multiple governments that by standing together, can strengthen our economic opportunity and our ability to affordably finance needed projects and ensure access to funding for local small businesses and underserved communities,” said Kaplan.

The need and support for a public bank comes from the failing business model of many corporate banks that handle the vast majority of public funds in the East Bay and around the country which have consistently prioritized profits and serving the well-connected over community needs.

The biggest example of the failure of corporate banks is the Great Recession of 2008 when many banks engaged in predatory foreclosures and destabilized. But the Bank of North Dakota, the nation’s oldest public bank, was able to withstand the chaotic market trend while growing their fund and continuing to provide small business and student loans as well as economic and workforce development funds.

As reported in their mission statement, the vision for the Public Bank East Bay is to: “invest public monies from participating governmental agencies to meet the needs of local communities.

“PBEB will seek to return a reasonable, but not excessive, profit to its stakeholders by making economically sustainable loans and providing a high level of service to its partners and stakeholders.

“It will adhere to the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and will prioritize environmentally regenerative, culturally equitable and participatory practices that reverse discrimination against members of economically and socially marginalized communities.”

The Council will consider the item on Dec. 20, 2022, City Council meeting.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 9 – 15, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 9 – 15, 2026

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1 day ago

September 14, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

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1 week ago

September 7, 2026

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.