Bay Area

Anti-Recall Rally Outside City Hall Supports Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Bearing “Defend Democracy” signs on the steps of Oakland’s City Hall, about 40 people convened Tuesday in support of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. The group responded in opposition to a growing movement to recall her. The mayor has been under considerable scrutiny after firing the city’s police chief, LeRonne Armstrong, and forfeiting millions of dollars in grant funding for the city by missing deadlines in 2023.

Published

4 months ago

January 23, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland civil rights attorney Walter Riley addresses the press at the anti-recall rally with supporters of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao outside Oakland City Hall. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

Bearing “Defend Democracy” signs on the steps of Oakland’s City Hall, about 40 people convened Tuesday in support of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.

The group responded in opposition to a growing movement to recall her.

The mayor has been under considerable scrutiny after firing the city’s police chief, LeRonne Armstrong, and forfeiting millions of dollars in grant funding for the city by missing deadlines in 2023.

Thao is also being blamed for the rise in theft and vandalism plaguing small businesses, leading many business owners to flee Oakland for safer locations or closing all together.

The recall is projected to cost the City of Oakland $4.5 million, an amount many feel would impact the city’s ability to fund much needed services.

Saabir Lockett, executive director of Pathways to Peace says $4.5 million “to recall the mayor is absurd — $4.5 million should be reinvested in our people.

“We are in a budget crisis already,” Lockett continued. “We need to continue the work that has been done; public safety support, enhancements to the 911 system, and tech investments.”

According to him, the recall efforts against Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price will cost the region $10 million. “We are going to lose money. This is ridiculous. This takes money and resources away from the people that really need it,” Lockett said.

Lockett also led rally supporters in chanting, “Stop using our pain for political gain.”

According to one Thao supporter, the mayor inherited many of the issues Oakland faces from the previous administration and she should not be held to unrealistic expectations. “A lot of these issues were here before she was elected,” said C.C. Wall Street, executive director of the Oakland community venue, Third Eye Oakland.

“The public should give her a chance to do her job,” he said. “There’s so much we can do beyond the political turmoil plaguing the city. I don’t think the mayor has been given a fair shake. No one is perfect. She is being scapegoated and not given the support she requires to do this job successfully.”

Wall Street called on everyone to step up and be solution oriented. “I’m also the new founder of FEEL Inc., Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy. We can all make a difference.”

Kenzie Smith, who serves on Oakland’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, says he ran for City Council and understands the challenges of the city. “If we work together, we can continue the good work this administration has done. I, for one, have felt supported and know of many programs supported by this administration.”

Smith is also the sibling of local community icon, Mistah F.A.B., owner of DOPE Era Academy and Dope Era Museum at Jack London Square, and the company’s flagship Dope Era retail store on Broadway. “The mayor has been really supportive of us and our events,” he said.

Oakland civil rights attorney Walter Riley accused the movement to recall the mayor of Oakland of being disruptive and deliberately undermining the current administration.

“This action of recall is weaponizing our democracy against itself,” said Riley, a seasoned civil rights activist. “This administration is making up for decades of political savagery by fixing things. We should continue the pathway that we are on. The attacks on the City Council, the school board, and the mayor will not be tolerated.”

Other community attendees at the rally included Ray Bobbitt, the founder and managing member of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG); Joyce Gordon, founder of the Joyce Gordon Gallery at the center of Oakland’s Cultural Arts District on 14th Street, and Oakland Private Industry Council president Pastor Raymond Lankford.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 8 – 14, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 8 – 14, 2024

Published

23 hours ago

May 10, 2024

Oakland Post

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S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

7 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

7 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.