Politics

Alameda City Council Candidate Amos White Brings His Message to Voters

Published

4 years ago

October 14, 2020

A group of supporters convened at a press conference and rally for Alameda City Council hopeful Amos White in front of Alameda’s City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 10.

White, only the third Black in the city’s history to seek a seat on the Council, gave a rousing speech outlining his platform and qualifications for the position. The late Al Dewitt, whose son Al Jr. spoke, was Alameda’s first Black City Council member. Elected in 1994, he became vice-mayor in 1998. Marie Gilmore was the first Black mayor in Alameda in 2012.

White is vying for one of the two open seats on the council.

White said the people’s vote makes him the best-qualified candidate for the job. “My experience runs deep,” said White. “I’ve been in democratic politics my whole life and I’ve always had a hankering and penchant for justice, for equality and what it really means to be an American.

“My father was an educator and my mother was an educator-turned-attorney, and there’s always been a sense of justice and civil rights running deep in my family.”

“I first got involved in campaigning in high school for a governor and upon graduating; my first job was with Senator John Glenn as his legislative aide. I then moved over to the Democratic Caucus in Ohio and later started running campaigns.”

“Later, I came to California in 1991 as a CORO Fellow in Public Affairs; there I worked on Barbara Boxer’s first senatorial campaign as Southern California Volunteer Coordinator. I have since gone on to work for Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s campaign and also in San Francisco for Terence Hallihan. So I’m really excited about running my own race to bring justice, fairness and equity to Alameda.”

White noted that one of the first issues he hopes to address is equity. “It’s a buzz word,” noted White, “but it also means the redistribution of policy decisions and of our budget towards our values as our priorities in protecting our most vulnerable.”

“I have a gentleman here today that is endorsing my campaign who just this summer, was arrested in front of his house for dancing. Dancing while Black! We’ve been working to support Mr. Mali Watkins in my capacity as a lead organizer for the ACLU People Power Alameda.”

Alameda’s City Council does not represent specific districts in the City, rather, all council members serve at-large. White wants to change that. “I would love to put that forward as a referral measure that we do create districts in Alameda so we can have better representation and surer representation throughout the entire City,” said White.

White is eager to jump into the role of city councilmember. He already has plans to put up a cell tower on the west side of the City. He wants to do this so that emergency response can be more secure and people on and traveling through Alameda’s West End can have better communications in the city.

“It’s horrible on this side of town because of the lack of resources and attention from an equity standpoint,” said White. “I really hope to remediate that issue.”

“I will also look into our police department budget and its funding processes and, if necessary, consider reallocating resources towards our public health and welfare departments so we can help support people who are on the streets that are unhoused and are having mental health crises and health care issues and nutritional issues.”

For more information on Amos White’s campaign, visit www.amoswhite4alameda.com.

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

2 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.

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Community

Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home

California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) vice chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) introduced new legislation related to reparations to the Senate Committee on Housing on April 2 in Sacramento. Senate Bill (SB) 1007, “establishes the Homeowner’s Assistance for Descendants of Enslaved Persons Program to make financial aid or assistance available to descendants for the purposes of purchasing, owning, or maintaining a home,” the legislation states.

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood). Photo Courtesy of L.A. Sentinel

California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) vice chair Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) introduced new legislation related to reparations to the Senate Committee on Housing on April 2 in Sacramento.

Senate Bill (SB) 1007, “establishes the Homeowner’s Assistance for Descendants of Enslaved Persons Program to make financial aid or assistance available to descendants for the purposes of purchasing, owning, or maintaining a home,” the legislation states.

The Senate Housing Committee advanced the bill with an 8-1 vote. It will be re-referred to the Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Sen. Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) was the only member who voted against the bill.

“SB 1007 is about starting a long process of paying back a debt that is not only owed, but that was also promised, and is 160 years overdue, to African Americans,” Bradford told the committee chaired by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). “It is the first step in closing the wealth and equity gap created by centuries of slavery and racial discrimination policies.”

The bill aligns with one of the 115 recommendations listed in a two-year study conducted by the California reparations task force, of which Bradford was one of nine members.

Bradford said the report reveals that, in the state of California, a typical Black-owned home is 22% less valuable than a White-owned home.

Various advocacy groups from around the state attended the hearing held at the State Capitol Annex Swing Space. The California Housing Partnership, Bay Area Regional Health and Inequities Initiative, Coalition for A Just and Equitable California, Disability Rights of California, the American Civil Liberties Union of California, and California Community Builders all voiced their support of the bill.