Events

Anita Hill Says Fights Against Racism and Gender Violence Are Inseparable

Published

8 years ago

March 15, 2018

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (left)and Anita Hill. Photo by Sarah Carpenter.

About 2,000 people filled the Oakland Marriott Ballroom last Saturday to hear Anita Hill speak about how racism and gender violence are intertwined.

“I will not talk about race, I will not talk about gender—without talking about them both. I’ve lived them both,” she said, “and I would say to every one of you—you live them both, too.”

Speaking for Women’s History Month of gender equality, Hill was hosted by the Barbara Lee & Elihu Harris Lecture Series held in partnership with the Peralta Colleges and the Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom Center.

Hill brought these issues to national attention in 1991 during confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas as Supreme Court justice, when she testified about the sexual harassment she endured while working for him.

She explained how Thomas’ description of her testimony as a “high-tech lynching” solidified his lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. She said his choice of language made an all-white-male judiciary committee fearful of being called racists.

Thomas was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to replace Thurgood Marshall, who was also Black.

“He wanted to name an African American to take the place of Thurgood Marshall,” Hill said. But she said he could only replace Marshall as a body, not ideologically.

“The contrast between Judge Thomas and Justice Marshall was individualism versus community—it was clear.”

Since 1991, the nation has become more prepared to deal with sexual harassment complaints. The Violence Against Women Act was passed by Congress in 1994, making it the first comprehensive federal legislation package designed to end violence against women.

Hill cited stories of women coming forward with complaints earlier than 1991, claiming that she, along with women today who are part of the #MeToo movement, are standing on the shoulders of these women, for whom it was even more difficult to make their case.

“There may have been a time when we had to excuse and assume that sexual predation was just something men did,” she said. “But that day has passed.”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

“And for those who say that things are no different than in 1991—I say you’re wrong,” she said. “Because in 1991, there would not be a hall full of people applauding that line.”

Oakland resident Xiao Wen Chen, who attended the lecture with two of her friends, said, “I was very inspired. Women should not give up their civil rights.”

Chen said the speech made her feel more motivated to stand up for herself in the face of sexual harassment. “We have the right to protect ourselves.”

Catherine Addison, also of Oakland, said she felt renewed by the evening, noting that Hill’s calls for courage to stop gendered violence, while not new, were still needed.

“Just to hear a pioneer like her come out and say those things again was uplifting,” she said.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.