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

3 years 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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao Faces Recall Efforts One Year Into Term

Don't Miss

City Council Commits to Adopting Policies to Protect and Enhance Geoffrey’s Inner Circle and the Black Arts District

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

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

Published

2 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

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.