Community

Be Better Foundation honors victims of gun violence

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER —

Published

7 years ago

January 5, 2019

By Dwight Hobbes

“Often, we think, ‘That kind of thing doesn’t happen to me.’ But nothing precludes us from being a victim of violence,” said Minnesota State Senator Jeff Hayden, whose 25-year-old sister was killed in a crossfire July 23, 2016 between rival street gangs.

Having already established the Taylor Hayden Memorial Foundation to End Gun Violence in her honor, Hayden was present Dec. 22 at the launch of the Tarvanisha B. Boyd “Be Better” Foundation at Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis in honor of another victim of gun violence.

Veteran activist Al Flowers created the “Be Better” Foundation in honor of his own tragic loss — the shooting death of his 24-year-old daughter Tarvanisha Boyd on Dec. 20, 2014 during an argument in her Georgia home.

“This is always a tough time for [the family] from the 20^th, when we lost Tarvy, to the 31^st, which was her birthday,” said Flowers.

He told the MSR, “I don’t want her [passing] to be in vain. Anybody who dies with gun violence should always be recognized, and I want to use this as an opportunity. Our family has a lot of pain, but we can lift that hurt for others who are in the pain.”

“I want to give my condolences to the Flowers family because I know exactly how it feels,” said Hayden.

Boyd’s brother, Al Flowers, Jr., has taken the personal tragedy as inspiration to work for well being in the community.

“Little Man, as we call him, is dedicated to everybody who has lost their lives to gun violence so nobody will ever be forgotten,” said Flowers. “I’m thankful for what he’s involved with and what he’s going to accomplish.”

Flowers, Jr. said, “[Tarvanisha] told me, ‘Be better. Just be better in everything you do, no matter what. Always try to be better.’ She was right.

“We do need to be better — better fathers, teachers, doctors, better community members [and] better people just in general,” said Flowers, Jr. “It’s on us. We have to stand up. Every single day.”

He added, “You can’t save the whole world, but you can help the next person change. It could be just your friend, your child. It’s not an overnight fight. It’s going to happen over time. This is not just a memorial; it’s the start of something strong.”

Hayden commended the family for their activism efforts.

“One of the things the Flowers family has supported me in is a bill named after my sister that figures out how we can get the resources so we can get our young people to understand what happens when you pull that trigger. How everybody’s lives change, your life, your family’s life.

“Your victim’s life really changes, and their family changes,” Hayden told the crowd. “I’m thankful for their tireless work on this issue.”

He also challenged the community to take a universal stand against all violence. “If this was a case of police shooting someone, the place would be packed, the media would be here,” said Hayden. “When it’s us who kills us, somehow that doesn’t rise to the level of us caring about us.

“I care about us,” Hayden said. “When I think about what we need to do, there’s a saying we have: ‘Let’s get upstream.’ Let’s talk about prevention. You know where prevention starts, family? Right here.”

Sabathani’s president, Cindy Booker, who donated space for the event, said, “Al Flowers has done a great deal for the community in a lot of various ways, and it was a tragedy what happened to his family.” Booker said she had also suffered a violent death in her family.

“My father was murdered too, so, I understand what a family goes through,” she said. “It was just an honor for us to give back to the community by providing this space, and for the community to come out and give back to the Al Flowers family and for [that] family to continue to give to the community.”

Booker added, “I hope to make this an annual event. I want people to know [a death] is not always the end. Sometimes it’s the beginning.”

Hayden echoed those sentiments during his remarks. Looking around at the children sitting on laps and at the tables, he said, “It’s so wonderful to see these babies because that’s where it starts. We are all that we’ve got. If we’re going to be saved, it’s time for us to spend some equity on ourselves.”

Patunya Cofield, Tarvanisha’s mother, steeled her emotions to close out the program. “Tarvanisha meant so much to so many people,” she said, surrounded for moral support by Tarvanisha’s sisters, Shyanna Cotton and Destiny Cofield, and her brother Flowers, Jr.

“She was the first person who taught me to love the rest of [my children]. How could you not love a child who made it her business to make sure you knew she loved you? In everything she did.”

She underscored the heart of this gathering: “[Gun violence] don’t affect you until it hits your family.”

This article originally appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Dwight Hobbes

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Activism

‘Hire Oakland’ Job Fair Draws 2,000, Connecting

Oakland’s Hire Oakland job fair, hosted by Mayor Barbara Lee’s office, connected over 2,000 job seekers with employers, highlighting a strong demand for quality jobs and career pathways in the city.

Published

2 minutes ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Left to right: Yawo Tekpa, OPIC Manager, One Stop Operator; Sofia Navarro, Deputy City Administrator; and Ray Lankford, CEO of the Oakland Private Industry Council. Photo by Jonathan Fitness Jones.

Residents to Immediate Job Opportunities

By Post Staff

The Office of Mayor Barbara Lee, in partnership with the City of Oakland and regional employers, hosted a successful Hire Oakland job fair this week at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, bringing together job seekers and employers for a day focused on opportunity, connection, and economic mobility.

With more than 2,000 RSVPs, the event on Wednesday reflected strong demand across Oakland for access to quality jobs and career pathways. Attendees participated in on-site recruitment, application support, and hands-on workshops designed to help job seekers navigate hiring processes and prepare for interviews.

Over the course of the day, employers and community partners engaged directly with residents in a welcoming, high-energy environment centered on opportunity and hope. Participating employers included EBMUD, Samuel Merritt University, the City of Oakland, BART, PG&E, AC Transit, East Bay Regional Parks District, Southwest Airlines, FedEx, and many others offering immediate openings and career pathways across sectors.

Workforce development partners Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC) and Lao Family Community Development provided connections to résumé support, interview coaching, and individualized job search assistance throughout the event.

The strong turnout underscores a clear reality: Oakland residents are eager for pathways into meaningful work, and sustained investment in youth and workforce programs is essential.

That is why Mayor Lee has prioritized relaunching the Oakland Police Cadet Program and the Mayor’s Youth Employment and Education Program (MYEEP)—ensuring young people have early access to paid work experience, mentorship, and long-term career pathways, according to a City press statement.

“The turnout shows what we already know—Oaklanders are ready to work, ready to grow, and ready to build their futures here at home,” said Lee. “When we connect people directly to employers and invest in young people early, we are not just filling jobs—we are changing lives and strengthening our city’s future.”

The Hire Oakland job fair is part of the City’s broader effort to strengthen workforce pipelines, expand access to good-paying jobs, and ensure Oakland residents are first in line for local opportunity.

About Hire OaklandHire Oakland is a citywide workforce initiative led by the Office of Mayor Barbara Lee in partnership with City departments, workforce development organizations, and regional employers. The program connects Oakland job seekers to real-time hiring opportunities, training resources, and career pathways.

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Activism

Cassie ‘Mama C’ Lopez Honored as Oakland’s Mother of the Year

Cassandra “Mama C” Lopez, a dedicated parent, teacher, and activist, was honored as Oakland’s Mother of the Year for her unwavering commitment to community and justice.

Published

12 minutes ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Cassandra Lopez, known as “Mama C,” is surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors at Oakland’s annual Mother of Year celebration at the Morcom Rose Garden, Saturday, May 9. Photo by Mateenah Floyd-Okanlawon.

By Ken Epstein

The City of Oakland recognized Cassandra, “Mama C,” Lopez – parent, teacher, community activist, and justice warrior – as Oakland’s Mother of the Year in a celebration at Oakland’s Morcom Rose Garden on Mother’s Day weekend.

Long recognized as a leader in her community, she was nominated by District 3 City Councilmember Carroll Fife to receive the city’s 73rd annual Mother of the Year award.

Speaking at the crowded ceremony on Saturday, May 9, where Mama C received roses and a proclamation from Mayor Barbara Lee, Fife said she felt honored to nominate Lopez, an “amazing woman – a hell-raising humanitarian, for the energy, the passion, but most of all the love for community” that makes her one of those “exceptional women whose lives, exemplify love, sacrifice, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the family and community they serve.”

Cassie Lopez was born in 1945 to Pauline and Calvin Weaver, a family that had left Florida and Jim Crow for the east side of Detroit. From an early age, she was instilled with a sense of Black awareness, love, and the importance of community in the face of hardships, including poverty, freezing winters, low pay, and slum landlords.

Fifty-five years ago, she married Juan Lopez. The couple has three children and has lived for decades in a neighborhood on the edge of downtown Oakland near Mosswood Park.

Said her husband, Juan, “Mama C has been a selfless mother of our own children, and she also became a teacher. Our home became a second home for many young people. For some, it was refuge from difficult home situations, and for others, a safe place to hang out.

“Throughout the years, Mama C was sometimes a foot soldier and other times a leader, immersed in some of the biggest national and citywide struggles of the day,” Juan said. “But less known to many is the role she played day in and day out where the rubber hits the road.

“For 35 years, she has shepherded the Mosswood Park and Recreation Center – through its good and bad times. If the Center exists (and thrives) today, it has to do with Mama C, working alongside neighbors, center directors, community advisory council, and when necessary, community coalitions, city officials, the religious community, and the labor movement.”

Said Mateenah Floyd-Okanlawon, “I am an old friend of my sister here. We met in 1970 in the sugarcane fields of Cuba, where we were helping the Cuban government harvest their sugar. We have been friends ever since. She has always been someone who does not give in to despair.”

David Johnson, an educator in Oakland, was one of the neighborhood children who grew up in the community created by Mama C and her family

“Cassandra Lopez is a beacon of light, full of compassion. She has dedicated her life to quality education to the poor and working class,” serving for 40 years as a Spanish teacher in Oakland schools, he said.

“She has dedicated her life to speak truth to power, justice to the silent, and as a member of the community, she advocates for programs and resources,” he said.

In her remarks, Mama C recognized the influence and power of all mothers. “Together, we all stand on the backs of our mothers. Mothers play a special role in society. We give when we have almost nothing left to give. We hurt when some people don’t see the hurt and the pain that our families endure. But we keep on moving forward.”

Looking at what African Americans, other people of color and working people face in the country today, she said, “We are deserving of the very best because our hands, our bodies produce the wealth of world, and yet we get the least. We see our country wholesale being stolen away from us, and we are told to grin and bear it. We’re not bearing it; we’re fighting against it.”

Continuing, she said, “There’s enough wealth in this world that there should be no hunger in the world. There should be nobody without a decent place to live. Nobody should be sleeping on the street. Teachers should get the freedom to be creative and tell the stories that exist in this nation that make us strong and great.

“We have a lot to do. We cannot despair. We cannot run. People are learning, and together, collectively, we can do it.”