Bay Area

Black Chamber of Commerce Stands in Solidarity With Local Businesses on Diversity, Safety

Standing together as crime rises in Oakland, the five Oakland multicultural Chambers of Commerce, representing thousands of local and small businesses across our great city, stand united against hatred, misinformation, and divisive rhetoric.

Published

3 years ago

March 9, 2021

Mia Lane

Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, joined the other four Chambers of Commerce in Oakland to announce a statement on March 4. We stand together to ensure our local businesses, residents and visitors feel safe, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, religion, origin, or sexual preference. Attached please see the whole statement.

親愛的屋崙華埠商會會員及商會之友:

屋崙華埠商會連同屋崙其他四家商會，在今日發表共同聲明。我們商會一向團結合作，無論種族、膚色、信念、性別、宗教、出身地、性取向，都盡力保障我們的商家、居民和訪客安全。以下是我們的聲明全文。

JOINT STATEMENT FROM OAKLAND AREA CHAMBERS

Five Chambers – One Oakland

Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce

We share the same mission – to nurture, support, and grow Oakland businesses of all sizes, encourage job creation for our local workforce, and enhance the quality of life for all Oaklanders. For well over 30 years, we have come together to sustain this collective mission and support each other – believing social solidarity lifts everyone toward a better future.

Over the past few weeks, the eyes of the local and national media have been fixated on our town. Unfortunately, the stories have focused on Oakland’s ever-increasing crime rates, particularly in Chinatown. We oppose any/all efforts to politicize or polarize our community – and will support efforts to keep our residents safe.

Our joint chambers work collaboratively in many civic areas including:

• Provide financial and technical assistance to local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Raise funds to support our city’s unsheltered residents and work collectively to create comprehensive strategies to combat homelessness.

• Raise emergency funds to support small businesses and community organizations.

• Support efforts to address racial economic equity among City contracts

• Partner, advocate and amplify the work of the BID Alliance – representing thousands of small businesses citywide.

• Support a local regulatory framework that grows jobs in our City for our residents.

We stand together to ensure our local businesses, residents and visitors feel safe, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, religion, origin, or sexual preference.

In order for our town to remain functional, it must rely on a web of mutuality and a willingness to share with each other – acknowledging no one person nor one group can do it alone.

City leaders, elected and appointed, must work together with each other and the business community to create and implement strategies that promote greater public safety in every community, increase economic stability and enhance the quality of life for all.

In the annual Pulse of Oakland poll, Oakland residents continually report that the thing they love most about Oakland is its diversity. Oakland embodies the best of America.

We are five chambers working to promote business sustainability, job creation as well as a safe and unified City for our residents.

We represent ONE OAKLAND.

Cathy Adams

President | CEO

Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce,

CONTACT:

Cathy Adams, Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, cathy@oaacc.org

Jessica Chen, Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, oaklandctchambered@gmail.com

Joe Partida, Oakland Latino Chamber of Commerce, joepartidabenefits@yahoo.com

Barbara Leslie, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, bleslie@oaklandchamber.com

Dr. Jennifer Tran, Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce, jennkimanh@gmail.com

Mia Lane

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”