Black History

COMMENTARY: Black Alliance for Just Immigration Supports Black Voting Rights!

OAKLAND POST — Historically, white conservative forces have sought to suppress Black political participation because Black communities have consistently organized, voted, and fought for policies rooted in justice, equity, and collective survival.

Published

5 months ago

June 17, 2026

Post News Group

Special to The Post

The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) condemns the continued gutting of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) and the broader assault on Black political power unfolding across the United States.

Black immigrants in the United States — whether citizens or not — share a common condition with Black Americans. Our ability to access housing, healthcare, education, labor protections, safety, and political representation is deeply tied to the political power of Black communities in this country.

When Black communities lose political power, all Black people across the diaspora become more vulnerable to displacement, criminalization, disenfranchisement, and state violence.

The U.S. cannot claim to be a multiracial democracy while systematically dismantling Black political representation and participation. An attack on Black voting power is an attack on all Black people across the diaspora and on the very possibility of a just democracy.

Voting is more than a civic exercise. Voting is about representation, access to resources, and the ability of communities to shape policies that determine whether we survive, thrive, or are left vulnerable to harm. It is both a right and an expectation of participation in public life.

For generations, however, Black people in the United States were systematically excluded from that right through both legal and extralegal violence — especially across the Deep South. The Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 was won through bloodshed, sacrifice, organizing, and mass resistance led by Black communities demanding full participation in democracy.

The VRA sought to remedy generations of racial exclusion by requiring states with histories of racist voter suppression to receive federal approval before changing election laws or voting procedures, a process known as preclearance. Section 2 of the VRA also created protections to ensure that Black voters and other historically marginalized communities could elect candidates who would represent their interests.

Historically, white conservative forces have sought to suppress Black political participation because Black communities have consistently organized, voted, and fought for policies rooted in justice, equity, and collective survival.

For more than a decade, the Supreme Court has steadily dismantled the VRA protections.

In 2013, the Court’s Shelby v. Holder decision removed the federal preclearance requirement, opening the floodgates for states to pass voter suppression laws and redraw districts designed to dilute Black political power.

On April 29, the Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s congressional map was unconstitutional because it included two majority-Black districts. In a state where more than one-third of the population is Black, the Court has effectively declared that Black political representation itself is suspect.

This is not simply about maps or district lines. Gerrymandering is one tactic in a much larger project to weaken Black political power, undermine multiracial democracy, and consolidate power away from working-class communities and communities of color.

What the Supreme Court has done is allow racial gerrymandering to exclude Black people from political power, while the effort to ensure Black communities have representation is now considered unconstitutional. Gutting of the VRA is simply the latest chapter in a long history of efforts to silence Black voices and roll back the gains of the Civil Rights Movement.

At the same time, the rise of authoritarian, xenophobic politics under Pres. Donald Trump and the broader far right seeks to codify anti-Blackness, anti-immigrant policies, attacks on women, LGBTQ+ communities, and other marginalized groups into law. These attacks are interconnected.

“The United States cannot claim to be a multiracial democracy while systematically dismantling Black political power,” said Nana Gyamfi, executive director of BAJI. “Black immigrants understand that our conditions are tied to the conditions of Black Americans; together then, together now. When Black communities lose political power, all Black people become more vulnerable to displacement, criminalization, disenfranchisement, and state violence. Protecting Black voting rights is not just about elections. It is about protecting the possibility of collective freedom and self-determination for our communities.”

BAJI remains committed to defending Black political power, strengthening Black migrant civic participation, and building a future rooted in Black freedom, dignity, and collective liberation.

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Up Next

Asm. Isaac Bryan’s Environmental Reparations Bill Passes on Assembly Floor

Don't Miss

Sale of Coliseum to African American Developers Moves Toward Completion

Post News Group

Click to comment

Black History

Oakland Faith Leaders Gather to Revitalize the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Oakland

Oakland faith leaders and civic officials recently gathered at the Church of All Faiths to revitalize the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Oakland and Vicinity. Led by convener Pastor Mark Anthony Clifton, Sr., the meeting aimed to unite clergy around civic engagement and community restoration. The event featured a call to action for the upcoming election and presentations on workforce development, drawing support from prominent figures including Mayor Barbara Lee and local school officials. Organizers shared their vision for the alliance’s future as they prepare for new collaborative initiatives. read more.

Published

3 days ago

October 27, 2026

Post News Group

COGIC Pastor Mark Anthony Clifton, Sr. (left) was host to Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee at the meet-and-greet to revitalize the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA) of Oakland at the Church of All Faiths in Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

Pastors, civic leaders, and community members in the Bay Area gathered Thursday, Oct. 8, at Church of All Faiths in Oakland for a meet-and-greet marking a renewed push to revitalize the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (IMA) of Oakland and Vicinity.

A highlight of the evening was the “Souls to the Polls: Our Voice, Our Vote!” segment, led by Pastor Damon Owens of Genesis Church in Antioch, which urged congregations to turn out for the election. Organizers also announced a proposed joint pre-Thanksgiving worship service for Nov. 17, with the location to be announced.

Pastor Marcie Hodge of Prayer Mission Church called the program to order, and Rev. Michael Wakefield Wallace of Mt. Zion M.B. Church led the opening devotion. Pastor Cubie Finley III of Parks Chapel AME read Nehemiah 2:17-18, the passage behind the event’s rallying cry, “Let us rise up and build.”

COGIC National Evangelist Dr. Lucinda Taylor, principal of Westlake Middle School, delivered the opening welcome.

Dr. L.J. Jennings of Kingdom Builders Church gave a brief statement of purpose, explaining the alliance’s mission of ‘Voice, Vision, and Values.’ Pastor Terry Benjamin of Restoration Evangelistic Ministries then introduced the convener, Pastor Mark Anthony Clifton, Sr., who is in his 26th year leading East Oakland Church of God in Christ. Clifton has been reorganizing the alliance to unite clergy around civic engagement. He noted that IMA’s national roots in 1926 in Galveston, Texas, and honored the Oakland leaders who came before him, including his grandfather, the late Bishop Martin J. Clifton, Sr.

“The work of the IMA of Oakland is just a continuation of the work done before us. Today, working together we can continue to solve many of the issues our community faces,” said Clifton.

Members were invited to share testimonies, challenges, and ministry needs.

Other participants included Dr. Billy Dixon of At Thy Word Christian Center and Pastor Raymond Lankford, CEO of the Oakland Private Industry (OPIC) Council who shared information on the organization’s workforce development programming.

Public officials in attendance included Mayor Barbara Lee, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, and Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Denise Saddler, strengthening the ties between the faith community and local government.

“We are better together and our city is stronger when we partner with our faith leaders,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.

Bishop Brondon Reems of Center of Hope Community Church provided the closing prayer and Rev. Dr. Jeffrey M. Parker, Sr., host pastor, gave final remarks and thanked attendees for coming.

“It’s an honor to serve the community and bring everyone together,” said Parker.

Dozens of pastors from Oakland, Antioch, and the greater Bay Area were recognized as supporters.

“I want our partners and attendees involved to help rebuild the city they love and this is only the beginning of a larger movement to restore our great city,” said Clifton.

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Black History

Oakland Honors 60 Years of the Black Panther Party at the All Power to the People Gala

Oakland recently gathered at the Scottish Rite Center for the All Power to the People gala, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. Presented by the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, the event brought together movement veterans, community leaders, and elected officials to honor the organization’s history of radical love and community service. Attendees enjoyed performances by youth arts groups and heard testimonials regarding the Party’s enduring influence on local housing and healthcare. The evening featured a keynote address exploring the moral clarity required for activism, click to read more.

Published

3 days ago

October 27, 2026

Post News Group

A portion of Broadway from 14th to 17th street was renamed Black Panther Party Boulevard as part of the 60th anniversary of the party’s founding, which was Oct. 15, 1966. Present were (from left) Fredrika Newton, former U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (the only BPP member elected to Congress); Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, and District 3 City Councilmember Carroll Fife. Newton, widow of BPP co-founder Huey P. Newton, co-founded the foundation that bears his name as well as the Black Panther Party Museum that is now on BPP Boulevard. Earlier this year, a street was named for BPP co-founder Bobby Seale at 57th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Courtesy photo.

By Carla Thomas

Oakland gathered on Oct. 17 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Black Panther Party (BPP), the movement Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded in the city six decades ago.

The “All Power to the People” evening gala, at Oakland’s Scottish Rite Center, brought together Panther veterans, families, community leaders, and younger generations for a night of history, music, and recommitment.

The festivities, presented by the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, began with a black carpet entrance up the staircase to the center. Each side was lined with servers holding trays of champagne for guests to retrieve while walking in.

An energetic U.S. Congresswoman Lateefah Simon opened the program as emcee. Charlotte Hill O’Neal offered libations, and 16-year-old Abayomi Lewis, a Haitian American high school junior from San Francisco, performed BBP’s anthem, “The Meeting.” Young Gifted & Black, a performing arts program that has served Bay Area youth since 2010, followed with an inspirational performance of stepping and speaking truth to power.

During dinner service by Chef Michele McQueen, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee shared how instrumental the Black Panther Party was to her as a young single parent of two boys. “The Party provided food and lots of support and Fredrika Newton’s mother, a prominent real estate broker and housing rights activist, helped me navigate purchasing my very first home.”

Lee also shared lots of Panther history, including that she was the finance chair for Black Panther Party co-founder, Bobby Seale when he ran for Oakland mayor.

Dr. Xavier Buck, executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, spoke of how being held at gunpoint by six New York City police officers in Jamaica Queens, reading the autobiography of Assata Shakur, and learning from Fredrika Newton inspired his life’s work.

“I’ve been poured into by Black Panther Party members throughout the country and what I’ve learned the most from them is “radical love.” The same love that created free breakfast programs, free ambulance services, and free sickle cell anemia testing for the Black community.”

Marvel’s Black Panther author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates delivered the keynote address.

“The legacy of the Black Panther Party lives on,” said Coates noting the presence of BPP veterans. He further remarked that people often focus narrowly on how to win, but real moral clarity comes from reflecting on what principles you are willing to stand for—and what you are willing to lose for—even in the face of steep odds.

Fredrika Newton, co-founder and president of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, thanked Panther veterans for “all you gave” and expressed hope that attendees would leave with a renewed commitment to the work that remains.

“Seeing Panther veterans, younger generations, and the community united to honor the Party, reminds me why this work has mattered so much,” said Newton.

Everyone in the room joined in song in tribute to Bobby Seale, wishing the 90-year-old well and took pictures with him.

Cyril Innis Jr., known as “Bullwhip,” addressed the issue of political prisoners and fighting for their freedom. The program booklet listed the dozens of imprisoned Panther members who passed away and honored the sacrifices of those still incarcerated.

A Legacy Award, was presented to Charlotte Hill O’Neal, known affectionately as “Mama C.”

“Mama C” has continued the Party’s work from Tanzania, where she and her husband, Pete O’Neal, founder of the Kansas City chapter, have lived in exile since 1970. Together they established the United African Alliance Community Center and the Leaders of Tomorrow Children’s Home which cares for orphans.

“Mama C” ceremoniously circled each table honoring the ancestors of the movement and encouraged guests to call out the names of loved ones who had passed away.

Marc Philpart of the Black Freedom Fund supported the anniversary and pledged to keep investing in the people and organizations carrying the work forward.

Trust for Public Land also marked the occasion, recalling its collaboration with the Panthers and Oakland residents who turned vacant lots into neighborhood gardens in the 1970s.

The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation opened the Black Panther Party Museum in January 2024, and the museum has since held multiple exhibitions and welcomes more than 30,000 visitors a year on the newly named Black Panther Party Boulevard in downtown Oakland. For more information, go to HueyPNewtonFoundation.org