Commentary

COMMENTARY: Black and Asian, Oakland Native Justin Jones Embodies Unity in Tennessee Statehouse Showdown

Since it happened over the Easter holiday, the parallel cannot be overlooked. Resurrection was in the air. Just five days after his political death, Oakland native Justin Jones, the newly minted voice of the voiceless, an advocate for an assault-weapons ban and an overall generational change for a more inclusive democracy in America, was not just back in the Tennessee state house–to all the world, he was also Black.

Published

4 years ago

April 20, 2023

Oakland Post

Tennessee lawmaker Justin Jones was expelled by GOP colleagues for supporting gun reforms following a mass murder at a Nashville school on March 27. Photo courtesy www.votejustinjones.com.

By Emil Guillermo

Again.

The Associated Press headline was pretty unequivocal.

“Black lawmaker who was expelled reinstated to Tennessee seat,” blared the online Yahoo news site.

The lede was even clearer.

“One of two Black Democrats who were expelled last week from the GOP-led Tennessee House was reinstated Monday after Nashville’s governing council voted to send him straight back to the Legislature.”

Great, but only partially right.

Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News gave it a crack, but alas, he too fell short.

In “that political drama in Tennessee late today,” the anchor declared on the network’s evening news: “The Nashville Council voted to reinstate one of the Black state lawmakers expelled last week over protests….”

All that was great. But when it comes to Jones’ race, Lester was only half correct.

Jones isn’t just Black. He’s also Filipino by his mother’s side. He’s Justin Shea Bautista Jones, who grew up in Oakland and in the East Bay. And he fully embraces his Filipino-ness. As mentioned in his campaign collateral, Jones is as proud of his Filipino heritage as he is of his African side.

He’s a mixed-race Asian American.

No big deal? I’m making it one.

We all should see Jones’ Asian American Filipino side.

If Jones and his fellow expelled legislator, Justin Pearson, are all about inclusion, youth, and bringing in all the people from the margins to be seen and heard, then why just outright ignore Jones’ Filipino/Asian American side?

Why not mention that Jones represents even more cultural diversity than anyone thinks?

The Washington Post got it right last Thursday, when, in one of the first stories about the Tennessee expulsions, the paper referred to Jones as being of Black and Filipino heritage.

Even on MSNBC, Alex Wagner, herself part Burmese descent, acknowledged Jones fully as Black and Filipino. Other media outlets, not so much. Of course, Asian/Filipino media did.

Acknowledging Jones’ mixed race specifically was 100% accurate.

But by the time Jones was reinstated, AP and others simply ignored Jones’ mother’s blood and dropped expressing America’s real diversity.

We’ve seen it before. Tiger Wood’s mom is Thai, and he made a big deal about his Asian side when he was younger. But his term to accurately describe himself, “Cablanasian,” didn’t stick, and most everyone just found it easier to backslide to Black.

Vice President Kamala Harris has always seemed more partial to her African American side. During her run for president, it was like she kept her Asian-ness (her mother is an Indian immigrant) as a handy aside. And then she made history, and who could ignore that she was Black and South Asian, the highest-ranking Black and Asian American woman in our democracy’s history?

Still, most media references have gone back to ignoring it. Perhaps it’s assumed everyone knows Harris is of mixed race, or editors feel when it comes to Harris, her race is so obvious it’s irrelevant?

But it’s not irrelevant.

It helps to counter the ongoing battle in our country over racial identity.

With the GOP waging a culture war on denying our country’s racial history, it’s become imperative for the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community to proudly declare our heritage and race, especially when it comes to newsmakers whose cultural backgrounds are factual identifiers that help people understand the new America.

A name and an age are usually the two most important facts about a person journalistically. But race should be right up there too.

Jones can’t just be Black. Not when his physical presence (his hair, skin, size) clues us in that he’s also representing another ethnic minority as well, Asian American Filipinos.

One’s race should be as important as people boldly declaring their pronouns. (Yes, I’m a he/him, though I feel solidarity with the they/thems.)

But that’s gender grammar. Race is about blood, fluid and undeniable. But too often ignored.

I’ve always said when we have a love interest in one another, maybe we’ll see an end to the racism. According to the numbers, it’s slowly happening.

In 2020, the percentage of mixed-race people was up from 2.9% of the population or 9 million people in 2010, to nearly four times that at 10.2% or 33.8 million people.

With so many mixed-race American people according to the last Census, we have to stop being lazy, as in defaulting to Black when someone is really Black with Asian, or Latinx, or Caucasian, or whatever.

Just get it right, as in the case of Justin Jones. Make his ‘Lola’ (Granny) Harriet from the Philippines happy.

Don’t ignore his Asian American Filipino side. And don’t let the news media get away with saying, “the Black lawmaker.”

Make them say it all. In the overt language of diversity, Jones is a Black Asian American Filipino.

If we’re all slinging pronouns, declare your race too, fully and not in part.

Let us all be seen.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. See him on www.amok.com

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Commentary

COMMENTARY: Oakland’s Black Students Have Gained Ground: We Shouldn’t Stop Now

New state data reveals that Black students in the Oakland Unified School District are making academic gains in reading and math at rates significantly faster than their peers statewide. These improvements follow a 2023 decision by board leadership to cancel school closures and instead invest in the Black Thriving Community Schools program. While the district continues to address budget challenges, proponents argue that maintaining these targeted resources is essential to narrowing long-standing achievement gaps. Read more about the specific policies driving these results.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

By Walter Riley

Oakland’s Black students are making faster gains in reading and math than Black students statewide, according to state data released Oct. 15.

Those gains followed decisions by school board President Jennifer Brouhard and Vice President Valarie Bachelor to keep schools open, invest in Black students and support teachers.

Since 2023, Black students in Oakland Unified School District have gained about 31 points in English and math on the California School Dashboard — roughly three times the statewide English gain and more than twice the math gain. Our students still trail their statewide peers, but they have narrowed that gap by about a third.

In 2022, the previous board voted to close or reduce grades at 11 schools, mostly serving Black and Brown families. A state civil rights investigation later found the plan would have unlawfully discriminated against Black, low-income and disabled students. Brouhard and Bachelor opposed those closures and, after winning election, voted to cancel remaining plans in January 2023.

The board then expanded support through Black Thriving Community Schools, providing additional resources where Black enrollment exceeds 40%, and funded teachers dedicated to Black students and families. Its reparations policy requires schools to develop plans for Black student achievement.

Meanwhile, the district reduced a $100 million budget shortfall to about $30 million without closing schools, cut central office positions and approved its first balanced budget in 22 years. More than 99% of teaching positions were filled when this school year began.

These investments must grow. Black Thriving Community Schools still reach only some students who need them. Every Oakland child deserves a safe, racially just neighborhood school staffed by qualified teachers who can afford to stay.

The opposing slate argues closures should remain an option to address budget pressures. But a Stanford study found closures do not improve district finances because departing families take student funding with them. Other research links closures to lower college attendance and adult earnings. Majority-Black schools nationally are more than three times as likely to close.

Oakland knows the consequences. There is another path. Brouhard and Bachelor have begun moving Oakland in that direction, protecting classroom investments while confronting financial pressures.

Progress deserves continued public support. We cannot afford to reverse course.

About the Author

Walter Riley is a civil rights attorney and longtime community organizer in Oakland.

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Black History

From Backyard Grilling to Jack London Square: Jamale Carlyle’s Chicken Wing Success Story

Jamale Carlyle turned a backyard hobby into a flourishing business after using grilling to cope with the loss of his mother and sister. The former corporate executive and CPA transitioned from a twenty-year career in the power industry to selling chicken wings at farmers’ markets in Tracy and Oakland. Following immediate success and viral social media attention, Carlyle opened two permanent storefronts and established a charitable partnership to support local youth. His journey highlights a unique path from internal auditing to community entrepreneurship. Read more.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

Jamale Carlyle had a long career working for power companies before embarking making his grilling hobby into a business. Courtesy photo.

By Tanya Dennis

For Jamale Carlyle, what began as a way to cope with personal loss has grown into a thriving chicken wing business with locations in Tracy and Oakland’s Jack London Square.

Raised in Los Angeles, Carlyle remains a southern kid at heart, guided by the values and principles instilled in him growing up. In 2020, he lost his sister, and two months later, his mother passed away. The losses left him grieving half of his immediate family and searching for a way forward.

He turned to God, and to two favorite pastimes: grilling chicken wings and deep sea fishing. Friends who gathered in his backyard encouraged him to turn his chicken wings into a business.

Carlyle had built a successful corporate career before becoming an entrepreneur. An economics graduate of the University of California, Irvine, he earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California and became a certified public accountant (CPA).

He spent more than 20 years in the power industry, including working for Edison International in Los Angeles and Boston. He later joined JP Energy Partners in Dallas, helping its team take the company public.

After moving to San Francisco in 2016, Carlyle spent 10 years with Pattern Energy, a wind energy company, where he served as vice president of Internal Audit and took on numerous corporate responsibilities.

But in 2025, grilling became more than a hobby. Carlyle began selling his wings at farmers’ markets, initially dedicating four hours every Saturday. Nervous about his first outing in Tracy, he wondered whether his friends had simply been encouraging. Instead, he sold out on opening day.

He later brought his business to Jack London Square’s Farmers Market, where he again sold out on his first day. As demand grew, he expanded into catering before opening his Tracy storefront in May 2026 and his Jack London Square location in July.

Social media helped fuel the momentum. In Tracy, enthusiastic reviews on the community’s Rants and Raves Facebook page brought customers through the door. His Jack London Square debut also gained traction online, generating approximately 100,000 views on social media on his on opening day.

Still processing the rapid growth, Carlyle describes the business as something that began in his backyard as a stress reliever and became an unexpected calling, and a way of giving back.

“Giving back” has led to a partnership with Mike Jenkins, owner of Oakland Strong, a nonprofit gym known for Olympic style weight lifting and developing national and international champions. After Jenkins visited Carlyle’s store with members of his team, Carlyle returned the visit, and the two began discussing ways to partner to support the community.

“I’m really big on charity. I believe in giving back to the community,” Carlyle said. “I knew before I opened my store, I’d be doing something like this, this is what God wants me to do.”

Their collaboration will introduce the “Oakland Strong Bowl,” featuring 10 dry-rub Cajun wings and a vegetable-rice bowl for $17.99, with $2 from each purchase donated to the Oakland Strong Foundation. The initiative is expected to launch in early November.

“This builds community in Oakland and Jack London Square,” Carlyle said.

Looking ahead, Carlyle plans to expand the menu with chicken thighs, chicken tacos and additional sides. He is also pursuing a liquor license to create a destination where customers can enjoy wings while watching sports.

For now, he is focused on growing his two locations. But with customers embracing his food and his commitment to giving back, Carlyle sees the possibility of bringing his chicken wings to more communities throughout the Bay Area.

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Commentary

OPINION: We Can Restore Checks and Balances on Trump

With the presidential administration facing criticism over its handling of healthcare, inflation, and government spending, political observers are shifting their focus toward the upcoming congressional elections to restore institutional checks and balances. Recent data suggests Democrats are within reach of the 218 seats needed for a House majority, while specific Senate races in states like Texas and Michigan remain pivotal. The outcome of these contests will determine the legislative branch’s ability to challenge executive policies on tariffs, taxes, and military engagement. Click to read more.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

By Emil Amok Guillermo

Rapper Nikki Minaj is the latest high profile political tool of Donald Trump. The president recently remarked on the Afro-Trinidadian singer’s backside, praising her “beautiful ass.”

Is this what passes as an appeal for the Black vote? But Trump is an equal opportunity offender.

At recent rallies, Trump made homo-erotic comments about Republican men and their butts, like when he referred to Ohio Senator John Husted’s as a “pile of muscle.” But shouldn’t Trump be talking about the real issues?

Gas prices are now higher than they were under former President Joe Biden. Inflation is higher than when Trump took office, while he has redecorated the White House and already spent over $200 million on gold filigree. At least 3 million people have been kicked off of Medicaid or Obamacare because of Trump-backed legislation in Congress.

The country needs a change in how Trump does business. We need a strong independent Congress in both the House and Senate that will be our voice to stand up to ideas like a ‘forever war.’ Or tariffs against friend and foe.

This is the important math of the day: Democrats need 218 seats for a majority. Four more needed than their current 214. The latest Cook Report shows Democrats could gain 12-22 House seats.

But you still need the Senate, where Republicans have 53 members and the Dems have 47.

To have control, Dems would need to beat the tie breaker vote cast by VP J.D. Vance. Democrats need to get to 51 and that means four Senate victories on Nov. 3.

Of the key states politicos are watching, North Carolina and Georgia look blue. Can they get two more from toss-up states like Alaska (Mary Peltola?), Maine (Troy Jackson?), or Ohio (Sherrod Brown)? Observers are talking about two races in particular: Texas and Michigan.

In Texas the Talarico/Paxton race is fascinating. State legislator James Talarico is a choir boy compared to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—whose rhetoric and record suggest he would be more amoral than Trump.

Then there’s Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed is running against Mike Rogers.

The Black vote has wavered there, with some high-level Black pols coming out against El-Sayed on Fox News. Trump has also called El-Sayed a “jihadist and a terrorist.”

Born in the U.S., El-Sayed is a highly educated Rhodes Scholar, and a physician. The “model minority” is a terrorist? But like all people of color, he gets othered. Assumptions get made. His skin color and his religion make him a terrorist.

What about local issues like the billionaire tax in California. Prop. 40? I hate direct legislation by propositions because the proposals are usually flawed and can’t be worked out easily—like if legislators actually did their job in the state house.

But taxing billionaires more has to happen on the state and federal level. Prop 40 is a start. Even if it’s one time and goes mostly to health care. It’s a start toward fairness.

Whatever you say. Just vote. Now. Early. Don’t wait.

About the Author

Emil Amok Guillermo is a journalist, commentator and comic monologist. See him on his micro talk show: YouTube.com/@emilamok1