Commentary

COMMENTARY: Blacks On White Privilege

NEW JOURNAL AND GUIDE — For many years many Black people have been denied opportunities for no reason other than the color of their skin. I’ve been guilty like many others who said, “It must be nice to have white privilege!” Now, I’m not so sure. I’d rather not have anybody knocking on my door with evidence that I’ve violated the law by cheating somebody to get something I didn’t deserve. In other words, I wouldn’t feel good about stealing something from someone who was more deserving via honest means than I was.

Published

7 years ago

March 29, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

TriceEdneyWire.com – For many years many Black people have been denied opportunities for no reason other than the color of their skin. I’ve been guilty like many others who said, “It must be nice to have white privilege!” Now, I’m not so sure. I’d rather not have anybody knocking on my door with evidence that I’ve violated the law by cheating somebody to get something I didn’t deserve. In other words, I wouldn’t feel good about stealing something from someone who was more deserving via honest means than I was.

Most of us thought white privilege was a good thing for those with the privilege and never having to worry about their next meal, being able to pay utility bills, being able to pay for medicine they needed, and not worrying about where to find funds to pay for their child’s college education. That must have been nice. I guess white privilege was good while it lasted.

In the last few days, white privilege has come to be a bit uncomfortable. As some of us struggle for everything we’ve ever had in life, we probably slept better not having been the recipient of white privilege. Though some of us have worked to achieve justice and equality all of our lives, we’d rather be in our shoes than in the position of the privileged ones who’re flashed across TV screens for cheating to get their children in so called “good schools.”

We probably feel better that the Russians didn’t help us win an election we didn’t deserve. Those of us without the benefit of white privilege are probably happy that we’re not Michael Flynn, Roger Stone, Michael Cohen, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates—or the occupants in the White House. Just being the daughter of #45, Ivanka and her husband received at least a cool $82 million dollars last year! Now that’s super white privilege, but I still think my clothing are just fine so I don’t need to have white privilege to attract others to buy my brand of clothing while I sweat it out wondering if white privilege might not keep me out of jail for breaking laws.

I feel more comfortable trying to live up to the 10 Commandments, trying to use my resources helping family honestly, serving my community, treating all with respect, honesty and fairness. When I make a mistake, I do all I can to not make any privilege I may have to excuse myself. I asked several Black friends, and none wanted unfair privilege.

One of those with whom I spoke said, “The most phenomenal aspect of white-privilege is that its benefactors are oblivious to it. They get exceptional privileges without the psychological drain of being aware of it. They get a huge dopamine drip as if they accomplished things on their own merit, but did not. Lately, white-privilege has been laid bare. Most cannot fathom how ugly this is going to get. Shame is a much greater burden than pain. Mommy and daddy’s money can’t fix this. The entire system is complicit.

This is the tip of the white-privilege iceberg. It permeates every sector. White-privilege needs its own truth and reconciliation committee, but I won’t hold my breath.”

I studied at two of the “best schools” in the news. I did it the way it should be done. Submit credentials, pay fees, study hard. Do your work once there. Expect nothing you didn’t earn honestly. Pray that you’re judged fairly. Graduate and let your work speak well for you. Those’re not things I learned at the schools in the news now. I learned them at Grambling University, Howard University School of Law, my church and from my mother.

Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President of the National Congress of Black Women. www.nationalcongressbw.org. She hosts “Wake Up and Stay Woke” on WPFW-89.3 FM.

This article originally appeared in the New Journal and Guide.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

15 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

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.

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Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of August 12 – 18, 2026

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16 hours ago

August 15, 2026

Oakland Post

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Commentary

COMMENTARY: Why Local School Tax Measure G1 Will Not Be on the November Ballot

POST NEWS GROUP — Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.

Published

16 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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By Jennifer Brouhard, Oakland School Board President

There has been considerable speculation recently about why Measure G1 will not appear on the November ballot and what that means for the Oakland Unified School District’s current budget.

I want to provide some clarity about what happened and, importantly, what did not happen.

Measure G1 is the local tax measure that supports middle school teacher retention and the expansion of arts, music, and world language programs at both OUSD middle schools and charter middle schools. The current measure expires in 2029.

Because these funds are important to our schools and to the continuity of these programs, the district initially intended to place a renewal initiative on the November ballot to provide greater early certainty about funding beyond the expiration of the current measure.

As part of that process, the Board scheduled a special meeting for the required public hearing on the ballot initiative. There has been some suggestion that this meeting was noticed only one day in advance. That is not accurate.

Public hearings of this nature are subject to specific notice requirements, and the meeting must be noticed at least two weeks before the hearing. In practice, the notice may appear even earlier depending on publication schedules. The notice for the Measure G1 public hearing was published in the Tribune on 7/24/2026 and 7/31/2026.

So, why wasn’t the Measure G1 paperwork ultimately filed?

After the Board approved placing the measure on the ballot, the next step required the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools to sign the necessary paperwork before it could be submitted to the Oakland City Clerk.

During that process, Alameda County Superintendent Alysse Castro raised concerns about potential litigation stemming from another court case unrelated to OUSD and about whether proceeding with the measure could expose the district or County to legal challenges. Superintendent Castro’s action is unprecedented and concerning.

It is important to distinguish between the Board’s decision to pursue Measure G1 and the subsequent procedural and legal issues that arose. The Board did approve moving forward with the measure. The measure did not fail because the Board chose not to support it, nor was the public hearing improperly noticed.

The decision not to proceed with the November ballot was made in light of the County’s concerns about potential litigation and the County’s required approval process.

We also need to be clear about what this does, and does not, mean for OUSD’s current budget. The existing Measure G1 funds remain available through the expiration of the current measure in 2029. The immediate issue is the longer-term continuity of funding beyond that date, not the elimination of these resources from the current year’s budget.

Our responsibility as a Board is to protect the educational programs and services our students depend on while ensuring that our decisions comply with the law and protect the district from unnecessary legal and financial risk.

We will continue working to understand the County’s concerns, explore our options, and advocate for the resources our students deserve. Our middle school students, teachers, and school communities deserve stability, and continued investment in arts, music, world languages, and teacher retention—and that work remains a priority for Oakland Unified.

Jennifer Brouhard is a retired OUSD educator and is the current OUSD School Board President representing District 2.