Commentary
Commentary – Racial Injustice, Domestic Violence and the Shelter Movement
Racial injustice negatively impacts the fight against domestic violence and intimate partner abuse so this is a good moment to examine policies, procedures and historical practices and the way in which they impact black families.
Even though Black women are more likely to suffer domestic violence than other groups, racism exists in the institutions designed to support them.
According to Linda Ammons, a longtime dean of the Widener School of Law, “A study of the shelter movement in America led a researcher to conclude that Black women are ignored in the policymaking, planning, and implementation of shelter service.”
My work with survivors started in the early 1980s at an Oakland shelter led by white women, housing predominately Black clients. In my early experiences working on the crisis hotline, I got calls from Black women complaining about being evicted or rejected from white-led shelters.
Many Black women have left shelters or have been excluded due to misunderstandings about cultural differences. “African American women hesitate to seek help from shelters,” continued Ammons, “because they believe that shelters are for white women. Because the shelters are associated with the women’s movement, and many Black women are estranged from women’s politics, they may feel that only white women’s interests are served in the shelters.”
Today, many of these shelters continue to reflect white norms, and few Black women are represented in national leadership.
The other aspect facing Black survivors is racism in the criminal justice system. Historically, even in situations where Black women are living in an unsafe home, they have refrained from calling the police. Black women feel they are doing ‘harm’ to Black men and the Black community by involving law enforcement.
The courts, by incarcerating a disproportionate number of Black men and women survivors of domestic violence, reinforce this level of distrust.
Feminista Jones in Time magazine wrote: “As Black people, we don’t always feel comfortable surrendering “our own” to the treatment of a racially biased police state and as women, we don’t always feel safe calling police officers who may harm us instead of helping us.”
It is difficult to combat domestic violence in Black communities where women and their children have been taught to keep silent.
Domestic violence programs, most serving vulnerable populations, are now dealing with both the impact of COVID-19 and the reality of centuries of systematic, institutional racial oppression.
But what we must do now is build practices that support Black survivors. We invite all to join in our fight to end this societal epidemic that ravages our Black families.
Our job at A Safe Place is to lift up the voices of our Black sisters and brothers as we combat domestic violence while creating a zero-tolerance of such behavior to make the world a better place for our most precious resource, our children.
Carolyn Russell, MA, MSW, is a 30-year veteran advocate and policymaker in the Battered Women‘s Movement. For 26 years she has served as the executive director of A Safe Place, the City of Oakland’s first battered women’s shelter and comprehensive domestic violence prevention and support services organization.
Commentary
Oakland Probate Dispute Raises Questions About Court-Ordered Property Transfer and Missing Notice
A legal dispute over an Oakland property has intensified following a tentative ruling that favored occupant Zakiya Jendayi, who claimed she was not properly notified before a judge ordered the property transferred into an estate. After the ruling, the estate’s administrator successfully challenged the presiding judge and requested the case be returned to the judge who signed the original transfer order. The First District Court of Appeal has now intervened to review the disqualification process and recent changes to the court docket. Read more.
Opinion and documentary analysis | Part 2 of 2
A tentative ruling found that Oakland property occupant Zakiya Jendayi had not received notice before a judge ordered its transfer into an estate.
The ruling was not final. Attention shifted to the assigned judge.
The estate’s special administrator, Phillip Campbell, invoked California Code of Civil Procedure Section 170.6 to disqualify Judge Stephanie Sato. The trial court granted the challenge Sept. 9, 2026.
Five days later, Campbell requested reassignment specifically to Judge Sandra Bean, who had signed the property order Jendayi sought to overturn.
The sequence raises questions about procedural fairness.
A Challenge After an Unfavorable Ruling
Sato’s Sept. 8 tentative ruling concluded that California’s notice requirement protected Jendayi as an occupant, regardless of whether Jendayi held a valid ownership interest.
Her proposed decision would have vacated Bean’s Oct. 8, 2025, order.
Section 170.6 permits challenges under certain circumstances. Whether Campbell’s challenge was timely was disputed.
On Sept. 14, Campbell sought Bean’s reassignment, citing her familiarity with related trust litigation, judicial economy and consistency. Jendayi opposed the request the following day.
The timing invites serious public scrutiny but does not establish misconduct.
The Appellate Court Intervenes
In Kaiser Foundation Hospitals v. Superior Court (1987), a California appellate court examined the danger of allowing litigants to learn a judge’s likely decision before seeking disqualification.
The decision also recognized that changed assignments and insufficient notice can affect when a challenge is permissible.
On Sept. 17, 2026, the First District Court of Appeal stayed the order granting Campbell’s challenge and requested briefing addressing Kaiser.
That intervention did not vacate Bean’s property order, restore the invalidated trust or conclusively decide whether Campbell’s challenge was improper.
It did place the reassignment dispute under appellate review.
Questions in the Docket
Two versions of the court docket present another unresolved issue.
A printout preserved through Sept. 15 lacked reassignment entries that appeared in a later version. The later docket listed reassignment to Bean and a clerk’s notice under Sept. 9.
The difference warrants an explanation of when the entries were created, entered and made publicly accessible.
It does not establish deliberate backdating.
Accountability Beyond an Order
Judges generally enjoy immunity from damages claims arising from judicial acts, even when serious error is alleged. That protection does not make their decisions immune from review.
Appellate courts can correct legal errors; California’s Commission on Judicial Performance can investigate misconduct but cannot reverse judgments.
For Jendayi, the central concern remains practical: How much litigation must an occupant undertake to enforce a notice requirement intended to protect participation before property rights are adjudicated?
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co. underscores the importance of meaningful notice and an opportunity to object.
The record establishes contested filings, a tentative ruling and appellate intervention, not anyone’s private motives.
The public deserves a transparent, documented explanation of this consequential judicial process.
A judge’s signature should resolve a lawful dispute, not silence legitimate questions about how the decision was reached.
The case is Estate of Laura Dean Head, Alameda County Superior Court case RP20066047. Records are available through the court’s eCourt Public Portal.
Business
Chase Launches Fraud & Scam Prevention Month
JPMorganChase is launching Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month this November to help consumers protect their personal information and finances. As the holiday season approaches, the nationwide initiative provides education on avoiding sophisticated tactics used by criminals, such as phishing and impersonation scams. The program features free workshops hosted by community managers across the lower 48 states and builds on existing financial wellness efforts that have reached over one million customers. Read more to learn how these new resources and technologies aim to stop financial crimes.
New initiative builds on Chase’s longstanding commitment to fraud and scam prevention education nationwide.
NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 – Scams can happen to anyone. That’s why Chase is dedicating November to helping consumers protect themselves.
As consumers prepare for the holiday season, criminals are increasingly using sophisticated tactics to pressure people into sending money, sharing personal information and making decisions they’ll later regret.
This November, JPMorganChase is launching Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month, a nationwide consumer education initiative designed to help people recognize common scams, avoid in-the-moment mistakes and better protect their money and personal information during the holiday season.
The initiative builds on Chase’s longstanding efforts to help consumers navigate fraud and scams through education, awareness and community-based programming. Through its financial wellness initiatives, Chase has served more than 1 million customers and continues to host more than 1,000 fraud and scam prevention workshops annually across the country.
Throughout November, Chase Community Managers will host free educational workshops in all lower 48 states, as Chase continues to expand digital resources and consumer awareness efforts focused on helping people spot scams and take practical steps to protect themselves. Programming will address scams commonly seen during the holiday season, including impersonation scams, package delivery phishing attempts, gift card scams, fake online deals and fraudulent charity solicitations.
“Scammers are constantly adapting their tactics, making education and awareness more important than ever,” said Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Consumer Banking at Chase. “For years, JPMorganChase has invested in helping consumers recognize scams, understand warning signs and feel empowered to protect themselves. Chase Fraud & Scam Prevention Month builds on that commitment by providing practical guidance that can help people make safer decisions during the holiday season.”
Fraud and scam prevention remains a key component of Chase’s broader commitment to consumer financial wellness. Through educational workshops, local partnerships and community outreach, Chase helps communities build financial confidence and stay informed about evolving fraud and scam threats. The firm also works closely with law enforcement to share scam trends and insights and help drive more effective interventions as agencies work to combat financial crime.
Ongoing Fraud and Scam Prevention Efforts
Beyond consumer education, Chase continues to invest in technology, partnerships and customer protections designed to help prevent fraud and scams before they occur.
Scam prevention is embedded throughout the customer experience, from account opening and authentication to payments and customer service interactions. Chase continues to strengthen protections across the customer journey through targeted warnings, risk-based interventions, behavioral science-informed approaches and frontline employee training. These efforts help employees identify potential scams, recognize warning signs and better support customers who may be at risk of fraud or scams.
In addition, the firm continues to invest in next-generation security tools, including expanded use of passkeys and other authentication technologies designed to help defend against phishing, social engineering and account takeover attempts, as well as Trusted Contact Person, which allows customers to designate a trusted adult who may be notified of certain transactions to help guard against potential fraud or financial exploitation.
Earlier this year, JPMorganChase also announced nearly $14 million in philanthropic investments focused on consumer awareness, real-time prevention and victim support.
For more information about Chase’s fraud and scam prevention efforts and tips, visit Chase.com/security and attend a local fraud and scam prevention workshop.
About Chase
Chase is the U.S. consumer and commercial banking business of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), a leading financial services firm based in the United States of America with operations worldwide, assets of $5 trillion and $375 billion in stockholders’ equity as of June 30, 2026. Chase serves more than 87 million consumers and 7.5 million small businesses with a broad range of financial services, including personal banking, credit cards, mortgages, auto financing, investment advice, small business loans and payment processing. Customers can choose how and where they want to bank: 5,100 branches in 48 states and the District of Columbia, 14,500 ATMs, mobile, online and by phone. For more information, go to chase.com.
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.
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
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