Berkeley

Cynthia Foreman’s Signature Products in a Walgreens Near You

Published

13 years ago

December 26, 2013

“Sweetie Pie, you in business!”

Those were the words Cynthia Foreman heard from one of her mentors Lonnie Bates after he sold out of 100 of her sweet potato and pecan pies in 15 minutes.

Now years later, Cynthia Foreman’s Signature Products – a branch of Cynthia Foreman’s Sweetie Pies established in 2006 – can be found in Walgreens stores nationwide.

The story of how this ambitious businesswoman went from selling out dozens of pies to close friends to selling her popular shortbreads across the country started in Foreman’s hometown of Houston, Texas. She started selling pies after church to benefit a fundraiser for her daughter and the youth choir, and she knew then that she was on to something.

“It became a micro-business,” said Foreman, who recalls selling between 150-250 pies in less than 30 minutes every Sunday.

“I didn’t realize I was really in business. As a divorced, single parent, it ended up being another source to supplement what I was doing as a single mother,” she said.

After relocating to Oakland, Foreman’s pies became a hit as she built her customer base through her friend Oakland Raiders legend Clem Daniels, and mentors Ruth “Ms. B” Beckford and businessman Lonnie Bates.

Her most famous customer was NBA legend and McClymonds alumni Bill Russell, who would order four to six dozen pies for his trips from Washington to Oakland.

Foreman says Bates helped build up her confidence as a business owner and welcome competition. Before getting stocked at Walgreens, Cynthia Foreman’s Signature Products were sold at the local grocery store, Berkeley Bowl, her biggest contract.

When she approached Walgreens three years ago, Foreman saw a greater opportunity for her business.

“I saw one of my competitors in Walgreens; we made the same product and I was outselling this person. Mr. Bates always said competition is good, so I thought, let me try to get in this Walgreens,” she said.

“When I went into the first store, the manager said we already have that product. I said, well do you just have one brand of cookies?”

She said, “Rejection is not always bad; it’s a time to reflect on how can I do it differently.”

She persisted, going to another Walgreens the next day and meeting with the district manager, who wanted her products in the store the next week.

Now thousands of Walgreens locations throughout the country sell Cynthia Foreman’s Signature Products, including her sweet potato pies, shortbread cookies (traditional and gluten-free in 8 flavors), and frozen cookies.

“It didn’t happen the orthodox way. I’m very aware that it was not me, it was the support I had, it was people believing in me because that fueled me to keep going. I had some doors closed in my face but none of that stopped me. Everything started falling in line,” Foreman said.

“The idea started to be able to offer something that came from me with my hands. Aunt Jemima’s been on a box for 125 years plus, Uncle Ben’s been on a box, but [they] never owned the company. It’s a new age – we’re owning [businesses],” she said.

“Sometimes, women we really dream small or we compromise because we are nurturers by nature. I learned from people like Mr. Bates who kept telling me competition is good. What it showed is to give your best.”

Check your local Walgreens store for Cynthia Foreman’s Signature Products. For a list of all her products, visit. www.cynthiaforeman.com.

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Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

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Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.