Activism

Domestic Abuse Discussed During a Paint & Sip Event at Marin City Gallery

The group briefly discussed how abuse and violence impacts women and men in their relationships, and about the eight types of abuse: They are physical, emotional, economic, verbal, sexual, spiritual, stalking/cyber, and choking/strangulation.

Published

4 years ago

November 7, 2022

Oakland Post

Top: The group displaying their finished tulip paintings. The man, in the lower right, displays his portrait of two of the participants. Bottom left: Starr Lamare before she was burned. (nydailynews.com) Bottom right: Olubori Babaoye, Cynthia Williams, and Starr Lamare. (Photo by Godfrey Lee)

By Godfrey Lee

Domestic Violence and its signs were discussed at a Paint & Sip event held at the Marin City Art Gallery on Sunday, October 30.

The Paint & Sip instructor, Olubori Babaoye, a Nigerian-American artist from Oakland who works as a classical painter and digital illustrator, directed the group in painting a drawing of a tulip on a small canvas, encouraging each person to render work in their own individual style as they sipped wine. Domestic violence survivor Starr Lamare shared experience while they painted.

Physical abuse is physical violence done to the victim such as hitting, or around the victim such as breaking their possessions, which sends the message that “You’re next!”
Emotional abuse is deliberately withholding the 4 A’s: acceptance, appreciation, attention and affection in order to control and coerce the victim. This will include negative name calling to demean the victim’s spirit.
Economic abuse occurs when the abuser controls the victim’s financial resources, such as keeping the victim from getting a job or going to school, or unjustly taking their money.
Verbal abuse is when the abuser threatens, teases, taunts, trivializes, or “Thingifies” (being called a name that makes the victim feel like an object) their victim.
Sexual abuse is sexual behavior that crosses the victim’s boundaries without their permission.
Spiritual abuse includes putting down the victim’s spiritual beliefs and customs. It can also include using improper interpretation of spiritual doctrines to control the victim.
Stalking/Cyber abuse includes excessive following and repeated contacting, threatening the victim through a variety of means, or to monitor and harm the victim though computer technology.
Strangulation is the squeezing of the victim’s neck, which cuts off blood flow and oxygen from the brain, resulting in loss of consciousness or death within a few minutes.

Lamare, a mother of three, described how she was burned in January of 2013 by her boyfriend, Dexter Oliver, in San Francisco, when they were arguing whether or not they should leave her wash clothes at the laundromat. Oliver then ran home, got some gasoline, ran back to the laundromat, threw the gasoline on Lamare, then lit the gasoline and setting Lamare on fire, according to the news reports.

Oliver was soon arrested in Oakland and is still serving his 27 years prison term for attempted murder, along with a prior strike on his record.

Lamare says that life is hard for her, and she has her ups and downs. Still, as someone in the Paint & pointed out, that she is lucky to be alive, and that her children still have their mother to care for them.

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Activism

‘Hire Oakland’ Job Fair Draws 2,000, Connecting

Oakland’s Hire Oakland job fair, hosted by Mayor Barbara Lee’s office, connected over 2,000 job seekers with employers, highlighting a strong demand for quality jobs and career pathways in the city.

Published

2 minutes ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Left to right: Yawo Tekpa, OPIC Manager, One Stop Operator; Sofia Navarro, Deputy City Administrator; and Ray Lankford, CEO of the Oakland Private Industry Council. Photo by Jonathan Fitness Jones.

Residents to Immediate Job Opportunities

By Post Staff

The Office of Mayor Barbara Lee, in partnership with the City of Oakland and regional employers, hosted a successful Hire Oakland job fair this week at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, bringing together job seekers and employers for a day focused on opportunity, connection, and economic mobility.

With more than 2,000 RSVPs, the event on Wednesday reflected strong demand across Oakland for access to quality jobs and career pathways. Attendees participated in on-site recruitment, application support, and hands-on workshops designed to help job seekers navigate hiring processes and prepare for interviews.

Over the course of the day, employers and community partners engaged directly with residents in a welcoming, high-energy environment centered on opportunity and hope. Participating employers included EBMUD, Samuel Merritt University, the City of Oakland, BART, PG&E, AC Transit, East Bay Regional Parks District, Southwest Airlines, FedEx, and many others offering immediate openings and career pathways across sectors.

Workforce development partners Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC) and Lao Family Community Development provided connections to résumé support, interview coaching, and individualized job search assistance throughout the event.

The strong turnout underscores a clear reality: Oakland residents are eager for pathways into meaningful work, and sustained investment in youth and workforce programs is essential.

That is why Mayor Lee has prioritized relaunching the Oakland Police Cadet Program and the Mayor’s Youth Employment and Education Program (MYEEP)—ensuring young people have early access to paid work experience, mentorship, and long-term career pathways, according to a City press statement.

“The turnout shows what we already know—Oaklanders are ready to work, ready to grow, and ready to build their futures here at home,” said Lee. “When we connect people directly to employers and invest in young people early, we are not just filling jobs—we are changing lives and strengthening our city’s future.”

The Hire Oakland job fair is part of the City’s broader effort to strengthen workforce pipelines, expand access to good-paying jobs, and ensure Oakland residents are first in line for local opportunity.

About Hire OaklandHire Oakland is a citywide workforce initiative led by the Office of Mayor Barbara Lee in partnership with City departments, workforce development organizations, and regional employers. The program connects Oakland job seekers to real-time hiring opportunities, training resources, and career pathways.

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Activism

Cassie ‘Mama C’ Lopez Honored as Oakland’s Mother of the Year

Cassandra “Mama C” Lopez, a dedicated parent, teacher, and activist, was honored as Oakland’s Mother of the Year for her unwavering commitment to community and justice.

Published

12 minutes ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Cassandra Lopez, known as “Mama C,” is surrounded by family, friends, and neighbors at Oakland’s annual Mother of Year celebration at the Morcom Rose Garden, Saturday, May 9. Photo by Mateenah Floyd-Okanlawon.

By Ken Epstein

The City of Oakland recognized Cassandra, “Mama C,” Lopez – parent, teacher, community activist, and justice warrior – as Oakland’s Mother of the Year in a celebration at Oakland’s Morcom Rose Garden on Mother’s Day weekend.

Long recognized as a leader in her community, she was nominated by District 3 City Councilmember Carroll Fife to receive the city’s 73rd annual Mother of the Year award.

Speaking at the crowded ceremony on Saturday, May 9, where Mama C received roses and a proclamation from Mayor Barbara Lee, Fife said she felt honored to nominate Lopez, an “amazing woman – a hell-raising humanitarian, for the energy, the passion, but most of all the love for community” that makes her one of those “exceptional women whose lives, exemplify love, sacrifice, leadership, and unwavering commitment to the family and community they serve.”

Cassie Lopez was born in 1945 to Pauline and Calvin Weaver, a family that had left Florida and Jim Crow for the east side of Detroit. From an early age, she was instilled with a sense of Black awareness, love, and the importance of community in the face of hardships, including poverty, freezing winters, low pay, and slum landlords.

Fifty-five years ago, she married Juan Lopez. The couple has three children and has lived for decades in a neighborhood on the edge of downtown Oakland near Mosswood Park.

Said her husband, Juan, “Mama C has been a selfless mother of our own children, and she also became a teacher. Our home became a second home for many young people. For some, it was refuge from difficult home situations, and for others, a safe place to hang out.

“Throughout the years, Mama C was sometimes a foot soldier and other times a leader, immersed in some of the biggest national and citywide struggles of the day,” Juan said. “But less known to many is the role she played day in and day out where the rubber hits the road.

“For 35 years, she has shepherded the Mosswood Park and Recreation Center – through its good and bad times. If the Center exists (and thrives) today, it has to do with Mama C, working alongside neighbors, center directors, community advisory council, and when necessary, community coalitions, city officials, the religious community, and the labor movement.”

Said Mateenah Floyd-Okanlawon, “I am an old friend of my sister here. We met in 1970 in the sugarcane fields of Cuba, where we were helping the Cuban government harvest their sugar. We have been friends ever since. She has always been someone who does not give in to despair.”

David Johnson, an educator in Oakland, was one of the neighborhood children who grew up in the community created by Mama C and her family

“Cassandra Lopez is a beacon of light, full of compassion. She has dedicated her life to quality education to the poor and working class,” serving for 40 years as a Spanish teacher in Oakland schools, he said.

“She has dedicated her life to speak truth to power, justice to the silent, and as a member of the community, she advocates for programs and resources,” he said.

In her remarks, Mama C recognized the influence and power of all mothers. “Together, we all stand on the backs of our mothers. Mothers play a special role in society. We give when we have almost nothing left to give. We hurt when some people don’t see the hurt and the pain that our families endure. But we keep on moving forward.”

Looking at what African Americans, other people of color and working people face in the country today, she said, “We are deserving of the very best because our hands, our bodies produce the wealth of world, and yet we get the least. We see our country wholesale being stolen away from us, and we are told to grin and bear it. We’re not bearing it; we’re fighting against it.”

Continuing, she said, “There’s enough wealth in this world that there should be no hunger in the world. There should be nobody without a decent place to live. Nobody should be sleeping on the street. Teachers should get the freedom to be creative and tell the stories that exist in this nation that make us strong and great.

“We have a lot to do. We cannot despair. We cannot run. People are learning, and together, collectively, we can do it.”