Bay Area

Former Oakland School Board Member Greg Hodge Launches 2022 Mayoral Bid

“How we will bring ‘Hope and Healing’ to an anxious City will be our opening focus,” said Greg Hodge during his remarks. “We will pay attention to the things that really matter to all Oaklanders. In a moment of an unprecedented uptick of violence, homelessness and blight, and economic insecurity for many, the citizens of Oakland will have the opportunity to make leadership choices which can either transform the city or simply do business as usual.”

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2022

Oakland Post

Greg Hodge. Photo by Bethanie Hines Photography.

With approximately 100 ardent supporters present, Greg Hodge launched his campaign for mayor on Dec. 18 at Oeste Restaurant, a woman-of-color-owned business in downtown Oakland.

Hodge, an experienced advocate for children and a former OUSD board member, has embarked on a listening campaign to understand what voters believe to be important in crafting comprehensive solutions to reimagining safety, providing decent, affordable housing for its most vulnerable residents, and enhancing economic opportunities for all of Oakland’s residents.

Hodge offers his considerable skills as a consensus builder, healing practitioner, community attorney, policy advocate and cultural artist to bring them to bear on the leadership challenges ahead. “I love Oakland. I believe in its people. I know that we can listen to our collective wisdom, lift up the best ideas and lead to get things done.”

“How we will bring ‘Hope and Healing’ to an anxious City will be our opening focus,” said Hodge during his remarks. “We will pay attention to the things that really matter to all Oaklanders. In a moment of an unprecedented uptick of violence, homelessness and blight, and economic insecurity for many, the citizens of Oakland will have the opportunity to make leadership choices which can either transform the city or simply do business as usual.”

Via livestream, Hodge was joined by rapper, actor and Oakland native Daveed Diggs. A multi-talented artist, Diggs emerged from Oakland’s rich cultural scene to become a Tony award winner. “I am thrilled that (Hodge) is throwing his hat into the ring to be mayor of the city that I love and care about. We put Oakland on a pretty high pedestal and credit it for most of who I am as an artist.”

Diggs, who, with his partners, is currently producing the second season of “Blindspotting,” a show based in Oakland, sees an important role for the arts community in creating safe spaces for making art and, in turn, safe spaces for the broader community. “Art works best when it’s operating from a place of love. We have to keep artistic resources in Oakland, make it more affordable for artists to live here, and incentivize production companies to work in Oakland.”

Hodge was joined by George Galvis, a staunch community activist who provided a native land acknowledgment; Mosheh Milon and the Bantaba drummers, Sister Iminah who offered an ancestral libation, Michelle “Mush” Lee, a noted poet and youth development leader who shared a poem written for the occasion, and Surlene Grant, a former San Leandro councilmember and college classmate of Hodge.

Nicole Lee, a third-generation Oaklander who has worked on a range of social and racial justice efforts said, “I am honored to be here to celebrate the journey that we are embarking on to save the soul of this city. This room looks like the Oakland that I grew up in and the Oakland that I wake up fighting for every day.”

“Yes, we will talk about what makes us safer, more secure, physically sheltered, and more prosperous along the way. But in the meantime, we have a simple, elegant question for you: What makes you hopeful?” said Hodge, who has worked for years in his community to help address a range of challenges for young people and elders alike.

“We invite Oaklanders to share their vision of hope and healing with us as we campaign for a better way to create the city that we all want to live in,” he said.

Visit Hodge for Oakland on Instagram @hodgeforoakland or on our Facebook page to share your ideas.

This announcement is from the Greg Hodge for Oakland campaign.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

5 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”