Oakland

Former School Board Member and Educator Sylvester Hodges, 78

Published

4 years ago

June 3, 2020

Sylvester Hodges, who died last week, was a parent activist and lifelong civil rights leader who became President of the Oakland School board and led the fight to stop the state from taking over the school district and its financial resources. Despite repeated attempts, the state was never to seize control until Hodges retired from the Board.

Besides serving on the Oakland Board of Education for 12 years, Hodges served as chair of the Paul Robeson Centennial Committee, working successfully to rename the school district administration building in Robeson’s memory. He worked as an administrator for the Cypress Mandela Training Center, training countless Black and Latino young people to overcome the barriers to enter positions in the construction trades. He also served on the board of the Oakland Emiliano Zapata Street Academy, a school he loved because of its unique approach to young people, and he was active in the affairs of McClymonds High School.

Hodges was born on April 30, 1942, and passed away on May 21. He was 78. One of six boys born in Montrose, Arkansas, to Chester and Maggie Hodges, he moved with his family from Arkansas to Oakland, California, in 1946. He attended Prescott Elementary, Lowell Junior High School, and McClymonds High School. He married Lola Ingram in 1965, and the couple had one son.

Hodges became a passionate reader while serving in the U.S. military. He was influenced by “The Autobiography of Malcolm X”.

Hodges became involved in electoral politics as a vehicle to advance the issues affecting African Americans, while he attended Merritt College in Oakland during the late 1960s.

He graduated from California State University, Hayward, (CSUH) in 1969, where he was named to the CSUH Sports Hall of Fame as Most Valuable Wrestler. He worked first for the Oakland Public Schools and then for the recreation department in San Mateo County. He developed an advocacy organization of one hundred East Oakland parents while his son was attending E. Morris Cox Elementary School.

Hodges ran for a seat on the school board and was defeated by the nationally prominent African American minister J. Alfred Smith. When Smith resigned from the board because his school board duties interfered with his church responsibilities, Hodges won the citywide election. Geoffrey Pete, the owner of Geoffrey’s Inner Circle (later Planet Soule) and a co-founder of both the Oakland Black Caucus and Niagara Movement Democratic Club, said of Hodges, “He was the most influential individual in terms of integrating the economic landscape in Oakland”

A major contribution was his successful strategy to prevent the takeover of the Oakland school district by the State of California in 1988.

While a powerful array of state politicians pressured the board to accept a $10 million loan which would have placed Oakland under the fiscal control of the state for 30 years, Hodges and his school board colleague Darlene Lawson argued that the takeover attempt seemed to be “ a power trip for the downtown business interests, who are mostly white.” So, Hodges and Lawson together arranged a form of financing called certificates of participation, which precluded the need for a state loan and prevented the takeover.

In the subsequent decade, Hodges, as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee of the board, led the district to achieve Standard & Poor’s highest bond rating. Because the district maintained local control for an additional 15 years after 1988, the African American majority was able to pursue such important initiatives as increased African American employment and contracting, the rejection of the racially insensitive Houghton Mifflin social studies textbooks, and the affirmation of African American language rights (known as the Ebonics debate). Soon after Hodges retired from the board, the district went into significant debt and was taken over by the State of California in 2003.

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Bay Area

BART to Retire Legacy Trains in Public Ceremony April 20

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

The Richmond Standard

Bay Area Rapid Transit’s final dispatch of legacy trains will take place on Saturday, April 20, and will be accompanied by a retirement ceremony and a final legacy ride.

At 1 p.m., the public is invited to celebrate the last run of BART’s legacy trains during a ceremony that will take place in the free area of the plaza at MacArthur Station in Oakland.

Following the ceremony, the public is invited to board a legacy train and ride from MacArthur to Fremont Station, mirroring the initial service BART provided when it opened Sept. 11, 1972.

“It’s a 45-minute trip that travels along approximately 24 miles of the original section of tracks,” BART officials said.

Multiple legacy trains will run for the event, and all will make station stops and may turn around at Bay Fair depending on the number of attendees waiting to ride. Regular fares will apply.

“These train cars are part of the history of the Bay Area,” said Bob Powers, BART general manager. “While we are excited to modernize the system, we recognize the profound cultural importance of these cars, and we want to celebrate their rich history and give them a proper send off.”

BART is now running train cars from its Fleet of the Future project.

Those nostalgic for the older trains will be able to view three of them soon at Western Railway Museum in Suisun City.

A handful of other legacy cars will be transferred to be repurposed for short-term rentals, entertainment venues, and training facilities, according to BART. Most of the legacy cars have been recycled.

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Bay Area

Mind, Body, and Spiritual Well-Being for Women Addressed in NAACP Forum in Oakland

The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church. Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

The panel will address various aspects of women’s health, including physical, mental and emotional well-being and relationships. iStock photo by Jorge Elizaquibel.

Special to The Post

The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is proud to announce the upcoming “Total You – Mind, Body, and Spirit Women’s Health Forum” scheduled for April 27 at Acts Full Gospel Church.

Running from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1034 66^th Ave., this forum aims to provide an empowering platform for women to engage in discussions, gain knowledge, and access resources pertaining to their health and well-being.

The forum will feature renowned experts, healthcare professionals, and advocates from Genentech, John Muir Health, Sutter Health of The East Bay, Kaiser Permanente, and the Alameda County Public Health Department.

Our expert panel will address various aspects of women’s health, including physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and healthy relationships. The forum will encompass a wide range of topics such as breast cancer, menopause, reproductive health, nutrition, mental health awareness, preventive care, and much more.

Participants will have the opportunity to attend informative sessions, interactive workshops, and panel discussions led by experts in their respective fields. Additionally, there will be wellness activities, screenings, and informational booths offering valuable resources and support.

This forum is open to women of all ages and backgrounds, encouraging inclusivity and diversity in the conversation surrounding women’s health. Whether you’re seeking information for yourself, a loved one, or simply looking to connect with other women, this event promises to be enlightening and empowering.

For more information and to register for the Total You Women’s Health Forum, please visit https://www.naacpoakland.org/ or contact Dr. Delores Thompson. WIN chairwoman at (510) 328-3638.

The Women In The NAACP Oakland Branch is dedicated to empowering women, and young teen girls. We look forward to your participation in this important event.

To register, go to https://www.naacpoakland.org/events/the-total-you-womens-health-forum

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Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February. Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

Published

4 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo Courtesy of Alexis Gray Lawson.

By Post staff

The Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame (MESHOF) announced that it will induct Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, a former WNBA player and Oakland Technical High School graduate at its inaugural Curt Flood Platinum Award Ceremony in February.

Gray-Lawson’s Platinum Award is part of the Hall of Fame’s 24th Annual Bay Area induction and award ceremony, where four other retired professional athletes will be honored.

The banquet and ceremony will be held from 5:45 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the George P. Scotlan Convention Center at Oakland’s Marriott Civic Center Hotel.

“I am truly honored to receive this incredible nomination,” said Dr. Alexis Gray-Lawson, who, along with college teammate Devanei Hampton, lead Oakland Tech to its second consecutive state title in 2005. “It took a village to raise me and get me here, and I truly am excited to continue the legacy.”

Gray-Lawson, a “second team” Parade All-American and an All-State honoree, as a senior in ’05, was chosen for the California Interscholastic Federation sportsmanship award. She only lost one game throughout her four-year career in high school. Her jersey was retired at Oakland Tech and placed in the National High School Hall of Fame as a four-time All-City recipient, averaging 17.2 points per game during her career.

Gray-Lawson received scholarships in volleyball, softball, and basketball before deciding to travel up College Avenue to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she played in more basketball games (143) than any other player in Golden Bears’ history. She finished her career as the Bears all-time 3-point leader (211), and she is ranked third in scoring with 1,982 points.

An All-Pac 10 and honorable mention All-American in 2010, Gray-Lawson also was the top player at 5’8” or under for the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award. Later that year, she was a third-round pick of the Washington Mystics in 2010 and played with the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association in 2011 and 2012. She also played professionally overseas in Turkey and Israel.

Other inductees are Clifford Ray (Basketball); Lee Lacy (Baseball); Spencer Haywood (Basketball); and Mohinder Singh Gil (Track & Field).

Organizers say the event promises to be a “historic and celebratory evening,” and iconic personalities from across the professional sports industry and its various disciplines will attend.

The no-host cocktail hour begins at 5:45 p.m.; dinner at 6:45 p.m.; and the ceremony at 7:45 p.m. All times are prompt. General tickets are $250.00; Seniors (65 and older) $150.00, and students $50. This includes dinner and the ceremony. Tables of 10 are available as well, and early purchase is recommended.

MESHOF is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring athletes from all corners of the globe who have made significant contributions to the world of sports and broadening the public’s understanding of the contributions people of color have made to professional sports; and to provide educational life skills and mentorship opportunities for deserving youth. Proceeds will help maintain the City of Oakland’s Curt Flood Field, Oakland Parks & Recreation, and MESHOF’s after school and mental health initiatives.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.multiethnicsportshof.com. For additional information, please contact: Arif Khatlib @ afrosportshall@aol.com or India Alston @ india@beamcreativehouse.com