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Help the Family Say Happy 102nd Birthday to Beloved Matriarch Mattie Lovett!

Mattie L. Lovett is going to be 102 years old on July 21. Born in Arkansas, she migrated to Las Vegas, Nevada, and then to San Francisco, California in the 1940s and has since been a resident of Oakland.

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2023

Oakland Post

Matriarch Mattie Lovett

By Kareta Williams

She raised all of her children in West Oakland on 18th street before moving to 68th Avenue in East Oakland where she has lived since July 1970. In her early career, Mattie was a maid, becoming an instructional assistant for the Oakland Unified School District in the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s. She retired at the age of 62 in 1983.

Affectionately known as Mrs. Lovett, she worked at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary as well as Cole Elementary. Her youngest daughter as well as several of her grandchildren attended MLK while she was working there, and this writer was one of them.

She is and has been well liked, and there are still a few teachers who worked in those schools who love to hear that she is doing well. She also worked at Del Monte and Stokeley Brothers’ canneries in East Oakland and she introduced us to Gatorade — we hated it then (LOL).

We are very grateful to God that she is still here with us and thriving. She has outlived three of her six children: three of her grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. By her side are daughters Brenda, Doris, and Geraldine; her 11 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great grandchildren.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 7 – 13, 2025

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6 days ago

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Oakland Post: Week of April 30 – May 6, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 30 – May 6, 2025

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Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Corey Jackson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.

“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.

The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.

Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.

However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.

“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.