Bay Area

“IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN DO IT.”

First Officer Rollins, a.k.a. Earvie Rollins Jr., 30 years old, was born and raised in Richmond, California. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 2011. He was reared in the Baptist church and is currently a musician at the St. John MBC in Richmond. Officer Rollins took the necessary steps to acquire his license and started flight instruction in 2017 out of Livermore Municipal Airport at ATP Flight School. He obtained his FAA Flight Instructor Certificate and his FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate.

Published

2 months ago

March 28, 2023

Oakland Post

First Officer Rollins is currently flying the Boeing 737 for a major legacy airline. Photo Credit: JaQuetta Miller.

By Evelyn Rollins McDonald

All his life he has had an interest in flying airplanes. He recalls at the age of 14, his dad took him to an aviation convention in Las Vegas. They would sit at the departure end of runways and watch planes land and take off. He also recalls his aunt living near the Travis Air Force Base where he loved to visit her so he could go spotting.

Officer Rollins took the necessary steps to acquire his license and started flight instruction in 2017 out of Livermore Municipal Airport at ATP Flight School. He obtained his FAA Flight Instructor Certificate and his FAA Commercial Pilot Certificate.

He began instructing in 2018, out of Oakland International Airport, teaching numerous people how to fly from zero experience to “somewhat” experience. After gaining 500 hours he became marketable for entry level aviation jobs. He then applied to an aerial survey company.

Flying for an aerial survey company, he encountered many opportunities and developed tons of aviation skills. At Aperture Aviation, he flew the Cessna 206 and had the privilege of traveling every other week around the United States and parts of Canada. Aperture Aviation specializes in the capture of high-quality aerial imagery throughout the U.S.

After two years of training with the aerial survey company he learned that there was a job opening for a First Officer position by a private charter company. He applied and flew to Dallas, Texas for the interview. After interviewing, he was offered the job. He later learned that the company had received over 150 online applications, conducted over 30 interviews, and only selected nine applicants. Fortunately, he was one of the nine. After being employed with the private charter company after six months he was blessed with the opportunity to upgrade to captain.

First Officer Rollins is currently flying the Boeing 737 for a major legacy airline.

First Officer Rollins gives God all the credit for his success. He has a deep and abiding faith. His favorite scripture is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.” He also credits his father, family, friends and church family as the best support system ever. He will also remember his dad saying: “Earvie, if another man can do it, you can do it too.” And that quote sticks with him to this day, especially when he feels overwhelmed or challenged.

First Officer Rollins states: “the main thing is, you can do whatever your heart desires! I’m a witness of this, if you would’ve asked me prior to 2017, if I could become a commercial pilot? I would’ve said no, due to thinking small minded. However, now I can say that in 2018, I turned my dream into a vision and today it’s reality. I made the dream into a vision, now it’s a reality. “And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” – Habakkuk 2:2

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 24 – 30, 2023

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 24 – 30, 2023

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2023

Oakland Post

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 24 - 30, 2023

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Activism

Rise in Abductions of Black Girls in Oakland Alarms Sex-Trafficking Survivors

Nola Brantley of Nola Brantley Speaks states, “America’s wider culture and society has consistently failed to address the abduction and kidnapping of Black girls in Oakland and across the country, and this lack of concern empowers and emboldens predators.”

Published

1 week ago

May 20, 2023

Oakland Post

Nola Brantley and Sarai Smith-Mazariegos

By Tanya Dennis

Within the last 30 days there have been seven attempted kidnappings or successful abductions of Black girls in Oakland.

Survivors of human trafficking who are now advocates are not surprised.

Nor were they surprised that the police didn’t respond, and parents of victims turned to African American community-based organizations like Adamika Village and Love Never Fails for help.

Advocates say Black and Brown girls disappear daily, usually without a blip on the screen for society and government officials.

Perhaps that will change with a proposed law by state Senator Steven Bradford’s Senate Bill 673 Ebony Alert, that, if passed, will alert people when Black people under the age of 26 go missing.

According to the bill, Black children are disproportionately classified as “runaways” in comparison to their white counterparts which means fewer resources are dedicated to finding them.

Brantley, a survivor of human trafficking has been doing the work to support child sex trafficking victims for over 20 years, first as the director for the Scotlan Youth and Family Center’s Parenting and Youth Enrichment Department at Oakland’s DeFremery Park, and as one of the co-founders and executive director of Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth (MISSSEY, Inc.)

“It really hit home in 2010,” said Brantley, “before California’s Welfare Institution Code 300 was amended to include children victimized by sex trafficking.”

Before that law was amended, she had to vehemently advocate for Black and Brown girls under the age of 18 to be treated as victims rather than criminalized.

Brantley served hundreds of Black and Brown girls citing these girls were victims so they would be treated as such and offered restorative services. “To get the police to take their disappearances seriously and file a report almost never happened,” she said.

Then Brantley received a call from the Board of Supervisors regarding a “special case.” A councilman was at the meeting, as well as a member of former Alameda County Board Supervisor Scott Haggerty’s Office who had called Brantley to attend.

“The child’s parents and the child were there also. They requested that I give my full attention to this case. The girl was white and there was no question of her victimization,” Brantley said.

Brantley felt conflicted that of all the hundreds of Black and Brown girls she’d served, none had ever received this type of treatment.

Her eyes were opened that day on how “they” move, therefore with the recent escalation of kidnapping attempts of Black girls, Brantley fears that because it’s happening to Black girls the response will not be taken seriously.

Councilwoman Treva Reid

“I thank Councilwoman Treva Reid and Senator Steven Bradford (D) for pushing for the passing of the Ebony Alert Bill across the state so that the disappearance of Black girls will be elevated the same as white girls. We’ve never had a time when Black girls weren’t missing. Before, it didn’t matter if we reported it or if the parents reported the police failed to care.”

Senator Steven Bradford

Sarai S-Mazariegos, co-founder of M.I.S.S.S.E.Y, and founder and executive director of Survivors Healing, Advising and Dedicated to Empowerment (S.H.A.D.E.) agrees with Brantley.

“What we are experiencing is the effects of COVID-19, poverty and a regressive law that has sentence the most vulnerable to the sex trade,” S-Mazariegos said. “We are seeing the lack of equity in the community, the cause and consequence of gender inequality and a violation of our basic human rights. What we are seeing is sexual exploitation at its finest.”

Both advocates are encouraged by Bradford’s Ebony Alert.

The racism and inequity cited has resulted in the development of an underground support system by Brantley, S-Mazariegos and other community-based organizations who have united to demand change.

Thus far they are receiving support from Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, and Oakland City Councilmembers Nikki Fortunato Bas and Reid of the second and seventh districts respectively.

For more information, go to http://www.blackandmissinginc.com