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Julie Wenah Appointed to Federal Communications Commission

Julie Wenah was recently appointed to the board of the FCC, Federal Communications Commission. The associate general counsel and product lead for Civil Rights with Meta, formerly Facebook, is an attorney for Meta with seven years of technology experience focused on anti-discrimination efforts and integrating product remediations and product mitigations as technical solutions. As a representative of the trade association Encompass, she advocates for laws and policies promoting competition, innovation, and economic development. “I am honored to serve on the FCC and in this capacity and I think of my late parents who emigrated from a small village in Nigeria with no access to broadband and bandwidth,” she said.

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Julie Wenah, Associate Genersl Counsre and Product Lead for Civil Rights with Meta (formerly Facebook). Photo courtesy of Julie Wenah.
Julie Wenah, Associate Genersl Counsre and Product Lead for Civil Rights with Meta (formerly Facebook). Photo courtesy of Julie Wenah.

By Carla Thomas

Julie Wenah was recently appointed to the board of the FCC, Federal Communications Commission.

The associate general counsel and product lead for Civil Rights with Meta, formerly Facebook, is an attorney for Meta with seven years of technology experience focused on anti-discrimination efforts and integrating product remediations and product mitigations as technical solutions.

As a representative of the trade association Encompass, she advocates for laws and policies promoting competition, innovation, and economic development.

“I am honored to serve on the FCC and in this capacity and I think of my late parents who emigrated from a small village in Nigeria with no access to broadband and bandwidth,” she said.

Wenah explained that her parents’ village was reminiscent of the rural communities she advocated for during her time with the federal government for a decade, where she led a manufacturing agenda in rural  communities across the United States.

Wenah boasts a resume that includes stints with the Obama Administration, Airbnb, NASA, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Through the Tahirih Justice Center Advisory Council, she is dedicated to supporting human trafficking survivors.

As a board director for Women In Product, she equips women in product management careers with equitable opportunities to thrive and shape the industry. Role by role, Wenah has used her gifts to change the world and is unstoppable.

Last year, she initiated Project Height, a partnership that provided nearly 30 college students with scholarships of $10,000 each and an invitation to participate in Meta-sponsored programming designed to further explore technology through a civil rights lens in the areas of data science, product management, and inclusive design and user experience.

The scholarship is named after the late Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, who served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) for more than 40 years. The funding is the joint initiative of NCNW, the Dorothy Irene Height Education Foundation (DIHEF), and Meta.

Dorothy I. Height Education Foundation President Alexis Herman said the scholarships awarded “represent an investment in their ongoing education, and these scholars represent a collective investment for increased innovation and a more hopeful future of our world.”

“It was thrilling to partner with the Dorothy I. Height Education Foundation and the National Council of Negro Women to announce the Project Height Scholarship award recipients,” said Wenah. “Our hope is that our joint commitment to investing in the next generation of leaders committed to the intersection of civil rights and technology will spark the minds that build a more inclusive and equitable society.”

Wenah says Dr. Height has always been a source of inspiration to her. “Dr. Height lived her life for the betterment of others,” said Wenah. “She stood in the face of racism and unfairness fearlessly and tirelessly, and we stand on her shoulders,” said Wenah.

Wenah’s fight for equity and justice to offset racism, discrimination, and marginalism continues with her work on the board of the Digital Civil Rights Coalition. In this role she and her team seek to transform regulations and advance an inclusive digital technology ecosystem. “With law as a vehicle, we hope to transform the technology ecosystem at its core and equalize outcomes in the future that everyone deserves.”

When Wenah is not on the front lines in court fighting for an expanded playing field for the underserved or overlooked, she leads a growing collective through the Album and the Mixtape, her way of giving a voice to passionate creatives looking for an outlet to share their fire.

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Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress

“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

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Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.
Rep. Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Outgoing Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) expressed deep gratitude to her constituents and marked the end of her 26-year career in public service.

Lee, who is succeeded by Lateefah Simon, a civil rights and racial justice activist, praised people in her community for their support. She also highlighted her dedication to promoting peace, justice, and equity.

“Together, we have raised our voices and pushed the envelope for peace, justice and equity. It has been the honor of a lifetime to provide constituent services, deliver federal investments to my district, speak out, and often times be the only one to take tough votes against the tide. I have, and will continue to, fight for working families, the middle class, low income and poor people,” said Lee On her final day in Congress.

Throughout her tenure, Lee earned a reputation as a principled lawmaker known for taking bold and sometimes unpopular stances. One of her defining moments came in 2001 when she was the sole member of Congress to vote against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in response to the September 11 attacks. This decision led to death threats but ultimately cemented her legacy of courage.

Lee’s leadership extended beyond her district, where she fought for social justice, the rights of low-income communities, and global health initiatives. She was a key figure in pushing for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). She was a vocal critic of the Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortion services.

The Congresswoman also faced significant challenges in her career, including a failed Senate bid in 2024. Yet, Lee’s efforts have paved the way for more excellent representation, with more Black women now elected to Congress. She worked closely with organizations like Representation Matters to encourage more women of color to run for office.

Lee says she looks to the future, confident that the next generation of leaders will continue her unfinished work, particularly on issues like military force and reproductive rights.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

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OP-ED: Like Physicians, U.S. Health Institutions Must ‘First, Do No Harm’

Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same. It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.

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Albert L. Brooks MD. Courtesy photo.
Albert L. Brooks MD. Courtesy photo.

By Albert L. Brooks MD
Special to The Post

Presidential administrations significantly impact the health and wellbeing of our patients and communities.

Through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the agencies within it, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Institutes of Health, this new administration will decide how financial resources are allocated, dictate the focus of federal research, and determine how our public health care insurance systems are managed, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Vaccines for Children program, Medicare, and Medicaid.

The decisions made over the next four years will impact all Americans but will be felt more acutely by those most underserved and vulnerable.

As physicians, we are greatly concerned by the nominations announced by President Trump to critical healthcare related positions. Many of their previous statements and positions are rooted in misinformation.

Coupled with their lack of government and healthcare-related experience, we are concerned these nominees will significantly undermine public health, increase the number of uninsured people, worsen health outcomes, and exacerbate health disparities. Physicians observe Hippocrates’ maxim to “First Do No Harm,”, and we urge Trump administration officials to do the same.

It is critical that the leadership of HHS and its agencies make decisions based on facts, evidence, and science. Misinformation and disinformation must not guide policymaking decisions and undermine evidence-based public health strategies. Spreading these falsehoods also erodes trust in our public institutions.

Vaccines, in particular, have been a target of disinformation by some HHS nominees. In fact, research continues to confirm that vaccines are safe and effective. Vaccines go through multiple rounds of clinical trials prior to being approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for administration to the public.

Vaccines protect against life-threateningdiseasessuch as measles, polio, tetanus, and meningococcal disease and, when used effectively, have beenshowntoeliminateorsubstantiallyreducediseaseprevalenceand/orseverity.

Because of vaccine mis- and disinformation, there has been a resurgence in vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough, endangering those who are too young or unable to be vaccinated.

Several nominees have spread disinformation alleging that fluoride in public drinking water is harmful. In fact, fluoride in drinking water at the recommended level of 0.7 parts per million, like we have in our EBMUD water, is safe and keeps teeth strong. Because of public health interventions dating back to the 1960s that have resulted in 72.3% of the U.S. population now having access to fluoridated water, there has been a reduction in cavities by about 25% in both children and adults.

We also encourage the next administration to invest in our public health infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of public health agencies in preventing and responding to health crises in our communities.

Health departments at the state and local levels rely on federal funding support and technical assistance to develop public health response plans, implement public health strategies, and work with on the ground organizations to serve hard to reach communities. Public health agencies are critical for protecting everyone in our communities, regardless of income-level, insurance status, or housing status.

Health officials should also work to protect the significant improvements in insurance coverage that have occurred since the passage of theACAin 2010.According to HHS, the numberofuninsuredAmericansfellfrom48millionin2010to25.6millionin2023.

California has led the way by investing in Medi-Cal and expanding eligibility for enrollment. In fact, it reached its lowest uninsured rate ever in 2022 at 6.2%. Voters affirmed this commitment to expanding and protecting access to care in November by passing Proposition 35, which significantly expanded funding for California’s Medi-Cal program. The administration should advance policies that strengthen the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare and improve access to affordable health care.

Regardless of the president in power, physicians will always put the best interests of our patients and communities at the forefront. We will continue to be a resource to our patients, providing evidence-based and scientifically proven information and striving to better their lives and our community’s health. We urge the new Trump administration to do the same.

Albert L. Brooks MD is the immediate past president of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, which represents 6,000 East Bay physicians.

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