City Government

Leaders Respond to Building Trades Threats to Fund Desley Brooks’ Opposition PAC

Published

7 years ago

September 15, 2018

Councilwoman Desley Brooks has refused to take a position on whether or not the city should adopt a policy which is called a “Project Labor Agreement” until she is given assurances that the PLA will benefit Oakland’s Black community.

In response, the construction unions have threatened to create an Independent Expenditure Committee to fund a negative campaign to help candidates running against her, unless Brooks will agree to vote for this policy.

Why is this a problem? First, coercing the vote of an elected official with threats of money to an unnamed, unaccountable Independent Expenditure Committee feels shady.

And second, we, the authors, are convinced that this city-wide Project Labor Agreement is a bad idea.

We are progressive in Oakland and we tend to support union actions automatically. This is often a good instinct. The Longshore Workers union, teachers’ union, nurses’ union, city worker unions, auto union and many others have created both economic and racial progress with their struggles.

But nobody should get a pass on racial justice.

And many of the construction unions have never gotten over their racial history. African-Americans get only 9 percent of the work on city-funded construction projects, although Black people make up a quarter of Oakland’s population.

The trades are asking for a “Project Labor Agreement,” which means their members will get almost all the work on these city-funded projects, and few of their members are Black.

The trades have consistently refused to release the numbers of people in their unions by ethnicity. So, they are asking the public to turn over our tax dollars to a select set of employees without regard for whether Black people make up a fair share of those employees.

And a walk around Oakland to look at most construction sites makes it clear that they do not. By all the information we can gather, most of the construction unions, especially those with better pay, have few Black members, because of a set of barriers which include various tests, the location of required apprentice training programs far away from Oakland, and others.

A major problem is that African-Americans in Oakland do not currently have the political power to create solutions for their communities. But the issue is much bigger than Black people.

It’s about equity and the moral compass of our city and society as a whole. The City of Oakland’s Equity indicators report confirms that bias and privilege have tangible outcomes build on a history of racism.

Councilmember Desley Brooks is the lone voice that is demanding more, and she is being persecuted for it – a scenario that also has familiar and historic roots.

With the dwindling Black population, the rising cost of living and the widening wealth gap, it is critical that African-Americans have good living wage jobs. We need many champions pushing to make that a reality NOW, not a distant hope or promise for a future that may never come.

We encourage the construction unions to desist from coercing an elected official to do something do something she may have concluded is morally wrong – voting against the employment needs of the African-American community

And we encourage those unions to break down the barriers to Black participation in their unions, so that eventually they will be willing to report openly on the ethnic composition of their membership, and the taxes of Black families will pay for projects on which they are also allowed to work.

Signed (organizations for identification only),

Carroll Fife, Executive Committee, Oakland Branch NAACP;
Kitty Kelly Epstein, PhD, professor of education and urban studies;
Darleen Brooks;
Henry Hitz; executive director emeritus, Oakland Parents Together:
Robyn Hodges

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Post Newspaper Invites NNPA to Join Nationwide Probate Reform Initiative

The Post’s Probate Reform Group meets the first Thursday of every month via Zoom and invites the public to attend. The Post is making the initiative national and will submit information from its monthly meeting to the NNPA to educate, advocate, and inform its readers.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Tanya Dennis

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) represents the Black press with over 200 newspapers nationwide.

Last night the Post announced that it is actively recruiting the Black press to inform the public that there is a probate “five-alarm fire” occurring in Black communities and invited every Black newspaper starting from the Birmingham Times in Alabama to the Milwaukee Times Weekly in Wisconsin, to join the Post in our “Year of Action” for probate reform.

Reporter Tanya Dennis says, “The adage that ‘When America catches a cold, Black folks catch the flu” is too true in practice; that’s why we’re engaging the Black Press to not only warn, but educate the Black community regarding the criminal actions we see in probate court: Thousands are losing generational wealth to strangers. It’s a travesty that happens daily.”

Venus Gist, a co-host of the reform group, states, “ Unfortunately, people are their own worst enemy when it comes to speaking with loved ones regarding their demise. It’s an uncomfortable subject that most avoid, but they do so at their peril. The courts rely on dissention between family members, so I encourage not only a will and trust [be created] but also videotape the reading of your documents so you can show you’re of sound mind.”

In better times, drafting a will was enough; then a trust was an added requirement to ‘iron-clad’ documents and to assure easy transference of wealth.

No longer.

As the courts became underfunded in the last 20 years, predatory behavior emerged to the extent that criminality is now occurring at alarming rates with no oversight, with courts isolating the conserved, and, I’ve heard, many times killing conservatees for profit. Plundering the assets of estates until beneficiaries are penniless is also common.”

Post Newspaper Publisher Paul Cobb says, “The simple solution is to avoid probate at all costs. If beneficiaries can’t agree, hire a private mediator and attorney to work things out. The moment you walk into court, you are vulnerable to the whims of the court. Your will and trust mean nothing.”

Zakiya Jendayi, a co-host of the Probate Reform Group and a victim herself, says, “In my case, the will and trust were clear that I am the beneficiary of the estate, but the opposing attorney said I used undue influence to make myself beneficiary. He said that without proof, and the judge upheld the attorney’s baseless assertion. In court, the will and trust is easily discounted.”

The Black press reaches out to 47 million Black Americans with one voice. The power of the press has never been so important as it is now in this national movement to save Black generational wealth from predatory attorneys, guardians and judges.

The next probate reform meeting is on March 5, from 7 – 9 p.m. PST. Zoom Details:
Meeting ID: 825 0367 1750
Passcode: 475480

All are welcome.

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Activism

Community Celebrates Turner Group Construction Company as Collins Drive Becomes Turner Group Drive

The event drew family, friends, and longtime supporters of Turner Group Construction, along with a host of dignitaries. The mood was joyful and warm, filled with hugs, handshakes and belated New Year’s greetings. Guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and a festive display of gourmet cupcakes as they conversed about the street sign reveal.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

The Turner Construction group members.

By Carla Thomas

It was a family affair on Friday, Jan. 23, at the corner of Hegenberger Road and Collins Drive in East Oakland as community members, local leaders, and elected officials gathered to celebrate the renaming of Collins Drive to Turner Group Drive. The renaming saluted the Turner Group’s 45-plus years of economic development and community investment.

Special guests included former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, veteran broadcaster Valerie Coleman-Morris, Chevron Senior Public Affairs Representative Andrea Bailey, community leaders Cephus “Uncle Bobby” Johnson and Beatrice “Aunt Bea” Johnson of the Oscar Grant Foundation, and Oakland City Councilmembers Ken Houston, Carroll Fife, and Kevin Jenkins. Members of WEBCORE, the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC), Swinerton and Alten construction companies, activists Elaine Brown and David Newton, and many others joined the celebration.

Inside the event tent, an emotional Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston spoke of his deep connection to the Turner family.

“I grew up on the same street with the Turners,” he said. “When my father passed away, their parents and siblings embraced me like family. This is our city, and it’s an honor to name this street Turner Group Drive because of the love and effort this company and family have given. Many dreams came out of this building. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Turners.”

Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, whose father once taught the Turner brothers, added, “Len Turner is an amazing person. He’ll help anyone.”

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee praised the company’s legacy, noting its creation of the Construction Resource Center, which trains and mentors the next generation of builders and developers through partnerships across the region. “This is a great day for Oakland and a profound acknowledgment of the Turner Group’s contribution to our community,” she said.

Fife echoed that sentiment: “This is a day for celebrating Black excellence. The Turner Group has poured into people and the community, showing us what’s possible.”

Among the many family members in attendance was the Turners’ 92-year-old patriarch, whose presence underscored the strength of the family’s legacy.

A touching highlight of the event came when Coleman-Morris was honored for her lasting mentorship of LaTanya Hawkins, now program manager of the Construction Resource Center. In 1979, Hawkins, then a fourth-grader, wrote Coleman-Morris a letter seeking advice. Coleman responded with words of encouragement that inspired Hawkins to pursue her dreams. The two stayed in touch for decades. On stage, they embraced as Coleman reflected on “the power of small acts of kindness to change a life.”

Coleman-Morris also shared reflections on leadership and community spirit, saying, “If we change the way we look at things, the things we see will change.” She then recited the Serenity Prayer, reminding the crowd, “We are a powerful community, we just need to believe it.”

Company leaders Len and Lance Turner closed the ceremony with words of gratitude and humor. Len thanked his mother, wife, family, legal team, and longtime supporters including Carson, Geoffrey Pete, and the late Dorothy King of Everett & Jones Barbecue. He also acknowledged the challenges the company had overcome, saying, “Without all of this support, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Through Turner Group Construction and the Construction Resource Center, the Turners have created new opportunities for underrepresented groups in the construction industry and continue to inspire the next generation of builders.