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Mack Coach George Powles Powered School’s reputation as “School of Champions”

Published

11 years ago

August 17, 2015

At the 100^th McClymonds High School anniversary dinner, many former athletes and alumni praised the late Coach George Powles for being the motivating force and the guiding hand that sent so many Mack and Bay Area stars into the professional ranks of playing, coaching and civil rights leadership that shaped sports in America.

During this week’s Baseball Hall of Fame meeting in Cooperstown, NY, Mackite Bill Patterson will lead a contingent of admirers of one of Powles’ greatest athletes, the late Curt Flood, who will be recognized for his outstanding achievements.

“Every baseball player owes a perpetual debt of gratitude for his bold fight to overturn the “reserve Clause” that had bound players to a team for life,” Patterson said. “Now, all players are Freed Men, thanks to a movement that had its genesis in Oakland, at Mack, and from Powles.”

The Post will publish interviews with Bill Patterson and Judge George Nicholson about Powles monumental career in a series of articles prior to the annual McClymonds picnic at Defremery Park in September.

Coach Powles and wife Win

In George Nicholson’s comprehensive treatise “Remembering George Powles,” Baseball and Freedom III, he was able to link the historically significant connections of Powles’ life and contributions to those of Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln, Branch Rickey and Martin Luther King Jr.

Nicholson, an Oaklander who played against Powles’ Mackites at Oakland High, said, “Coach Powles was and remains an unsung hero of baseball and freedom.”

Nicholson and Patterson agreed that like Lincoln, Branch Rcikey and Powles, all white men were special men who seized the historical moment to make positive much-needed changes.

“One fundamental reason for retelling his story,” writes Nicholson, “is because he (Powles) was a white man who spent a major portion of his teaching and coaching career in West Oakland, the Black section of Oakland. He did things differently than pedagogically presumed correct by the teachers and coaches of his era, virtually all of whom were white.

“He did so, wisely and lovingly, with all appropriate tenderness and toughness while he taught, coached and mentored Black students, in all sports.”

In the upcoming series of interviews with Nicholson and Patterson, readers will learn of the umbilical connection to civil rights history of the Oakland’s intertwining sports, legislative, and judicial trailblazers that include Chief Justice Earl Warren, Associate Justice George Nicholson, Judge Lionel Wilson, Judges Donald P. McCullum and Clinton White, all of whom hail from Oakland.

After this series, Nicholson’s tribute to Powles and his other writings and interviews about Oakland sports and the history of the breaking down racial barriers in America will appear on the Post website: postnewsgroup.com

As a columnist at the Oakland Tribune, I wrote in my Good News Column on March 23, 1997 that “Oakland Demands recognition for Curtis Flood.”

I interviewed Flood’s wife actress Judy Pace-Flood at the Evergreen Baptist Church. She said, “Curtis was the Rosa Parks of baseball, but I say he was the Abraham Lincoln of professional sports.”

Abraham Lincoln helped to free all Black men, Branch Rickey opened the door for Jackie Robinson, but Curt Flood made it possible for all players to sit at the table as freed men.

George Powles helped Mackites become the “firsts” to break all barriers.

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New Protections for Ticket Buyers: Gov. Newsom Signs Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Bill

OAKLAND POST — Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

Published

4 days ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). File photo.

By California Black Media Staff

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.

Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.

Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.

The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.

Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.

“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you. This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups, and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”

Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.

“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets. Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”

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Zakiya Jendayi Arrested, Locked Out of Home by Sheriff’s Deputies

OALAND POST — On Tuesday, deputies followed Jendayi as she left her residence of 13 years to file documents in her case at the Appellate Court. Deputies arrested her upon arrival and transported her to Santa Rita Jail.

Published

4 days ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

By Tanya Dennis

Yesterday, more than 10 Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to take possession of Zakiya Jendayi’s home on behalf of a court-appointed administrator. Jendayi was arrested at the courthouse and transported to Santa Rita Jail around the same time.

Jendayi, who has been embroiled in a probate court battle to retain the inheritance bestowed on her by a longtime friend and colleague who passed away in 2013, had received a notice of eviction last month.

With help from neighbors, friends and clergy, she was able to fend off the eviction from 3614 Randolph Ave. in Oakland and even obtained a reprieve when her bid to file bankruptcy was approved by a county court.

But Philip Campbell, the court-appointed administrator, had already placed Jendayi’s home in his name in October 2025.

On Tuesday, deputies followed Jendayi when she left her residence of 13 years to go to the Appellate Court to file documents in her case. Deputies arrested her upon arrival and transported her to Santa Rita jail.

Undersheriff April Luckett-Fahini said Jendayi was arrested for “safety reasons.” At this time, it is unknown what charges were used for the arrest.

In Jendayi’s absence, Campbell came to her residence accompanied by deputies, had the property taped off with yellow crime tape, and had the locks changed.

Afterward, Campbell requested a police escort to his car amid several angry neighbors who had been advocating that officials pause the eviction pending Jendayi’s appeal.

“Zakiya Jendayi is a respected Black elder in our community,” said Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who has been working with Jendayi to prevent her eviction. “It’s outrageous that she was arrested. There needs to be more justice and equity in our probate system.”

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Ask California: Golden State Releases New AI Chatbot

Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced the prototype as part of the state’s broader effort to use artificial intelligence to make government services easier to access. The launch follows his March 2026 executive order directing state agencies to responsibly implement generative AI while protecting privacy, security and civil liberties.

Published

2 weeks ago

September 22, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California has launched AskCA, a new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to help residents find and navigate state and local government services through a single online platform.

Developed by the state’s Office of Data and Innovation, AskCA is designed around major life events rather than individual government agencies. Californians can use the tool to find information about finding a job, starting a business, accessing family services and recovering from disasters.

“When a Californian needs help, they shouldn’t have to become an expert in government to find it,” said Newsom. “We’re using the best technology California has to offer to make the government more efficient, effective, and more engaged.”

The state is now seeking Californians age 18 and older to participate in the pilot and help test and refine AskCA’s responses. Officials said subject matter experts across state governments are helping inform the chatbot’s answers, which are designed to draw from verified government sources and provide actionable information.

The prototype grew out of California’s response to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Early testing included more than 140 fire recovery leaders and Altadena wildfire survivors, a dozen job seekers and more than 100 general users.

Jeffery Marino, director of the Office of Data and Innovation, said the tool is intended to remove the need for residents to understand how government agencies are organized before they can get help.

“Californians should not have to understand how the government is organized just to get basic help,” Marino said.

AskCA’s technology will also be used in a new job-skills matching feature that the California Department of Human Resources plans to launch Sept. 30 on CalCareers. Job seekers will be able to upload a resume and receive potential matches to state job classifications.

The state said the CalCareers pilot will not store personal information or require users to have a CalCareers account. California plans to continue testing AskCA as officials evaluate its accuracy, performance and usefulness before expanding the system.