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Michael Jordan’s Big GIVE

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Friday, June 12, the basketball icon Michael Jordan and his Jordan Brand committed $100 million
over the next 10 years to organizations assisting Black people with social justice and greater
access to education.

A joint statement with Nike read, “The Jordan Brand is us, the Black community. Until the
ingrained racism that allows our country’s institutions to fail is completely eradicated, we will
remain committed to protecting and improving the lives of Black people.” Nike, also committed
to donating $40 million over four years to support Black communities.

When Jordan committed $100 million last week, many Black community voices responded, “It’s
about time,” expressing a sentiment, according to NBC’s TV series GIVE Executive
Producer/Creator Gary Reeves, “is a misconceived sentiment based on lack of research.”

The Black community may have developed that sentiment based upon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
criticizing Jordan in 2015 for choosing “commerce over conscience” or in 1990 failing to support
a democratic nominee attempting to unseat conservative Senator Jesse Helms, who opposed
federal integration policy, when Jordan stated, “Republicans buy shoes too.”

Sentiment began to shift in 2016 after Jordan donated 5 million for the National Museum of
African American History and Culture in DC and 2 million that same year to two social justice
organizations. However many still felt Jordan had an elitist mentality.

“Most of the giving Michael has done has gone un-celebrated,” says Reeves, “In 1987 I
approached Michael to produce his story about being cut in high school. I saw the story as an
inspirational message for those youth that encounter rejection as they pursue their dream. The
inspirational story was titled ‘Michael Jordan’s Playground’.”

“If he had quit we wouldn’t know him today. His message to so many people was the importance
to push through adversity if you love something and the importance of passion. It’s easy to be
discouraged if you like something, but if you love what you do, you push through to achieve
your dream.”

“Although I didn’t have the resume at the time to produce, he embraced my passion for
delivering an important message using his setback as an inspiration.”

In 1984, Al Attles appointed Reeves as the Golden State Warriors spiritual advisor, working
under Will Herzfeld, of the Oakland, Lutheran Church. Reeves served the organization for
thirteen years, addressing the spiritual and emotional interests of the players. During this tenure,
his services expanded throughout the NBA.

“The graciousness Jordan extended to me had far-reaching results, the perfect example of the
‘butterfly effect’ which inspired a greater potential for social impact.”

Jordan’s give encouraged Reeves ability to create socially inspiring content utilizing sports to
teach life lessons in Oakland, Berkeley and the Greater Bay Area. Reeves touched the lives of
Jason Kidd, Brian Shaw, Gary Payton, Greg Foster, Antonio Davis, Levi Middlebrooks, and
others via free basketball camps, that were supported by the Coors Family and later Coors
Brewing Company.

“Because it was beer, we couldn’t promote the brand because minors were involved so we called
the program ‘21 means 21.’ Ivan Burwell, who was introduced to me by Phyllis Coors, served as
my internal mentor/advocate who was the director of community relations for Coors Brewing
Company in Denver Colorado.”

“I was the person that bridged the gap between celebrities and corporate America with
community partner’s like East Oakland Development Center, Alameda Foster Care services,
HIV/AIDS work with Magic Johnson, and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation where we were able
to build medical centers in San Francisco and Oakland.”

Reeves has rallied celebrity support for a number of community service providers and public
schools in the West Contra Costa School District.

“We provided field trips and a series of concert/assemblies with Robin Thicke, EnVogue,
Mindless Behavior, El Debarge, and Genuine with Blair Underwood and Mario Lopez as hosts.
The concerts were fundraisers that provided positive rewards for kids that did acts of kindness at
schools from James Logan High School in Union City, to El Cerrito High School, Kennedy and
Richmond Pal.”

This was a result of Michael Jordan’s big give. He allowed his support to breathe life into local
under-the-radar programs, and has done this multiple times with multiple individuals, that never
gained public attention.

Moving forward, in 2017 Reeves created the GIVE show that launched on NBC. GIVE provides
a platform for local service providers a seat at the table with national and internationally known
philanthropists. GIVE won the Emmy in 2018 and Tully Award for family programming.
GIVE serves as a platform for philanthropists and donors such as Michael Bloomberg, Michael
Eisner, Ford Company Fund, Paul Newman’s Own, Unite4Good, and the Tisch Family who own
the Mets.

“These philanthropists would never have had a seat at the table if not for GIVE. Blair
Underwood and Jenna Bush, former President Bush’s daughter serve as hosts.”
After two seasons with NBC, Reeves renegotiated his contract and is now moving to Oprah’s
OWN-Network stating it’s a better business model regarding philanthropy.

Michael contributed 100 million dollars, but Reeves serves as an example of how Michael’s
giving has impacted medical centers, and inner-city programs nationwide for many others like
Reeves.

Reeves says, “Don’t be quick to judge, perceptions of Jordan are misaligned, and contributions
throughout his life misunderstood. His service to underserved communities has impacted beyond
his celebrity. He’s impacted social services, social justice, and social inequality his entire career.”

 

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 13 – 19, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 13 – 19, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of March 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 6 – 12, 2024

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Who are the Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Candidates’ Top Campaign Contributors?

Below, we’ve listed each candidate’s 10 highest campaign contributors. For Miley, two of his top campaign donors also bought their own advertisements to support him and/or oppose Esteen through independent expenditures. Such expenditures, though separate from campaign donations, are also public record, and we listed them. Additionally, the National Organization of Realtors has spent about $70,500 on their own independent expenditures to support Miley.

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Jennifer Esteen. (Campaign photo) and Supervisor Nate Miley. (Official photo).
Jennifer Esteen. (Campaign photo) and Supervisor Nate Miley. (Official photo).

By Zack Haber

Nate Miley, who has served on Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors since 2000, is running for reelection to the District 4 supervisor seat.

Jennifer Esteen, a nurse and activist, is seeking to unseat him and become one of the five members of the powerful board that sets the county’s budget, governs its unincorporated areas, and oversees the sheriff, Alameda Health System, and mental health system.

District 4 includes most of East Oakland’s hills and flatlands beyond Fruitvale, part of Pleasanton and unincorporated areas south of San Leandro like Ashland and Castro Valley.

Voting is open and will remain open until March 5.

In California, campaign donations of $100 or more are public record. The records show that Miley has received about $550,000 in total campaign donations since he won the previous District 4 election in March 2020. Esteen has raised about $255,000 in total campaign donations since she started collecting them last July. All figures are accurate through Feb. 20.

While Miley has raised more money, Esteen has received donations from more sources. Miley received donations of $100 or more from 439 different sources. Esteen received such donations from 507 different sources.

Below, we’ve listed each candidate’s 10 highest campaign contributors. For Miley, two of his top campaign donors also bought their own advertisements to support him and/or oppose Esteen through independent expenditures. Such expenditures, though separate from campaign donations, are also public record, and we listed them. Additionally, the National Organization of Realtors has spent about $70,500 on their own independent expenditures to support Miley.

Nate Miley’s top campaign contributors:

The California Apartment Association, a trade group representing landlords and investors in California’s rental housing business, has spent about $129,500 supporting Miley’s election bid through about $59,500 in ads against Esteen$55,000 in ads supporting Miley, and $15,000 in campaign donations.

The independent expenditure committee Preserve Agriculture in Alameda County has spent about $46,025 supporting Miley through about $27,200 in their own ads, and $18,825 in donations to his campaign. Preserve Agriculture has supported reelection efforts for former Alameda County DA Nancy O’Malley, and Sheriff Greg Ahern, a republican. It’s received funding from ChevronPG&E, and a the California Apartment Association.

Organizations associated with the Laborers’ International Union of North America, or LiUNA, have donated about $35,000 in total. Construction and General Laborers Local 304, a local chapter of the union representing which represents over 4,000 workers, donated $20,000.

Laborers Pacific Southwest Regional Organizing Coalition, which represents 70,000 LiUNA members in Arizona, California, Hawaii and New Mexico, donated $15,000.

William ‘Bill’ Crotinger and the East Oakland-based company Argent Materials have donated $26,000. Crotinger is the president and founder of Argent, a concrete and asphalt recycling yard. Argent’s website says it is an eco-friendly company that diverts materials from landfills. In 2018, Argent paid the EPA $27,000 under a settlement for committing Clean Water Act violations.

Michael Morgan of Hayward, owner of We Are Hemp, a marijuana dispensary in Ashland, has donated $21,500.

Alameda County District 1 Supervisor David Haubert has donated $21,250 from his 2024 reelection campaign. He’s running unopposed for the District 1 seat.

SEIU 1021which represents over 60,000 workers in local governments, non-profit agencies, healthcare programs, and schools in Northern California, has donated $20,000.

UA Local 342, which represents around 4,000 pipe trades industry workers in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, donated $20,000.

The union representing the county’s deputy sheriffs, Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Alameda County, has donated $17,000.

Becton Healthcare Resources and its managers have donated $14,625. Becton’s mission statement says it provides “behavioral health management services to organizations and groups that serve the serious and persistent mentally ill population.”

Jennifer Esteen’s top campaign contributors:

Mary Quinn Delaney of Piedmont, founder of Akonadi Foundation, has donated $20,000. Akonadi Foundation gives grants to nonprofit organizations, especially focusing on racial justice organizing,

Bridget Galli of Castro Valley has donated $7,000. Galli is a yoga instructor and a co-owner of Castro Valley Yoga.

Rachel Gelman of Oakland has donated $5,000. Gelman is an activist who has vowed to redistribute her inherited wealth to working class, Indigenous and Black communities.

California Worker Families Party has donated $5,000. The organization’s website describes itself as a “grassroots party for the multiracial working class.”

David Stern of Albany has donated $5,000. Stern is a retired UC Berkeley Professor of Education.

Oakland Rising Committee—a collaborative of racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations—has donated about $3,050.

Fredeke Von Bothmer-Goodyear, an unemployed resident of San Francisco, has donated $2,600.

Robert Britton of Castro Valley has donated $2,500. Britton is retired and worked in the labor movement for decades.

Progressive Era PAC has donated about $2,400. Its mission statement says it “exists to elect governing majorities of leaders in California committed to building a progressive era for people of color.”

East Bay Stonewall Democrats Club has donated $2,250. The club was founded in 1982 to give voice to the East Bay LGBTQIA+ communities.

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