Berkeley

Nextdoor.com Remains at Center of Racial Profiling Controversy

Published

11 years ago

February 12, 2016

By Nikolas Zelinski

The social media website Nextdoor.com, designed to connect neighbors, is gradually making changes to its website in the wake of intense criticism for creating a cyber network that allows racial profiling to flourish.

The community controversy grew and reached the media after a number of complaints said that “crime and safety” posts on the platform provide a space for Oakland residents to amplify their racist fears that Black people are acting suspicious because they are simply walking down the street, entering an apartment building or sitting in a parked car.

Another issue for community members is that both the City of Oakland and the Oakland Police Department use the website to keep in contact with residents and hear their concerns.

In response, Oakland City Council members have been discussing whether the city should stop using the website as a public statement that it does not tolerate racial profiling.

Nextdoor representatives have been meeting for months with the city Life Enrichment Committee, 100 Black Men and a community group, Neighbors for Racial Justice (NRJ), to generate solutions.

Maryam Mohit, Nextdoor representative, told council members recently that the company has been working with “urgency” to solve the problem.

However, Councilmembers Desley Brooks and Anne Campbell Washington are unconvinced the issue has been handled in a timely manner. Brooks said she no longer uses the site because she sees the damage it is doing to the community.

Disagreeing with other council members, Abel J. Guillen said, “Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.” He said the platform is just another tool, and people should handle profiling by calling out racism when they see it.

“I’m not sure how to grapple with the idea of trying to legislate behavior, and I think that’s what we’re attempting to do here. I understand the intent, but I don’t think this legislative body can regulate that type of behavior,” Guillen said at the Jan. 26 Life Enrichment meeting.

According to Ravinder Singh, member of the Oakland Community Policing Advisory Board and Neighbors for Racial Justice, “Nextdoor is accurate in saying that they’ve been working with us for the last couple of months.”

“But to Councilmember Desley Brooks’ point, I think we’ve been wanting to see a lot more progress … The main thing that we want to see happen is that [someone] can’t issue a crime and safety alert with the only descriptor being race. If you want to add other descriptors alongside race, we are open to see how that goes.”

Singh encouraged the city council to gather data on crime and safety posts to corroborate whether or not posts lead to prosecutable criminal activity.

Karen Boyd, Oakland City Communications Director, said three departments in the city use Nextdoor.com: The Oakland Police Department, the City Administrators office and the Mayor’s office.

In a statement released in April 2014, Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent praised Nextdoor.com. “Utilizing this tool, we will have the ability to share crime trends and patterns, provide safety education, and encourage community partnerships,” he said.

The platform has 48,000 users across the city in 180 neighborhoods, with 20,000 posts per month, according to Boyd. There are more followers of city departments on Nextdoor.com than other websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

The site is a one-way informational tool, which means the city cannot see discussions between neighbors, said Boyd.

Maryam Mohit said, “21 percent of Oakland households use the site. Of those users, 23 percent are African American, 10 percent Hispanic, and 46 percent white.”

A blog post that explained changes made to the site has been posted. Updates to the “Neighborly Behavior” section of guidelines include an explicit ban on racial profiling and the ability to flag posts that violate the ban.

The issue will scheduled again for discussion at the Life Enrichment committee.

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Activism

Black Repertory Group Needs Volunteers to Help Shape the Next Generation of Artists and Leaders

Legendary performers such as Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover worked with and were inspired by BRG’s founders. More recently, Grammy award-winning artist Kehlani attended the Black Repertory Group Summer Day Camp for several years.

Published

3 months ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Courtesy image.

By Sean Vaughn Scott, Special to The Post

For more than 60 years, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) has changed lives through the arts.

Founded in 1964 by educators and visionaries Birel L. Vaughn and Nora Vaughn, BRG has become one of America’s oldest continuously operating Black theater institutions. For generations, it has preserved culture, developed talent, and provided opportunities for young people to discover their voices and their potential.

The results speak for themselves.

Long before international recognition, Kehlani performed on the BRG stage. During a summer day camp production of “Princess and da Frog,” she portrayed Ray, the lovable firefly whose light guided others through the darkness. Her journey is proof that today’s camper may become tomorrow’s artist, entrepreneur, educator, or leader.

Located at 3201 Adeline St. in Berkeley, BRG continues that mission through its Youth Summer Day Camp of the Arts.

BRG is currently accepting applications and maintains an open enrollment program. Students may enroll throughout the summer as space permits and immediately become part of the BRG family.

We are also proud to be a multicultural opportunity program, welcoming children and families from all backgrounds, cultures, and communities. Through theater, music, dance, public speaking, visual arts, technical theater, and leadership development, students gain confidence, discipline, creativity, and lifelong skills.

As our programs grow, so does our need for volunteers.

We are seeking community members to assist with youth mentoring, registration, costumes, set construction, painting, props, ushering, photography, social media, marketing, technical theater, and fundraising activities. Whether you volunteer for a few hours or throughout the season, your support directly impacts the lives of young people.

BRG also partners with churches, civic organizations, alumni associations, fraternities, sororities, and community groups through theater party fundraisers, group sales, and buy-out performances. These partnerships have helped organizations raise funds while supporting arts and cultural programming.

The theater also serves as the home of the Berkeley NAACP Chapter, which meets every second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m.

For more than six decades, the Black Repertory Group has remained committed to one belief: every child deserves an opportunity to shine.

The next great artist may already be among us.

The next Kehlani may already be walking through our doors.

We invite you to volunteer, enroll, participate, and become part of the legacy.

For more information please go to www.blackrepertorygroup.com, call (510) 652-2120, or email info@blackrepertorygroup.com

Sean Vaughn Scott is the director of the Black Repertory Group.

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Bay Area

UC Berkeley Named Top Public University in the U.S. and No. 7 in the World by ‘U.S. News’

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014. “A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

Published

3 months ago

June 24, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Keegan Houser/UC Berkeley.

The 2026 Best Global Universities rankings evaluated 2,250 research institutions from more than 100 countries

By Lila Thulin

U.S. News & World Report has ranked UC Berkeley No. 7 in its 2026 list of the best global universities, which assesses more than 2,250 research institutions worldwide.

Berkeley also claimed the honor of top public university in the U.S.

Released on Monday, the list evaluates universities from more than 100 countries on 13 metrics such as global and research reputation (as reported by academics and peers) and number of highly cited scholarly papers.

Berkeley has been consistently awarded the distinction of the U.S.’s top public university since the Best Global Universities list was first published in 2014.

“A strong position in the Best Global Universities rankings recognizes a school’s profound commitment to world-class research and cross-border academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News.

The rankings also assess a university’s strength in various subject areas; these assessments are separate from U.S. News’ 2026 Best Graduate Programs rankings released in April.

This year, Berkeley was named in the top three nationally in seven subject areas – environment/ecology, ecology, water resources, physics, computer science, chemistry, and engineering – and in the top five for a total of 17 subjects. Subject rankings are based heavily on scholarly publications and citations as well as reputation.

In September, U.S. News also released its 2026 Best Colleges list, in which Berkeley was also named the No. 1 public institution among American universities.

That honor joins other accolades judging campus to be the best public university in the country, such as those from Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

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Arts and Culture

Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With “September Breakfast” Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh

The region was established in 1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley.

Published

1 year ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Farwest Regional Director, Kimberly Usher, Mayor Barbara Lee, US Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative, Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love.

By Antoinette Porter

Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at the University of California, Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region.

Marsh went on to serve as Delta Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights movement, lobbying Congress to pass anti-lynching legislation.

Bak in the Bay Area, Marsh devoted her career to advancing educational opportunities, mentoring young people, and strengthening community life. That commitment continues to shape the region, which supports initiatives in education, social justice, and economic development. Current projects include raising scholarship funds for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, voter education campaigns, and health and wellness programs.

A century after its founding, the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta remains active across California and other western states, carrying forward Marsh’s vision of service and advocacy.