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OAACC and Salesforce Kicks Off ‘Oakland for Business’

Created by the OAACC with support from KRON4 television and made possible by Salesforce, the new campaign – entitled “Oakland for Business” – is an extension of a pilot initiative which the OAACC launched earlier this year. The latest campaign produced by KRON4 features 24 local entrepreneurs, their businesses, and vision for success and future growth in Oakland. Videos and business profiles will be shared on KRON4 streaming platforms and on www.oaklandforbusiness.com.

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Shalaya Shipman, left, Senior Director of Strategic Business Development at Salesforce; and Cathy Adams, president/CEO, of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of OAACC.
Shalaya Shipman, left, Senior Director of Strategic Business Development at Salesforce; and Cathy Adams, president/CEO, of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce. Photo courtesy of OAACC.

The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC) announced on December 10 the launch of a new multimedia marketing campaign aimed at promoting the resilience of small, Black-owned businesses that make up such a vital part of the Oakland community.

Created by the OAACC with support from KRON4 television and made possible by Salesforce, the new campaign – entitled “Oakland for Business” – is an extension of a pilot initiative which the OAACC launched earlier this year. The latest campaign produced by KRON4 features 24 local entrepreneurs, their businesses, and vision for success and future growth in Oakland. Videos and business profiles will be shared on KRON4 streaming platforms and on www.oaklandforbusiness.com.

Compared to cities of similar size and population, Oakland is home to very few national retail stores, making a large percentage of Oakland’s population dependent on small, locally owned business for groceries, clothing, sundries, etc. This is especially true in traditionally Black neighborhoods.

Among the two dozen OAACC businesses featured in this digital campaign are a baker, jewelry designer, nightclub owner, real estate agent, hair stylist and restaurant owners and more – entrepreneurs who provide perspective on the challenges and rewards that come with following one of the quintessential American dreams: owning your own business.

“Oakland has one of the largest and most diverse Black-owned business communities in the country,” said Cathy Adams, the CEO of OAACC. “We’re excited and grateful that KRON4 Television and Salesforce share in our commitment to driving opportunity and innovation with Black-owned businesses, and we’re looking forward to elevating the experiences of the incredible entrepreneurs shaping our community.”

KRON4 teamed up with Salesforce as part of the tech company’s wider commitment to empower Black-owned businesses and close the racial wealth gap.

“Salesforce is proud to support the Oakland African-American Chamber of Commerce in their efforts to amplify Black entrepreneurship,” said Shalaya Shipman, senior director of Strategic Business Development at Salesforce. “We believe in the power of Black-owned businesses and as a company we are deeply committed to closing the racial wealth gap. Companies have an important opportunity and responsibility to drive racial equality in the communities around us.”

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Learning Life’s Lessons

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband.  He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

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Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.
Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”

 By Richard Johnson

I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery.  At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.

About the Author

By Post staff

Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention.  His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.

With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.

Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband.  He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action.  He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.

Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.

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Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

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