Bay Area

Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce Hosts 4th Black Sunday Holiday Expo at Akoma Market

The East Oakland Black Cultural Zone is a safe place for families, professionals, and children. It was a time to celebrate Black culture as we continue to promote “Oakland for the Holidays” campaign in collaboration with KRON 4. Guests enjoyed free admission and parking and came ready to kick-start their holiday shopping!

Published

3 years ago

December 12, 2021

Oakland Post

Present at the Black Sunday Holiday Expo were Carl Davis, president of the California Black Chamber of Commerce; Cathy D. Adams, president of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce; Frederick Jordan, president of the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce; Jonathan Jones, Post Newspaper Group and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf with ‘Little King’ Landon Sandoval.

By Post Staff

The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), in collaboration with Akoma Outdoor Market, celebrated the season at the 4^th Annual Black Sunday Holiday Expo on December 5, at 73^rd Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in Oakland.

OAACC was joined by the city’s other ethnic chambers of commerce in this community event.

OAACC also promoted several Black-owned businesses which needed to boost revenue because of the ongoing pandemic. “The Culture Zone has offered vendor spaces for a number of businesses that do not have a store front,” said District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor. “Growing their businesses by participating every month is a step closer too to a permanent location and job creation.”

“We have to continue to support Black-owned businesses to help them survive and thrive,” said Cathy D. Adams, who is president and CEO of the OAACC. “Our job is to promote our businesses as much as possible and find resources to support them.

“This year we featured live entertainment by the legendary West Coast Blues under the direction of Ronnie Stewart. Desserts were provided by Grandma’s Desserts business owner Sherry Vance. Food was catered by Magnolia Street Catering, a member of OAACC.

Mayor Libby Schaaf joined the Holiday Expo to provide an official greeting and San Francisco Mayor London Breed made a guest appearance as did recording artist Dewayne Wiggins.

District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid and Congresswoman Barbara Lee were not able to attend but both sent a representative.

Also present was Carl Davis Jr., the new president and chief executive officer of the California African American Chamber of Commerce. He is also known as the founder of the Northern California Black Chamber Presidents Association, which was represented by its current president Elease Cheek. Frederick Jordan, board chairman and founder of the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce was present as well.

OAACC partnered with Lend a Hand Foundation in collecting toys at the Expo. The organization is still in need of unwrapped toys for children 1-11 years old. Toys can still be dropped off at OAACC’s office at 333 Helgenberger Road, Suite 269 in Oakland, Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Please call the office at (510) 268-1600 if you are able to donate a toy.

OAACC was established in 2003. We are a private non-profit organization whose mission is to advance economic opportunity and strengthen Oakland’s Black business community. We provide several services for our business associates and members including access to workshops, business development opportunities and advocacy.

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Activism

Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

Published

3 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Corey Jackson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.

“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.

The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.

Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.

However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.

“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

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Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

7 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

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Activism

Barbara Lee Accepts Victory With “Responsibility, Humility and Love”

“I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility, and love. Oakland is a deeply divided City,” Lee said in an April 19 statement. “I answered the call to run to unite our community, so that I can represent every voter, and we can all work together as One Oakland to solve our most pressing problems.”

Published

7 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌,
California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

As a candidate for mayor, former U.S. Representative Barbara Lee released a “10-point plan” last week to reassure residents that she will tackle Oakland’s most pressing challenges.

Now that she has edged out her competitors in the ranked-choice special election with 50% or more of the vote, the former Congresswoman, who represented parts of the Bay Area in the U.S. House of Representatives, can put her vision in motion as the city’s first Black woman mayor.

On Saturday evening, Taylor conceded to Lee. There are still about 300 Vote-by-Mail ballots left to be verified, according to county election officials. The ballots will be processed on April 21 and April 22.

“This morning, I called Congresswoman Barbara Lee to congratulate her on becoming the next Mayor of Oakland,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I pray that Mayor-Elect Lee fulfills her commitment to unify Oakland by authentically engaging the 47% of Oaklanders who voted for me and who want pragmatic, results-driven leadership.”

The influential Oakland Post endorsed Lee’s campaign, commending her leadership on the local, state, and federal levels.

Paul Cobb, The Post’s publisher, told California Black Media that Lee will bring back “respect and accountability” to the mayor’s office.

“She is going to be a collegial leader drawing on the advice of community nonprofit organizations and those who have experience in dealing with various issues,” Cobb said. “She’s going to try to do a consensus-building thing among those who know the present problems that face the city.”

Born in El Paso, Texas, Lee’s family moved to California while she was in high school. At 20 years old, Lee divorced her husband after the birth of her first child. After the split, Lee went through a tough period, becoming homeless and having to apply for public assistance to make ends meet.

But destitution did not deter the young woman.

Lee groomed herself to become an activist and advocate in Oakland and committed to standing up for the most vulnerable citizens in her community.

Lee traveled to Washington, D.C. to work for then U.S. Congressman Ron Dellums after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland in 1973. Lee later won a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fellowship to attend the School of Social Welfare, and she earned a Master of Social Work from the University of California-Berkeley in 1975.

Lee later served in the California State Assembly and State Senate before she was elected to Congress in 1998.

After serving in the U.S. Congress for more than 25 years, Lee ran unsuccessfully for California’s U.S. Senate in the 2024 primary election.

Lee joins current Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and former San Francisco Mayor London Breed as Black women serving as chief executives of major cities in California over the last few years.