Bay Area
Oakland at Its Best… A Glimpse: Uniting the Community and Supporting Future Generations
This past Saturday, September 7, 2024, the West Oakland community, particularly in the Campbell Village area at 8th and Campbell, came together for a heartwarming and festive event. The 4th annual backpack giveaway, hosted by Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB) in collaboration with annual community giveaway by the Grown & Sexy Divas Motorcycle Club, truly captured the spirit of Oakland — uniting the community and supporting future generations.
Oakland Unites: FIGB and Grown & Sexy Divas Motorcycle Club Host 4th Annual Backpack Giveaway
By: Richard “Razor” Johnson
This past Saturday, September 7, 2024, the West Oakland community, particularly in the Campbell Village area at 8th and Campbell, came together for a heartwarming and festive event. The 4th annual backpack giveaway, hosted by Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB) in collaboration with annual community giveaway by the Grown & Sexy Divas Motorcycle Club, truly captured the spirit of Oakland — uniting the community and supporting future generations.
Children and families were able to do more than just pick up backpacks filled with school supplies; they stayed to play, eat, and engage with community leaders. The event featured bungee jumping, games for the children, delicious food for all, and clothing donations for those in need. The collaboration between FIGB and the Grown & Sexy Divas demonstrated the strength and unity of Oaklanders coming together for the greater good.
Nicole Goodwin and Dana Terry of the Grown & Sexy Divas Motorcycle Club, along with FIGB, organized the event with the mission of empowering and uplifting the community. Their commitment was evident in the joy and sense of togetherness felt by all who attended.
Sam DJ McNeal, one of the many who stopped by to show support, added energy to the event while participating in a nearby dance video shoot. In addition to the backpack giveaway, the event offered free clothing, toiletries, toys, and meals, accompanied by uplifting music that set the perfect tone.
Most notably, ex-Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong took the time out of his busy schedule to attend the event and assist in the backpack giveaway. His presence was a powerful reminder of his commitment to bringing the community back to its prominence. Armstrong’s actions reflect a genuine desire to improve Oakland, not just through words, but through direct involvement. His participation helped make the event a shining example of what collective action and leadership can achieve.
The success of the event was made possible by the generous support of community leaders and organizations. Among the key supporters were Kathy Adam, CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce; Jonathan Paul Jones from the African American Sports & Entertainment Group (AASEG); Oakland Post News Group; Rick Fortenberry of the Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC); and Maritony & Associates. FIGB members from Sacramento, Stockton, and San Francisco also came out, further showcasing regional unity.
The overwhelming participation from so many groups and individuals is a testament to the power of unity in Oakland. In all, it was a joyous and successful day, showcasing what the city can achieve when the community comes together to uplift its own, fostering hope and strength for the future.
Special thanks to all the sponsors and supporters who made this event possible.
Bay Area
Homelessness Committee and Advocates Urge City to Stop Confiscating Unhoused People’s Belongings
Encampment sweeps are not a new method of action to evict people from living and sleeping on the streets in San Francisco. However, recent reports indicate that city staff are not following proper policy, exacerbating the problems for unhoused people. Homeless advocates and allies held a press conference on Thursday at City Hall, condemning staff workers for destroying people’s property during encampment evictions and asking officials to ensure that important documents and medication are not being stripped from these individuals.
By Magaly Muñoz
Encampment sweeps are not a new method of action to evict people from living and sleeping on the streets in San Francisco. However, recent reports indicate that city staff are not following proper policy, exacerbating the problems for unhoused people.
Homeless advocates and allies held a press conference on Thursday at City Hall, condemning staff workers for destroying people’s property during encampment evictions and asking officials to ensure that important documents and medication are not being stripped from these individuals.
“By destroying the very items that could help people regain stability, the city is not just punishing people for being poor, but actively making it harder for them to escape homelessness,” Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, said.
Friedenbach criticized the city for not fixing their housing problem or finding new ways to shelter people, instead they are further adding to the harm of the “humanitarian crisis that San Francisco is facing.”
The press conference was held before the monthly Homelessness Oversight Commission (HOC) meeting, where commissioners discussed a draft resolution to submit to city staff highlighting the importance of not separating people from their items as this might cause further distress.
The resolution lists ssential items that workers should be cautious of not destroying or throwing away including medical documents and medication, work permits, identification, and survival gear, such as blankets or tents.
City policy instructs workers to “bag and tag” items left behind after an encampment sweep. These items are labeled by Public Works and kept at their operations yard for 90 days before being discarded.
But according to several reports and videos of the sweeps, the city has not always followed this policy and has on numerous occasions thrown away people’s medications or tents, leaving individuals without their essentials.
During the meeting, commissioners suggested adding school records and family related support items, such as diapers, to the resolution because of the increasing number of families living on the streets.
Virginia Taylor, senior policy advisor for Safe & Sound, said 531 families are waiting for housing in San Francisco. Many of these families are living out of their cars or in RVs, yet the city has limited safe parking spots where people can situate themselves.
Along with not throwing out people’s belongings, advocates are also continuing to ask the city to stop the encampment sweeps because all they are accomplishing is moving unhoused folks block to block without solving the root problem of lack of consistent housing.
“We need urgent action, more family shelter beds, a stop to vehicle sweeps, expanded safe parking programs and housing solutions that keep our multi-generational families together. Our children’s futures depend on it. Let’s build a San Francisco where no family falls through the crack and every child has the opportunity to thrive,” Taylor said.
Speakers referenced the RV sweep conducted in early August on Zoo Road, where dozens of people, many of them non-English speaking immigrants, were asked to leave the parking lot or else their vehicles would be towed and they would be cited.
While people were offered shelter beds or housing vouchers, some worried about where they would stay while the city processed their applications. This drew criticism of San Francisco’s method of not always having immediate options for people yet continuing to sweep unhoused folks with nowhere to go.
Commissioners of HOC agreed that the city is not trying to exacerbate the issue and the resolution is one of many steps to ensure that there are no setbacks in the progress to ending homelessness in San Francisco.
The HOC will approve the resolution at a later meeting once amendments and changes are made.
Bay Area
Former Mayor Willie L. Brown Endorses Dana Lang for BART Board District 7
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island. Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.
By Oakland Post Staff
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie L. Brown has announced his endorsement support for Dana Lang for BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes voters from both sides of the Bay, and in San Francisco includes Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island.
Brown acknowledged that Lang has been a behind-the-scenes force in transportation funding for many years and can help BART manage its financial challenges.
“When I met with Dana Lang I asked many questions, then I asked others about her contributions. Getting to know her I realized that she truly understood transportation. At a time when BART is facing a “fiscal cliff” and an upcoming deficit of nearly $360 million per year, Dana is more than ready for this job, she is ready to meet the moment!”
Over the past 24 years Lang has been a funding and grants specialist with several municipal transportation agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Muni, San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Lang says, “I’ve faced a number of fiscal crises in my career — such as securing $52 million in new transit security funding for SFMTA (Muni) during the 2008 Great Recession, when others thought it was not possible. I have always managed to identify new funding and ways to make transit more secure. Facing a crisis is the best time to act, through advocacy and policy setting. We’ve got to keep BART running and make it safer and more vibrant in order to meet the needs of our riders, our work force, and our community.”
Lang grew up in the low-income minority community of East Palo Alto, CA, and knew that locating grants and resources could positively impact an entire city and its surrounding region — helping to create and retain agency jobs, getting transit riders to their workplaces, and encouraging small business development near transit hubs.
With that in mind, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wellesley College, then an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. She started her municipal career as a policy advisor to Mayor Elihu Harris and helped secure grants for the City of Oakland before moving to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to serve as a transportation grants specialist.
During her 24-year career she has helped secure hundreds of millions of dollars for Bay Area transit agencies and municipalities. In addition to BART’s financial health, Lang’s priorities for BART also include safety, cleanliness, station vitality — and bringing riders back to BART. She has served on the BART Police Civilian Review Board since 2022.
Lang is also endorsed by BART Board Director Robert Raburn, former BART Board Director Carole Ward Allen, the Rev. Amos Brown, pastor of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church, Alameda County supervisors Keith Carson and Nate Miley, former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Oakland Chinatown leader Carl Chan, and many others.
Lang is seeking the BART Board District 7 Seat, which includes San Francisco’s Bay View Hunters Point and Treasure Island, a large portion of Oakland, the cities of Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, and a small portion of Berkeley.
Art
Phenomenal Woman’ Maya Angelou Monument Unveiled at San Francisco Main Library
In a joyful community celebration attended by over 200 people, including Mayor London Breed, the highly anticipated ‘Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman’ monument to Dr. Maya Angelou was unveiled at the San Francisco Main Library on Sept. 19. Oakland-based artist Lava Thomas created the 9-foot bronze and stone monument in the form of a book featuring a portrait and quotes from the celebrated author, poet, civil rights activist and former San Francisco resident.
By Linda Parker Pennington
In a joyful community celebration attended by over 200 people, including Mayor London Breed, the highly anticipated ‘Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman’ monument to Dr. Maya Angelou was unveiled at the San Francisco Main Library on Sept. 19.
Oakland-based artist Lava Thomas created the 9-foot bronze and stone monument in the form of a book featuring a portrait and quotes from the celebrated author, poet, civil rights activist and former San Francisco resident.
The work was commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission in response to legislation passed in 2018 by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, requiring at least 30% female representation in the public realm.
Attending the unveiling were Angelou’s grandson, Elliott Jones, social advocate, philanthropist, and board member of the Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation; and Rosa Johnson, Angelou’s niece and family archivist, who spoke about the historic unveiling of this first public monument portraying a Black woman in San Francisco’s history.
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