City Government

Oakland Leaders Celebrate César Chávez’s Legacy

Published

7 years ago

April 4, 2019

In celebration of the legacy César Chávez, the Oakland City Council this week recognized local community leaders who represent that legacy “through their leadership and community service.”

Honored by Councilmember Dan Kalb were Jane García, chief executive officer, and Dr. Christina X. Chávez-Johnson, MD, at La Clínica de la Raza. César Chávez was Dr. Chavez-Johnson’s great uncle.

“Founded in 1971, La Clínica de La Raza provides community-based primary healthcare services, designed and delivered in a manner which appropriately addresses the cultural and linguistic needs of a diverse array of people from Latino, Asian, African and other heritages,” according to La Clínica’s website.

Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas honored the Oakland-based organization, (MUA), a membership organization that promotes social and economic justice for immigrant women. MUA works to implement the Domestic Workers Bill of rights, supports victims of domestic violence and fights for sanctuary and to end family separation.

René Quiñonez, recognized by Councilmember Sheng Thao, is owner of the Movement Ink apparel store. One of his recent projects was making the T-shirts for the Oakland teachers’ strike.

District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo honored Chris Iglesias and the Fruitvale District-based organization he leads, the Unity Council. Gallo recognized Iglesias for his “commitment to low-income and immigrant families” and tireless effort to implement “a social equity agenda.”

Gary Jimenez, vice president of politics at SEIU Local 1021, was recognized by Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan. Jimenez, a custodian at Fremont Unified School District, has served as a labor and community leader in Oakland for more than 20 years. Kaplan said that Jimenez has a “proven track record of … advocating for those whose voices are so often unheard.”

The Mayor’s Office honored Gema Quetzal Cardenas, an Oakland high school student and former student member of the Oakland Board of Education, was appointed by then Gov. Jerry Brown to serve on the state Board of Education for the 2018-2019 school year.

District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor recognized Fremont High School Assistant Principal Nidya Baez, herself a graduate of Fremont High and currently a District 6 resident. “I knew I wanted to work alongside my community by helping to increase youth voice and leadership since I was 16 years old,” she said.

District 7Councilmember Loren Taylor honored Zeydi Gutierrez, who works at AB&I Foundry in Oakland.

Ken Epstein

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

6 days ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

1 week ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.