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Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea

Kids with the Oakland PAL, or Oakland Police Activities League, brought home four medals in track & field at the International Children’s Games in South Korea this summer. The children’s games were created to foster friendship and understanding of Olympic ideals through the “encouragement of sports meets and competitions to enable the children of different countries, with their different languages, origins and outlooks,” according to the International Children’s Games official website.

Published

7 months ago

October 4, 2023

Magaly Muñoz

The girls won silver medal for the 4x100 relay, the boys won gold in the 100m and 4x100 relay. Courtesy photo.

By Magaly Muñoz
Post Staff

Kids with the Oakland PAL, or Oakland Police Activities League, brought home four medals in track & field at the International Children’s Games in South Korea this summer.

The children’s games were created to foster friendship and understanding of Olympic ideals through the “encouragement of sports meets and competitions to enable the children of different countries, with their different languages, origins and outlooks,” according to the International Children’s Games official website.

The girls team won silver in the 4×100 relay, the boys team won gold in the 100m and silver in the 400m, and gold in the 4×100 relay.

Margaret Dixon, a now-retired police officer with Oakland PD, coaches the PAL program’s track-and-field team and has been doing so for 38 years. She says the young athletes were full of excitement to meet new people in a completely different country.

“They were like Olympic stars,” Dixon said. “You know, people were really engaged and in tune to them.”

She added that the kids shared autographs, pins and jerseys with other athletes, really getting to mimic the experience of what the actual Olympics would feel and look like.

Coach Dixon said talent is not the only thing she evaluates when choosing who gets to go to these types of competitions. She looks to see who would be the most appreciative of the experience and who would fully immerse themselves in these environments.

“Yes, I want you to be athletically able to handle such competition. But I also want to know, can I travel with you out of the country?” Dixon said. “I look at the parents to see what kind of attitude they have. Because usually, you know, a good parent attitude will trickle down to a good kids’ attitude.”

She says that the kids that were ultimately selected were taken to language classes and restaurants before the trip to Korea so that they could get familiar with the culture and history before the competition.

Dixon also said so many people come together to support and educate these young athletes so that they are able to achieve what they work so hard for.

Janai Gillam, mother of Kaylen Gillam who was on the girls’ team, was one of the parents who got to watch her child bring home a medal. She said her daughter, 13 at the time of the competition, has been with the PAL program for almost seven years and she couldn’t be prouder of her and the rest of the kids.

“It just shows that hard work pays off and you can do anything you can when you put your mind to it,” Gillam said. “When I say those kids did it, they showed up and showed out for Oakland.”

She added that not only does the program help the kids stay active and healthy, but it also keeps them disciplined and helps them stay in line in their everyday lives. She says the program has positively impacted her daughter, who plans to stay with Oakland PAL while also running track in high school.

Coach Dixon shared the same sentiment that the program wasn’t all about running or athletics, it was also about providing them with the tools and opportunities to pursue this after high school. She said PAL gives out scholarships every year to students in the program because they know college is expensive and they want to give these kids a leg up that they normally might not have.

Phinehas Browne, one of the kids on the boys’ team who went to compete in South Korea, says track and field is exactly what he wants to pursue outside of PAL into high school, and hopefully, one day at the LA 2028 Summer Olympics.

“If I run a good enough time, I should be able to go there [the Olympics]. That’s my goal right now,” Browne, 15, said.

Browne was one of the boys who helped win the gold medal in the 4×100 relay and he personally brought home the silver medal in the 400m race. He says he puts in anywhere from four to seven hours into training, so he’s happy that his hard work was rewarded so well at the competition.

He shared that being part of Oakland PAL has helped him stay out of trouble and kept him involved with the community. He wants other kids his age to know that there are opportunities worldwide for them and that there are good things that come out of Oakland, not just whatever stereotypes the city has, and being able to compete internationally felt like the first step for others to see that.

“And now people know about Oakland, not just in the U.S., but across the world,” Browne said. “Being able to know that people know my face and know my name and they have a different outlook on Oakland than some others might have, it just feels good.”

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 8 – 14, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 8 – 14, 2024

Published

54 mins ago

May 10, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Activism

S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System

Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.

Published

6 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

By Carla Thomas

San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.

“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”

According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.

“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”

Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.

SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.

Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.

Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.

Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.

“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.

This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.

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Bay Area

Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing

On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

Published

6 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed (File Photo)

By Oakland Post Staff

The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.

The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).

In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.

“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”

“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”

Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.

In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.

The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.

“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.

“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.

Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.

Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.

“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.