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Oakland Seeks More Community Chaplains; New Classes to Start in June

Pastors of Oakland President Phyllis Scott and OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong are hoping to have 30 community chaplains by the end of the year. New classes are scheduled to start in June. For more information on how to become a volunteer chaplain, please call Pastor Phyllis Scott at (510) 688-7437 or send an e-mail to tolemsecretary@gmail.com

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Christin Dale, Esq. and Rev. Antoné Hicks.
Christin Dale, Esq. and Rev. Antoné Hicks.

Two weeks ago, the Pastors of Oakland completed training of 11 Community Chaplains to assist the Oakland Police Department in helping families in the first throes of trauma after life-changing incidents ranging from car accidents to assault and battery, domestic violence and sudden, tragic death.

Pastors of Oakland President Phyllis Scott and OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong are hoping to have 30 community chaplains by the end of the year.

New classes are scheduled to start in June. For more information on how to become a volunteer chaplain, please call Pastor Phyllis Scott at (510) 688-7437 or send an e-mail to tolemsecretary@gmail.com

Below, in their own words, the new graduates share their reasons for becoming community chaplains.

Christin Dale, Esq.

I am a California-based attorney. My reasons to pursue Pastor Phyllis Scott’s chaplaincy training are three-fold. My first reason stems from my childhood. I grew up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Davenport, Iowa. My neighborhood was a low-income, high crime area. Like many of my neighbors, I regularly attended the local church where its community gave me an incredible sense of inclusion, support, and sense of belonging to something greater than myself. When I moved to the East Bay, I felt a similar sense of community.

My second reason for pursuing the chaplaincy program is service. I have been gifted with the tools to serve this community, both as a chaplain and an attorney. As a lawyer, I assist those overcoming various legal challenges. As a chaplain, I help those who are forced to deal with overwhelming trauma while making an effort to prevent others from enduring such pain. In both of these capacities, I provide my services to those I feel most connected to and identify with, the marginalized Oakland community.

Finally, I believe in Pastor Scott’s vision of hope for advancing and healing the Oakland community. Pastor Scott has made it her mission to uplift Oakland, to be on the front lines in responding to violent crimes so the community knows there are people offering support and actively taking actions to prevent violent crimes from reoccurring, not just from one day to the next but from one generation to the next. Pastor Scott’s chaplaincy program couldn’t come soon enough for Oakland. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to serve and promote this vision for the people of Oakland.

Rev. Antoné Hicks

I became an Oakland Chaplain because I want to serve the Oakland community. I was born and raised in Oakland and currently serve as a City of Oakland employee.

Violence was prevalent in the neighborhood where I grew up and resources were scarce. I know firsthand some of the difficulties families face in their daily lives. I also know firsthand the community bond that exists in Oakland. I am forever grateful for the people in my community who shared their time, love, and resources with me. I want to be a resource for someone else in need.

Serving as an Oakland Community Chaplain allows me the opportunity to be present for people who need help and might not know how to ask or don’t believe they are worthy of receiving. When I was struggling, I didn’t know how to ask for help, but members of my community saw my need and helped me.

Lastly, I want to share my faith by way of service. I want to fellowship with my community not just in the good times but in the difficult times as well. It is my honor and privilege to serve as an Oakland Community Chaplain.

Activism

Juneteenth: Celebrating Our History, Honoring Our Shared Spaces

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

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Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans
Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

By Wayne Wilson, Public Affairs Campaign Manager, Caltrans

Juneteenth marks an important moment in our shared history—a time to reflect on the legacy of our ancestors who, even in the face of injustice, chose freedom, unity, and community over fear, anger, and hopelessness. We honor their resilience and the paths they paved so future generations can continue to walk with pride.

It’s been empowering to watch Juneteenth blossom into a widely celebrated holiday, filled with vibrant outdoor events like cookouts, festivals, parades, and more. It’s inspiring to see the community embrace our history—showing up in droves to celebrate freedom, a freedom delayed for some enslaved Americans more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

As we head into the weekend full of festivities and summer celebrations, I want to offer a friendly reminder about who is not invited to the cookout: litter.

At Clean California, we believe the places where we gather—parks, parade routes, street corners, and church lots—should reflect the pride and beauty of the people who fill them. Our mission is to restore and beautify public spaces, transforming areas impacted by trash and neglect into spaces that reflect the strength and spirit of the communities who use them.

Too often, after the music fades and the grills cool, our public spaces are left littered with trash. Just as our ancestors took pride in their communities, we honor their legacy when we clean up after ourselves, teach our children to do the same, and care for our shared spaces.

Small acts can inspire big change. Since 2021, Clean California and its partners have collected and removed over 2.9 million cubic yards of litter. We did this by partnering with local nonprofits and community organizations to organize grassroots cleanup events and beautification projects across California.

Now, we invite all California communities to continue the incredible momentum and take the pledge toward building a cleaner community through our Clean California Community Designation Program. This recognizes cities and neighborhoods committed to long-term cleanliness and civic pride.

This Juneteenth, let’s not only celebrate our history—but also contribute to its legacy. By picking up after ourselves and by leaving no litter behind after celebrations, we have an opportunity to honor our past and shape a cleaner, safer, more vibrant future.

Visit CleanCA.com to learn more about Clean California.

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Activism

OPINION: California’s Legislature Has the Wrong Prescription for the Affordability Crisis — Gov. Newsom’s Plan Hits the Mark

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

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Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.
Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook. Courtesy of Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook.

By Rev. Dr. Lawrence E. VanHook

As a pastor and East Bay resident, I see firsthand how my community struggles with the rising cost of everyday living. A fellow pastor in Oakland recently told me he cuts his pills in half to make them last longer because of the crushing costs of drugs.

Meanwhile, community members are contending with skyrocketing grocery prices and a lack of affordable healthcare options, while businesses are being forced to close their doors.

Our community is hurting. Things have to change.

The most pressing issue that demands our leaders’ attention is rising healthcare costs, and particularly the rising cost of medications. Annual prescription drug costs in California have spiked by nearly 50% since 2018, from $9.1 billion to $13.6 billion.

Last month, Gov. Newsom included measures in his budget that would encourage greater transparency, accountability, and affordability across the prescription drug supply chain. His plan would deliver real relief to struggling Californians. It would also help expose the hidden markups and practices by big drug companies that push the prices of prescription drugs higher and higher. The legislature should follow the Governor’s lead and embrace sensible, fair regulations that will not raise the cost of medications.

Some lawmakers, however, have advanced legislation that would drive up healthcare costs and set communities like mine back further.

I’m particularly concerned with Senate Bill (SB) 41, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), a carbon copy of a 2024 bill that I strongly opposed and Gov. Newsom rightly vetoed. This bill would impose significant healthcare costs on patients, small businesses, and working families, while allowing big drug companies to increase their profits.

SB 41 would impose a new $10.05 pharmacy fee for every prescription filled in California. This new fee, which would apply to millions of Californians, is roughly five times higher than the current average of $2.

For example, a Bay Area family with five monthly prescriptions would be forced to shoulder about $500 more in annual health costs. If a small business covers 25 employees, each with four prescription fills per month (the national average), that would add nearly $10,000 per year in health care costs.

This bill would also restrict how health plan sponsors — like employers, unions, state plans, Medicare, and Medicaid — partner with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to negotiate against big drug companies and deliver the lowest possible costs for employees and members. By mandating a flat fee for pharmacy benefit services, this misguided legislation would undercut your health plan’s ability to drive down costs while handing more profits to pharmaceutical manufacturers.

This bill would also endanger patients by eliminating safety requirements for pharmacies that dispense complex and costly specialty medications. Additionally, it would restrict home delivery for prescriptions, a convenient and affordable service that many families rely on.

Instead of repeating the same tired plan laid out in the big pharma-backed playbook, lawmakers should embrace Newsom’s transparency-first approach and prioritize our communities.

Let’s urge our state legislators to reject policies like SB 41 that would make a difficult situation even worse for communities like ours.

About the Author

Rev. Dr. VanHook is the founder and pastor of The Community Church in Oakland and the founder of The Charis House, a re-entry facility for men recovering from alcohol and drug abuse.

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Activism

Congress Says Yes to Rep. Simon’s Disability Hiring and Small Biz Support Bill

“As the first congenitally blind person to serve in Congress, I am incredibly honored to lead and excited to celebrate the House passage of the ‘ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act,’” said Simon.

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U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12). File photo.
U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12). File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The House of Representatives unanimously passed the “ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act” on June 3, marking a major win for U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) and co-sponsor Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) in their bipartisan effort to promote inclusive hiring and boost small business accessibility.

The legislation establishes a federal partnership between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the National Council on Disability to help small businesses across the U.S. hire more individuals with disabilities and provide resources for disabled entrepreneurs.

“As the first congenitally blind person to serve in Congress, I am incredibly honored to lead and excited to celebrate the House passage of the ‘ThinkDIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act,’” said Simon.

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of cities, making them accessible for all will maximize local economic activity and broaden the job market to everyone who is seeking to contribute to their communities,” she continued. “Investments in business and talent in our communities shouldn’t be limited to just those who are not disabled. Full stop, period.”

Since taking office in January 2025, Simon has introduced six bills. The House has approved two of them: this measure and the “Assisting Small Businesses, Not Fraudsters Act.”

Simon, a lifelong disability rights advocate and former BART board member, has focused her career on improving access, from public transit to the job market.

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