Bay Area

Oakland’s Asian Community Rallies Against Recall of Mayor Sheng Thao

Self-assured and defiant, Mayor Sheng Thao strongly defended her achievements during her first two years as mayor and went on the offensive against the billionaires who are funding the recall campaign, speaking at a rally this week backed by about 100 supporters in Oakland Chinatown. Local community and business leaders supporting Thao spoke at the Tuesday morning rally, which was held in the courtyard of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Chinatown, providing an unspoken rebuttal to corporate media portrayals of Chinatown residents as living in fear of rampant crime and united in opposition to Mayor Thao.

Published

2 years ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao spoke Tuesday, Oct. 15, at a unity rally to oppose the campaign to recall her two years into her four-year term. Photo by Ken Epstein.

“We’re saving lives in Oakland. What we are doing works,” said Mayor Thao

She said the FBI told her attorney she is not the target of an investigation but is so far unwilling to make a public statement.

By Ken Epstein

Local community and business leaders supporting Thao spoke at the Tuesday morning rally, which was held in the courtyard of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza in Chinatown, providing an unspoken rebuttal to corporate media portrayals of Chinatown residents as living in fear of rampant crime and united in opposition to Mayor Thao.

Oakland has seen unprecedented challenges during and since the pandemic, Thao said. “But I stand with you today to tell you that “Oakland has seen 14,000 less crimes this year than last year. This year, we’re headed on the right track,” with fewer homicides than in 2019. “We are saving lives in Oakland. What we are doing work,” she said.

“The billionaires, the millionaires are going to want to tell you that it’s not working and that somehow you shouldn’t believe the data,” Mayor Thao continued. “(However) the data shows that we are saving lives. That is a huge win. It’s not good enough. But it’s a place where we’re proud to start from.”

“You know who is behind this recall. It is majority funded by one executive (of a) hedge fund who doesn’t even live in Oakland. He does not care if this brings Oakland into chaos, because that’s exactly what his recall will do. Imagine a city with no leadership (for many months).

Another speaker, Stewart Chen, owner of a small business in Chinatown and a prominent political leader, has taken a strong stand against the recall.

“Mayor Thao (was) in office for less than two months before the recall started. I think it’s unfair. She hasn’t had time to prove her policies and her leadership,” Chen said.

“(Only) two months. That is not democratic. She campaigned hard and was duly elected, -justly, legally, democratically,” he said.

“The Chinatown community, we’re all here, (because) we want to see Mayor Thao (here) for the next two years” to complete her term, Chen said.

Other speakers included Kenneth Tang, organizing director of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) Action – who said he and other APEN Action members came to the rally because, “We support Mayor Thao.”

Elaine Peng, president of Asian Americans for Progressive Alameda, (AAPA) brought out people to the rally. Her organization is also actively working to elect U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mariano Contreras of the Latino Task Force and a leader of the “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!” coalition, said, “There was a time when African Americans could not vote. There was a time when Asians could not vote. There was a time when Latinos could not vote. That was called voter suppression. This is another form of voter suppression. We already cast our ballot for Mayor Sheng Thao. Please, vote ‘no’ on the recall.”

A half-dozen hecklers, part of the usual handful who come out to disrupt the mayor’s public appearances, showed up with a bull horn and a sound system to denounce Thao and her supporters. They made noise but failed to disrupt the event, though they did attract corporate media representatives who featured the hecklers in their news reports.

In a recent video interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, the mayor challenged the FBI to say publicly what they told her, that she was not the target of an investigation when they staged a widely publicized raid of her home in June.

“(After) the FBI came to my house, I haven’t opened up about what took place, but I think now is the time to open up,” Mayor Thao said. “When they came to my house at about 6 a.m. that morning, they came in with long guns, they came in with Glocks, they came in with the battering ram, ready to break down the doors of a sitting mayor’s house.”

“I am innocent,” she continued “I don’t have a criminal record. I don’t even own any guns or anything like that. When they rushed me out of the house, I (originally) thought they were there to protect me from the many threats I’ve been getting against my life and my family’s lives.”

The FBI had a search warrant, “(but) I have not received the affidavit of probable cause for them to come into my home – to this day. It was a complete overreach.”

She said she was not allowed to dress herself completely, and agents ran their fingers through her clothes before she was allowed to put them on.

“The FBI agents actually told my attorney that I am not the target of the investigation,” she said.

Her attorney sent the FBI a letter stating that “it’s been months, and we need you to come out and actually tell the public yourself that I am not the target of this investigation. And to this day, nothing, I ‘ve heard nothing from them.”

She concluded, “This raid was done two days after the recall qualified (for the ballot) … so it is not appropriate to hear nothing from them, when we know, this is going to weigh a lot on our voters’ minds when they get to the polling booth, when they mark their ballots.”

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Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant Plans Bay Area Farmers Market Initiative

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant displays watermelons from her Sacramento farm at the Temescal Festival in Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

In her 80s and still actively working as an agricultural engineer, Effie Gant continues to break barriers in urban farming and community leadership.

The certified USDA grower and respected urban farmer, based in South Sacramento, was recently spotted vending at the Freedom Farmers’ Market by the Temescal Street Fair on Saturday, July 11, where she proudly displayed dozens of sweet, juicy watermelons.

Festivalgoers gathered not only to purchase her produce but also to enjoy activities like the popular watermelon-eating contest. Yet beyond the festive atmosphere, Gant has a larger vision.

Gant is now setting her sights on the Bay Area, where she plans to launch a farmers’ market to increase access to fresh, locally grown food.

Known for her leadership in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she brings decades of hands-on experience and community advocacy to regions where food access remains inconsistent.

She has built a strong reputation through her work with Meadowview Urban Farm and the Yisrael Family Urban Farm, cultivating crops such as watermelons, honeydew melons, and collard greens. Her approach emphasizes sustainability, education, and empowering residents to grow their own food, even in small urban spaces.

As a USDA-certified grower, Gant blends technical expertise with grassroots engagement to combat food insecurity.

Beyond farming, Gant serves as CEO and President of Highways to Hedges, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice and community development. She is also president of the Hampton Station Neighborhood Association and board chairman for HHCORE, where she advocates for safety, equity, and economic opportunity.

Her proposed farmers market will connect small-scale farmers with urban communities while elevating Black farmers and other underrepresented growers.

“I want to teach the next generation about farming and how lucrative it can be,” Gant said. “You don’t need hundreds of acres. You can start with one acre or even your backyard.”Gant also noted her involvement in a collective of farmers who supply produce through government-supported programs.

“We operate as a team, and we all benefit,” she said.

Through workshops, speaking engagements, and hands-on training, Gant and her organization continue to educate communities about agriculture and food justice. Her market initiative will emphasize affordability, cultural relevance, and nutrition education.

Her broader work includes creating edible forests in partnership with Soil Born Farms, planting fruit trees directly in neighborhoods to expand food access. As a mentor with the Center of Expertise on Food Justice and Health Equity, Gant remains a leading voice in building sustainable and resilient food systems.

Gant says she welcomes the community to join her in creating a new farmer’s market.

“Farming is essential to life,” she said. “I want to train as many people as I can to use food and farming as a tool for empowerment, health, and long-term change.”

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Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

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

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

4 days 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.