Community

Op Ed: Cannabis Equity Is Right for Oakland

Published

10 years ago

January 23, 2017

By Carroll Fife

After Civil War Reconstruction, white men fearing loss of privilege and power used intimidation, manipulation, and violence to influence the law and maintain systems of dominance.They did this because emancipated and free African Americans were beginning to engage the economic and political systems previously inaccessible to them. Black leaders set out to expand the rights of individuals who designed and built this country, yet had been denied its benefits.

The quest of Black elected officials was equity and autonomy. The response from White America was panic. It is now as it was then. And like clockwork the reaction is to “Make America Great Again.”

Unfortunately we don’t have to go back hundreds of years to experience “whitelash”, nor do we have to look to the deep South. Right here in Oakland, a push for fairness in the legalized cannabis industry has caused a similar knee jerk reaction in those who would deny entry opportunities for Black and Brown residents in the above-ground economy.

Currently, People of Color are less than 5 percent of the industry and many would keep it that way.

A recent mailer depicting three City Council members as “stooges” with a black fist ripping an oak tree from the ground is circulating. It conjures images of violence and racism similar to leaflets circulated by newspaper editor John Mullaly during the Civil War.

He condemned the war to be “wicked” and “unnecessary” because it “would solely benefit negroes,”. The Oakland mailer targets the elected officials for pushing racial equity in an industry that has criminalized and jailed Blacks and Latinos for engaging in practices that will now legally create wealth for everyone else.

The idea that we should reject equity is just wrong. As residents of this city, we should all push for equity and fairness. Justice begins with leveling the playing field.

It is one thing to have a perspective about the processes of City Hall, it’s entirely different to represent African American and Latino elected officials as caricatures because they present something you disagree with.

The offensive and demeaning representation of these individuals is reminiscent of an era in American history when it was commonplace to publicly undermine, mock and dehumanize POC leadership.

A deeper look at the creator of this mailer raises concerns about the potential racist mindset of it’s designer and the movement to kill the Equity Permit Program.

According to the Eastbay Express, Eugene Gorelik, who is listed on the flyer, is the same landlord that repeatedly hung Donald Trump banners from the rental home of a disabled, African American senior he evicted on Christmas Day.

Regardless of Gorelik’s opinions and tasteless commentary, it IS the responsibility of lawmakers at all levels of government to create equity in systems that have been responsible for historic disenfranchisement.

It is imperative, for all to prosper, that communities of color have a seat at the table and the ability to build their own tables. It is the obligation of the Council to do the right thing in service of public good.

Because the system has primarily benefited a few white men, it’s often challenging for them to see things more inclusively.

Entitlement prevents a true dialogue on how to achieve equity. As we countdown to the presidential inauguration, the nation is on edge. People are concerned about Trump’s Cabinet as well as his rhetoric and what it incites in his followers.

The soon-to-be Commander-in-Chief has made it okay to be sexist, racist, and xenophobic. Some fear a rise in white nationalism on a spectrum ranging from everyday discrimination to more white supremacist martyr’s like Dylan Roof.

In Oakland, we fight. It’s the diversity of this city that gives it strength. We must support policies that promote economic self-sufficiency, particularly for those who’ve been under attack.

I urge the City Council members who are working for REAL equity to continue the fight.

We are moving in a direction that will create community wealth in places where it doesn’t currently exist, increase small businesses and jobs for residents, and allow people who would otherwise be displaced to remain in the city.

I am confident that we will end up on the right side of history and that Oakland is Doing the Right Thing for the Cannabis Equity.

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.