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OP-ED: What Oakland Unified Can Do to Destigmatize Adolescent Pregnancy

Published

11 years ago

August 25, 2015

By Brittany Chambers, MPH, CHES

Despite the decline of adolescent pregnancy rates in Alameda County, it remains an issue among youth of color and those from disadvantaged communities.

As a former adolescent mother who attended high school in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), transitioning to and navigating though parenthood can have significant challenges.

Brittany Chambers

For example, when most people think about adolescent pregnancy, negative issues come to mind: dropping out of high school, depending on government assistance, single-motherhood, promiscuity.

However, research shows that adolescent pregnancy alone is not the cause of these factors. Why, then, do the majority of prevention efforts rely on a “victim blaming” approach to address the issue?

A plethora of literature (here and here, for example) demonstrates that these strategies are ineffective and produce and perpetuate stigma that is harmful to these mothers, their children and their communities.

Stigma is defined as a process in which groups of people determined to have undesirable characteristics – in this case, adolescent parenthood – are marginalized from those who hold more desirable characteristics, such as delaying pregnancy until adulthood.

Studies exploring stigma among pregnant and parenting adolescents (for example, here and here) find that they experience stigma in multiple sectors in society. They experience it at school, in medical offices and clinics, in receiving social services, in the media and sometimes in the negative glares and even verbal assaults they receive in public.

In response to shame and guilt, these parents frequently engage in unhealthy coping strategies, including avoiding spaces where they feel stigmatized.

Think about this for a moment: A pregnant teen, to avoid judgment, guilt and shame, stops attending school. She skips her medical appointment. She doesn’t show up for her appointment with social services. She avoids mainstream and social media.

She starts to isolate herself from friends and peers.

Is it any wonder this young woman experiences a range of negative consequences in her present and future life? Is it possible this stigmatization could be the cause of the negative consequences associated with adolescent pregnancy and parenthood?

It is important that Oakland Unified and other school districts acknowledge this distinctive intersection of adolescence and parenthood.

By law (Title 9 of the Education Amendments of 1972), adolescent parents are allowed to continue school while pregnant and return after their child is born. However, many pregnant and parenting youth find it challenging to stay in traditional high school settings during and after pregnancy, due in part to experienced stigma from peers and school personnel.

School settings can implement a number of strategies to destigmatize adolescent pregnancy and parenthood – creating a safe space for pregnant and parenting youth, providing them with a support advocate, developing a moral focus of inclusivity of all students, offering them academic recognition, and using more positive terms to describe and interact with pregnant and parenting youth.

These can make the school community something that pregnant and parenting adolescents want to join, not avoid.

I believe this improves the school environment for all students – less stigma and more academic success reflects well on everyone in the school community.

For more information, visit my ETR blog post, etr.my/1I7u7ci.

Brittany D. Chambers, MPH, CHES is a doctoral student in Community Health Education at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She was a 2014 Kirby Summer Intern with ETR in Oakland. Contact her at bdchambe@uncg.edu.

Oakland Post

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New Protections for Ticket Buyers: Gov. Newsom Signs Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Bill

OAKLAND POST — Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

Published

6 days ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). File photo.

By California Black Media Staff

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.

Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.

Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.

The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.

Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.

“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you. This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups, and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”

Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.

“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets. Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”

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Zakiya Jendayi Arrested, Locked Out of Home by Sheriff’s Deputies

OALAND POST — On Tuesday, deputies followed Jendayi as she left her residence of 13 years to file documents in her case at the Appellate Court. Deputies arrested her upon arrival and transported her to Santa Rita Jail.

Published

6 days ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

By Tanya Dennis

Yesterday, more than 10 Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to take possession of Zakiya Jendayi’s home on behalf of a court-appointed administrator. Jendayi was arrested at the courthouse and transported to Santa Rita Jail around the same time.

Jendayi, who has been embroiled in a probate court battle to retain the inheritance bestowed on her by a longtime friend and colleague who passed away in 2013, had received a notice of eviction last month.

With help from neighbors, friends and clergy, she was able to fend off the eviction from 3614 Randolph Ave. in Oakland and even obtained a reprieve when her bid to file bankruptcy was approved by a county court.

But Philip Campbell, the court-appointed administrator, had already placed Jendayi’s home in his name in October 2025.

On Tuesday, deputies followed Jendayi when she left her residence of 13 years to go to the Appellate Court to file documents in her case. Deputies arrested her upon arrival and transported her to Santa Rita jail.

Undersheriff April Luckett-Fahini said Jendayi was arrested for “safety reasons.” At this time, it is unknown what charges were used for the arrest.

In Jendayi’s absence, Campbell came to her residence accompanied by deputies, had the property taped off with yellow crime tape, and had the locks changed.

Afterward, Campbell requested a police escort to his car amid several angry neighbors who had been advocating that officials pause the eviction pending Jendayi’s appeal.

“Zakiya Jendayi is a respected Black elder in our community,” said Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who has been working with Jendayi to prevent her eviction. “It’s outrageous that she was arrested. There needs to be more justice and equity in our probate system.”

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Ask California: Golden State Releases New AI Chatbot

Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced the prototype as part of the state’s broader effort to use artificial intelligence to make government services easier to access. The launch follows his March 2026 executive order directing state agencies to responsibly implement generative AI while protecting privacy, security and civil liberties.

Published

3 weeks ago

September 22, 2026

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California has launched AskCA, a new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to help residents find and navigate state and local government services through a single online platform.

Developed by the state’s Office of Data and Innovation, AskCA is designed around major life events rather than individual government agencies. Californians can use the tool to find information about finding a job, starting a business, accessing family services and recovering from disasters.

“When a Californian needs help, they shouldn’t have to become an expert in government to find it,” said Newsom. “We’re using the best technology California has to offer to make the government more efficient, effective, and more engaged.”

The state is now seeking Californians age 18 and older to participate in the pilot and help test and refine AskCA’s responses. Officials said subject matter experts across state governments are helping inform the chatbot’s answers, which are designed to draw from verified government sources and provide actionable information.

The prototype grew out of California’s response to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Early testing included more than 140 fire recovery leaders and Altadena wildfire survivors, a dozen job seekers and more than 100 general users.

Jeffery Marino, director of the Office of Data and Innovation, said the tool is intended to remove the need for residents to understand how government agencies are organized before they can get help.

“Californians should not have to understand how the government is organized just to get basic help,” Marino said.

AskCA’s technology will also be used in a new job-skills matching feature that the California Department of Human Resources plans to launch Sept. 30 on CalCareers. Job seekers will be able to upload a resume and receive potential matches to state job classifications.

The state said the CalCareers pilot will not store personal information or require users to have a CalCareers account. California plans to continue testing AskCA as officials evaluate its accuracy, performance and usefulness before expanding the system.