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OPINION: MACRO Success Depends on Qualified Oaklanders Who Know Our Neighborhoods

We always knew that we would have to fight for good pay and benefits.

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Back view of rescue service team member holding a bag and standing next to the vehicle with rotating beacons

Jobs in Oakland Series

Oakland is finally nearing implementation of a model program that will provide a humane alternative model for low-level emergency calls that do not require a police response.

Faith in Action East Bay (FAIEB) and other members of the Coalition for Police Accountability were deeply involved in a year-long community process, especially in targeted neighborhoods, that included town halls, participatory research, and stakeholder meetings, to develop an appropriate program unique to Oakland.

Two significant concerns were emphasized. Oaklanders overwhelmingly believe that hiring and training diverse, qualified residents that reflect the community they serve is essential to building public trust.

We always knew that we would have to fight for good pay and benefits.

“If they’re hiring us, what kind of jobs will they be?” was the common question. In February 2019, FIAEB members prepared lunch for 70 unhoused neighbors testifying to the Oakland Police Commission.  We heard repeatedly: “when we have emergencies, we need someone to call — who is not the police.”

Out  of  that,  came  the  inspiration  for  the  Mobile  Assistance Community  Responders  of  Oakland  (MACRO),  focusing  on:

  1. A non-police response  to  appropriate  low-level  911  calls;
  2. Centering de-escalation, trauma-informed care, and connecting residents to local services;
  3. Well-trained community responders, who reflect the neighborhoods they serve;
  4. Excellent jobs that attract exceptional candidates and have low turn-over;
  5. A dedicated MACRO phone number for residents who don’t want to call  911;
  6. Community engagement in pilot development and implementation.

Despite the city administration’s attempt to undermine the design of MACRO, we can ensure that it succeeds by calling on our councilmembers to give clear direction to the city that:

  • MACRO job descriptions accurately reflect the complex, challenging nature of these emergency response jobs and remove unnecessary requirements that block otherwise qualified applicants who are from the neighborhoods they serve.
  • Ensure $70,000 salaries to fairly compensate MACRO responders and ensure a stable workforce.  This is work previously done by police officers who are paid almost double.  Impacted Oakland neighborhoods need and deserve good jobs.
  • Do not divert 42% of MACRO’s staff budget to unnecessary highly paid positions that do not meet the core mission of emergency response.

Black and Brown folk have long done similar, low-paid, devalued work in homeless outreach, violence interruption, and drug counseling. Alternative crisis response is a new, expanding job market. Other jurisdictions are already expanding initial pilots. This is the moment to make sure MACRO responders are properly compensated, can afford to live in Oakland, and can become long-term experts at serving our community.

This is the moment for our City Council to insist that MACRO be implemented for success.

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This opinion is part of Gay Plair Cobb’s Series on Jobs in Oakland. She is the Chief Executive Officer, Emerita, of the Oakland Private Industry Council, Inc., dba Oakland Partners in Careers. (Disclosure: She is married to Post News Group Publisher Paul Cobb.)

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Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

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EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.”

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By Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
46th President of the United States: 2021—2025

The people of Galveston, Texas, have been commemorating Juneteenth since the Civil War ended. Yesterday, in honor of the 160th anniversary, I went there to join them.

You can read about the events of Juneteenth, but there’s nothing quite like going to Galveston and seeing where it all happened.

After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Union troops marched across the South for two months, freeing enslaved people along the way. Their final stop was Galveston, an island off the Gulf coast of Texas. There, on June 19, 1865, Union troops went to Reedy Chapel, a church founded in 1848 by enslaved people, and posted a document titled simply “General Order #3.”

“The people of Texas are informed,” it said, “that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

We can only imagine the joy that spread through Galveston – and across the state and nation – on that day and those that followed.

Yesterday, there was once again joy in Galveston, with a parade, picnic, and fireworks. There was also great solemnity, because Juneteenth is a sacred day – a day of weight and power.

The Book of Psalms tells us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of that joyful morning to come.

As President, I had the great honor of signing the law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was our nation’s first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created in 1983.

Our federal holidays say a lot about who we are as a nation. We have holidays celebrating our independence… the laborers who build this nation… the servicemembers who served and died in its defense.

And now, we also have a national holiday dedicated to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

Signing that law was one of my proudest acts as President.

Yet for 156 years, Juneteenth was not written about in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Still today, there are those who say it does not deserve a holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery and the terrible harm it did to our country.

I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.

I also believe that it’s not enough to commemorate the past. We must also embrace the obligation we have to the future. As Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” And right now, we Americans need to keep the faith and do the work.

In honor of Juneteenth, let’s help people register to vote.

For decades, we fought to expand voting rights in America. Now we’re living in an era when relentless obstacles are being thrown in the way of people trying to vote. We can’t let those tactics defeat us. In America, the power belongs with the people. And the way we show that power is by voting.

So let’s reach out to family, friends and neighbors – especially those who have never voted before. Remind them that with voting, anything is possible. And without it, nothing is possible.

Yesterday in Galveston, we gathered in Reedy Chapel to commemorate Juneteenth, just like people have done for 160 years and counting. We prayed, sang, and read General Order #3 again. The pews were full of families. How many people must have prayed for freedom inside those walls. How many must have sent fervent thanks to God when slavery finally ended.

I remembered the words of my late friend John Lewis. He said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an act.”

Juneteenth did not mark the end of America’s work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue to work toward that promise. For our freedom. For our democracy. And for America itself.

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Cities Across the U.S. Shrink or Cancel Juneteenth Events as DEI Support Wanes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship. In many communities, the once-growing recognition of the holiday is facing sharp resistance tied to the unraveling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

In Denver, Colorado, the annual Juneteenth Music Festival, one of the largest in the nation—was cut from two days to one. Organizers said more than a dozen corporate sponsors walked away from commitments, leaving them with a financial gap that almost canceled the event. Norman Harris, the festival’s executive director, said several companies “pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year.” Harris credited grassroots donors and small businesses for stepping in when larger backers stepped aside.

In Colorado Springs, the local celebration was relocated to the Citadel Mall parking lot after support from previous sponsors disappeared. Organizers noted that where there were once dozens of corporate partners, only five remained. The downsized event was pieced together with limited resources, but community leaders said they refused to let the holiday go unacknowledged.

Scottsdale, Arizona, canceled its Juneteenth observance after the city council voted to dissolve its diversity, equity, and inclusion office in February. Without the office in place, the city offered no support for planning or funding, leaving residents without an official celebration.

In San Diego, the Cooper Family Foundation lost a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that had been earmarked for Juneteenth programming. Organizers said the decision forced them to personally finance key elements of the event, including cultural exhibits, performances, and youth engagement activities.

Bend, Oregon, called off its Juneteenth event entirely. Organizers cited political tensions and safety concerns, saying they could not secure the partnerships needed to proceed. A public statement from the planning committee described the current climate as “increasingly volatile,” making it difficult to host a safe and inclusive event.

West Virginia, which has recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday since 2017, will not sponsor any official events this year. State leaders pointed to budget constraints and recent decisions to eliminate DEI programming across agencies as the reasons for stepping away from public observance.

Austin, Texas, has also reduced its Juneteenth programming. While the city has not canceled events outright, organizers said diminished city support and fewer private contributions forced them to focus only on core activities.

“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,” said Harris. “But it shows how fragile that support has become.”

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