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Opinion: Prohibitions and Bans: Serious, Unintended Consequences

Published

9 years ago

June 11, 2017

By Reverend Al Sharpton and Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Many of our leaders are seeking policies designed to close the gap in racial and ethnic health disparities and ensure justice and equity in communities of color.

And even though many Black Americans have made significant advances, far too many are still burdened with poverty and poor health. Compounding this situation is the tense relationship between police and the Black community because of use of excessive force, profiling, over-incarceration, and selective prosecution.

It stands to reason why some public health professionals seek to ban or prohibit some selected harmful products.

In 1920, Congress ratified the 18th Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the manufacture, transportation and sale of liquor.

The good intentions of those who supported the prohibition tried to reduce drunkenness, crime, accidents and deaths associated with the use and abuse of alcohol.

But, the prohibition of alcohol (1920-1933) was extremely difficult to enforce and led to underground activities of black markets developed controlled by the Mafia and gangs in communities. The unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition outweighed the good intent of the prohibition.

Likewise, a ban on menthol cigarettes has been proposed to reduce smoking among African Americans. And since over 80 percent of African Americans who choose to smoke, smoke menthol cigarettes, prohibitions, restrictions and bans would affect Black communities more than other communities in America.

When police have to spend time enforcing prohibitions and bans, they have less time to focus on solving violent crime and ensuring public safety. With tensions between police and the Black community so high a menthol ban could make a bad situation in the criminal justice system worse for Blacks.

We do agree that smoking is bad and not good for public health. We support the regulation of the manufacture and sale of tobacco products, especially to youth.

We strongly encourage Black people to stop smoking and educate our youth about the dangers of smoking. The National Action Network and the National Newspaper Publishers Association do not promote smoking nor endorse or advertise smoking products.

Our concerns about the impact of a menthol ban are based on our experience and understanding of how law enforcement works when bans and prohibitions are imposed.

On June 22, 2009, when President Barack Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, it gave the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) comprehensive authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco products.

The good intent of the law is to reduce smoking that is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

We are very concerned that a ban on menthol cigarettes would give police another way to interact negatively in Black communities on the retail level or with individual citizens for a low-level, non-violent offense.

History has proven that education and treatment are more successful than prohibitions.

Young people are less likely to smoke if they get open, honest health information and tools to deal with peer pressure. Adults who smoke are more likely to make healthier decisions when they have access to counseling, treatment, smoking cessation aids to help manage stress.

We welcome this public discussion about smoking, at the same time, we hold our public health professionals and policymakers accountable for the health disparities and poor health outcomes in the Black community.
We urge the policymakers not to defer to the criminal justice system by imposing prohibitions, bans and the threat of punishment to solve an urgent public health crisis.

In the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

Rev. Al Sharpton is the founder and president of National Action Network. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Follow Rev. Sharpton on Twitter @TheRevAl and follow Dr. Chavis on Twitter @DrBenChavis.

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Related Topics:cigarettes menthol minority communities Prohibition

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Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

12 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.