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Opinion: The Time is Now to Invest in Black Women in California

California prides itself on its progressive values and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. However, the economic disparities that Black women face in the state present a troubling contradiction to this self- image. With more than 1 million Black females living in the golden state, which is the 5th largest population in the country, it is important to cast a light on the inequities that we face. The data speaks volumes: Black women are systematically underserved and undervalued, challenged by wealth gaps, high poverty rates, and substantial economic burdens.

Published

2 years ago

July 8, 2024

Oakland Post

President and CEO Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute Kellie Todd Griffin.

By Kellie Todd Griffin, Special to California Black Media Partners

With more than 1 million Black females living in the golden state, which is the 5^th largest population in the country, it is important to cast a light on the inequities that we face. The data speaks volumes: Black women are systematically underserved and undervalued, challenged by wealth gaps, high poverty rates, and substantial economic burdens.

Consider the stark wealth gap: Black women hold a mere 10% of the wealth of their White male counterparts, with a median wealth of only $6,000. This is the lowest among all racial and gender groups in California. Moreover, when it comes to earnings, Black women make just 57 cents for every dollar that White, non-Hispanic men earn, according to the Status of Women in California report produced by Mount Saint Mary’s University – Los Angeles. Black Women would have to work an additional 30 years (91 years old) to make what a White man makes at the age of 64. It will only take White women 10 additional years. This disparity is not just an injustice but a stain on our state’s reputation, reflecting a gap as severe as those seen in the most economically divided regions of the country.

The economic obligations that Black women shoulder are overwhelming. They spend up to 50% of their income on housing and nearly 30% on childcare, far more than any other demographic. This dynamic is elevated with 67% of Black Californian households being headed by single mothers, which is highlighted in the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute’s Pay Me What I Am Worth, Black Women’s Wages Report.

Despite educational achievement, Black Women still find themselves making less than their White and Asian female counterparts with the same education. These expenses cripple their ability to save, invest, or gain economic stability, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and financial insecurity.

The Federal Reserve Bank states homeownership rate among Black Californians is notably lower than that of other racial groups. As of the latest data, it stands at approximately 36.8%, which is significantly below the rate for White households in the state. And Black women in California face significant housing challenges, particularly in the rental market. They are disproportionately impacted by high rental costs, which often leads to a higher likelihood of facing eviction and an increased experience of being unhoused with their children. In fact, 60% of Black women renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least a third of their income on housing.

Black women in California face the highest unemployment rates among women at over 6%. They are also disproportionately represented in low-wage service jobs and markedly underrepresented in managerial or professional roles, compared to their White and Asian peers. Black Women only represent 4% of executive positions in the top 100 companies in California.

Educational attainment further complicates this picture, with only 13% of Black women holding a least a bachelor’s degree, which only represents 4% of all women. According to a projection by the Public Policy Institute of California, by 2030, about 38% of jobs in the state will require a bachelor’s degree.

The entrepreneurial landscape is no more encouraging. Black women own just 7.7% of women-led businesses in California, and these are predominantly micro-enterprises, which limits their economic impact. It is harder to secure financing and investment from traditional and non-traditional avenues.

Healthcare access is yet another hurdle. One out of three Black women delays medical care due to the prohibitive costs, and a majority report significant challenges related to inflation and systemic discrimination.

Economic disparities significantly impact the health of Black women. Many Black women are employed in low-wage jobs that do not offer employer-sponsored health insurance, which exacerbates their health vulnerabilities. This lack of coverage often leads to skipped medications and unmet medical needs.

In addition, Black women often face barriers that complicate their pregnancies and birthing experiences resulting in a three times higher mortality rate when trying to have children.

The picture is not always gloomy. Black Women have seen thrives in the political front. We have more than 100 Black Women serving in elected office throughout the state and at various levels. California leads the nation with four Black Women in Congress (although that will change after the November elections).

The roadmap to improving the lives and health of Black women must include closing the wage and wealth gap; supporting entrepreneurship with tailored financial and mentorship support to foster scalable, sustainable business ventures; expanding educational opportunities through scholarships and targeted support programs to address the unique challenges faced by Black females from Pre-K to higher education; improving health access by focusing on barriers to access to high quality care without causing financial hardship; and addressing housing affordability with specialized housing assistance programs particularly for single income families.

The time for real change is now. The state of California, along with its educational institutions, businesses, and community organizations, as well as policymakers, philanthropy and labor must collaborate to dismantle the barriers that Black women face. Investing in Black women is investing in the future of California, promoting a prosperous, fulfilling life for all its residents.

About the Author

Kellie Todd Griffin is the President & CEO of the California Black Women’s Empowerment Institute, which manages the only policy think tank in the nation that focuses exclusively on Black Women and Girls. To find out more about its work, go to www.CABlackWomenCollective.org.

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Trader Vic’s Returns to Its Oakland Roots

Trader Vic’s, the internationally recognized brand and birthplace of the original Mai Tai, has officially returned to its roots in Oakland. Originally founded in 1934 on San Pablo Avenue before moving to Emeryville, the hospitality giant has launched Trader Vic’s Outpost at Oakland International Airport’s Terminal 2. The new full-service location offers travelers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and cocktails in a 108-seat space designed to celebrate the city’s status as a top national food destination. Visit the website to read more.

Published

5 days ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee cuts the ribbon at the official opening of Trader Vic’s Outpost and Plum Market at Oakland International Airport. She is assisted by U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon as Port of Oakland Board President Stephanie Dominguez Walton, left, and representatives from Trader Vic's, Plum Market, look on. Photo courtesy of the mayor’s office.

By Special to The Post

Oakland has always been a city of innovators, entrepreneurs, visionaries, and world-class hospitality. Trader Vic’s—the birthplace of the original Mai Tai – first opened in Oakland back in 1934 on San Pablo Avenue, long before becoming an internationally recognized global brand.

More than 50 years after it moved to Emeryville, Trader Vic’s is returning to its roots. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee touts the return as another victory for Oakland.

“My administration is deeply committed to backing businesses like Trader Vic’s and Plum Market—partners who invest in our city, uplift our local workforce, and support thousands of local jobs,” Lee said.

The latest Trader Vic’s – called Trader Vic’s Outpost – is located at the Oakland International Airport in Terminal 2 near Gate 25 and had a soft opening in August.

With 108 dining seats, 28 bar seats and a counter for standing-room customers, travelers from around the world can have a full-service restaurant and bar experience or take-out for those with planes to catch.

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails will be served.

Trader Vic’s returning to its roots confirms Condé Nast’s decision to name Oakland the #1 Food City in America two years in a row, and just earlier this month, ranked Oakland #6 on their list of Best Cities in the U.S.!

“The opening at OAK is incredibly meaningful for us,” said Rhett Rosen, CEO of Trader Vic’s Hospitality Group, according to the company website. “Trader Vic’s was born in the Bay Area, and this new location gives us the chance to welcome travelers with a taste of that original spirit before they take off. It brings together everything people love about Trader Vic’s — great cocktails, flavorful food, warm hospitality and a little sense of escape — in a place that connects Oakland to the world.”

Trader Vic’s is an Oakland institution and one of the region’s most recognizable hospitality brands, said Port of Oakland Director of Aviation Craig Simon on the web site.

“Travelers are increasingly seeking dining options that are memorable, locally rooted, and uniquely representative of the communities they are visiting. Trader Vic’s delivers all of that while providing a high-quality food and beverage experience for our guests. We are proud to welcome this hometown favorite to Terminal 2,”

The original Trader Vic’s in Oakland:

In 1934, with an investment of $500, Bergeron opened his initially small restaurant at 65th Avenue and San Pablo, serving comfort foods for lunch and dinner and beers and whiskeys. As his clientele grew, so did his restaurant, expanding space and menu options. After visiting this establishment, famed San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen proclaimed that the “best restaurant in San Francisco is in Oakland.”

There were as many as 25 franchises worldwide, including the U.S. Trader Vic’s is now headquartered in Martinez.

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Oakland Coal Terminal Backed by Trump Would Be Bigger, Dirtier Than Promised, Says Report

A recent feasibility study commissioned by potential investors says an Oakland coal terminal backed by President Donald Trump could export 13 million tons a year — three times the amount estimated in an earlier environmental review. Surprisingly, the report also contradicts devel

Published

5 days ago

October 19, 2026

Post News Group

East Bay residents have been fighting alongside No Coal in Oakland for more than a decade. Photo courtesy of No Coal in Oakland.

By Post Staff

Surprisingly, the report also contradicts developers’ and project advocates’ repeated pledges that the coal would be stored in a covered terminal. Instead, the millions of tons of coal shipped annually from inland states to the West Gateway terminal in Oakland would be stored in “two open-air bunkers,” with about 150,000 tons of coal per stockpile, before being sent overseas, according to the recent report cited by the L.A. Times. (https://ruic.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Port-Study-RUIC-Bulk-Commodity-Ocean-Terminals-Study.pdf)

Residents and clean air advocates have long expressed concerns that coal dust would worsen pollution in West Oakland and throughout the East Bay.

The proposed site of the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal (OBOT) is located at the former Army base near the Port of Oakland, which developer Phil Tagami has been trying for years to turn into a shipping terminal despite determined community opposition.

Trump announced a $75-million investment in the project in June, about a third of its estimated cost. The new terminal would be the largest coal export site on the West Coast, transporting coal to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, according to the Trump administration.

Opponents say a new terminal would undermine years of progress cleaning up the air in West Oakland, which has a history of disproportionate pollution and high asthma rates due to its proximity to the port and other industry.

According to No Coal in Oakland organizer Ted Franklin, who has been active for 11 years in the fight to stop the coal terminal, the report indicates that investors may be looking for a cheaper way to build the terminal.

“We were shocked but not surprised” by the report, Franklin said. “Basically, it seems that the plan now is to store open piles of coal, which is a less expensive project than creating a completely enclosed facility.”

The threats that the project poses are real, but it faces a lot of economic and legal hurdles, he said.

Coal production is in permanent decline worldwide, he said, wondering who was going to “invest money in an industry that has no future.”

Further, the project has not yet attracted big investors. “There’s no bank, no financing, no financial institution backing this,” he continued.

A major legal hurdle facing the project is the passage of Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s bill, AB 40, the Community-First Coal Review Act, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30.

The law requires developers of large-volume bulk coal facilities to complete a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) before they can operate.

The law was specifically designed to block or delay the coal terminal project.

The report to potential developers was produced by consulting groups Norda Stelo and Wood Mackenzie in July and released this month. It was commissioned by the Rural Utah Infrastructure Coalition, made up of eight Utah counties that are considering investing about $43 million into the terminal to receive Utah coal.

The consultants produced their findings after visiting Oakland, examining engineering documents and holding discussions with Savage Cos., a Utah-based transport and logistics company selected to operate the facility

Research has shown that coal terminal operations can be dangerous to public health. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach moved away from open-air coal and petroleum coke storage three decades ago.

The report says that the site could process 12 million metric tons, or 13.2 million tons, of coal each year, three times more than the terminal’s approved environmental impact report from 2002 and its 2012 addendum. Neither document mentions coal specifically, but rather bulk commodities.

The coal arriving in Oakland could also be dirtier then had been previously stated, according to the report. Project officials previously said the terminal would handle only high-grade western bituminous coal from Utah, but the recent report says it will also handle Powder River Basin coal from Wyoming and Montana, known to be much dustier.

Nor does the report mention plans to cover the rail cars to prevent pollution, though project officials previously promised they would only utilize coal transported in covered rail cars.

“It appears the developers want to build something much bigger and more polluting than anything they previously revealed, either in court or to the West Oakland community,” said Colin O’Brien, deputy managing attorney at the nonprofit Earthjustice, speaking to the L.A. Times.

The report indicates that the project may be much more expensive and take longer to complete than anticipated. The Energy Department estimates the terminal will cost about $231 million, but the report places the price at between $430 million and $625 million.

The terminal will take 53 months to complete according to the report, significantly longer than Trump’s promise of exports beginning in 2028.

Ted Franklin’s column, “Utah Study Blesses Investment in Oakland Coal Terminal but Leaves Key Questions Unanswered” is available at https://nocoalinoakland.info/utah-study-blesses-investment-in-oakland/