Community

Prison Hunger Strikers Face Retaliation, Say Supporters

Published

13 years ago

August 11, 2013

Authorities are taking reprisals against participants in the ongoing hunger strike of prisoners against the indefinite detention of inmates in solitary confinement in the California prison system, according to supporters of the hunger strikers

Mediators working to settle the strike are calling for an independent investigation into the July 22 death of Billy “Guero” Sell, a prisoner held in solitary confinement at Corcoran State Prison and a participant in the three-week hunger strike.

Sell’s death was ruled a suicide by prison officials who released a statement saying that he was not participating in the hunger strike at the time of his death.

Hunger strikers insist that he had repeatedly asked for medical attention for several days, but his requests were ignored. He was being held in solitary and was found dead in his cell, according to prison officials.

“The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) could have negotiated the demands of the prisoners well before the strike began. Had they done so, I am convinced that Billy Sell would still be with us today,” said St. Mary’s College Professor Ronald Ahnen of the mediation team.

“The conditions that they’re being held in is torture,” said Ahnen. “They’re human beings. That doesn’t give us the right, no matter what they did, it doesn’t give us the right to torture them.”

California has four Security Housing Unit prisons, holding more than 4,500 men. Separated from the rest of the prison population to control gang violence, they generally get less food, fewer privileges and no phone calls until they can earn their way back to a regular cell. Many are kept in solitary for decades.

The number of inmates participating in the hunger strike at first grew to over 30,000 inmates, but the number has since declined in the wake of retaliation by prison guards, spokespeople for the inmates have said.

“We urge CDCR to ensure that no prisoner on hunger strike be disciplined or threatened with the denial of medical care, that prisoners not be denied liquids, vitamins or any other form of sustenance they are willing to take, and that they receive appropriate medical care. We demand all medical professionals uphold their code of ethics and maintain the highest standards of care for all their patients – be they incarcerated or not,” according to a letter to prison officials by attorneys representing some of the hunger strikers.

Retaliation has allegedly been taken against 14 of those who have played central leadership roles in the current hunger strike, last year signing the Agreement to End Hostilities Among Racial Groups, which called for an end to the tactics used by the CDCR to create tensions and animosity amongst different racial groups hoping to incite conflicts and then vilify the inmates.

The 14 who signed this document were within the first few days of the hunger strike singled out and moved from isolated Security housing Unit cells to more extreme Segregated Administrative cells – without access to their legal documents, radio or television.

“The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation have been spending a lot of money sending around their spokesperson to demonize the inmates involved in the hunger strike and personally attack their family members,” said Isaac Ontiveros of the Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Committee.

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Loop Capital’s James Reynolds Keynotes the OAACC 23rd Annual Business Awards Luncheon

The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce recently hosted its 23rd Annual Business Awards Luncheon, featuring James Reynolds Jr., founder and CEO of Loop Capital, as the keynote speaker. Addressing business and civic leaders, Reynolds discussed his firm’s partnership to redevelop the Oakland Coliseum site, a massive project expected to generate thousands of local jobs. The event also recognized four distinguished community leaders for their achievements in business, marketing, technology, and education. Discover the specific honors presented and the timeline for the upcoming Coliseum transformation by reading more.

Published

53 minutes ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

Loop Capital founder James Reynolds delivered the keynote address at the OAACC 23rd Annual Business Awards Luncheon at Scott's Seafood Restaurant in Oakland's Jack London Square. Courtesy photo.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC) celebrated community and business leaders at the 23rd Annual Business Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 22 at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant in Jack London Square. Held under the theme “Building a Stronger Oakland Through Innovation, Technology, and AI,” the event brought together business owners, elected officials, and civic leaders.

Oakland Mayor Barbara lee and U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon were also present.

Keynote speaker James “Jim” Reynolds, Jr., founder, chairman, and CEO of Loop Capital, enthusiastically addressed the audience. Reynolds’ firm is backing the AASEG (African American Sports and Entertainment Group) and partners with funding to redevelop the Oakland Coliseum site in East Oakland.

Reynolds spoke of plans to provide thousands of employment and contracting opportunities to Oakland’s resilient residents.

“We expect to completely close the deal by Dec. 31 and in January we will begin digging,” he said of the six-year acquisition process.

“I want all small businesses, entrepreneurs, and contractors to prepare themselves for these opportunities,” Reynolds explained in the green room.

Reynolds has successfully completed multiple billion-dollar developments and projects including Los Angeles International Airport, LaGuardia International Airport, John F. Kennedy Airport, and now Queens, New York.

AASEG President Ray Bobbitt said the Coliseum Project will be the largest development in the country. Bobbitt stressed that Reynolds and his team took a chance on Oakland at a time when companies were abandoning the city.

“Mr. Reynolds is committed to the project and transforming the area,” said Bobbitt. “Mr. Reynolds sees Oakland as a great city with untapped potential. We are very grateful he believes in us.”

In 1997, Reynolds founded the Chicago-based municipal bond firm, growing it into one of the nation’s leading minority-owned financial services companies and among the largest privately held investment banks in the country.

Reynolds said he was very impressed with Oakland’s business community. “This community is really ready for something new and we plan to deliver.”

During the luncheon, OAACC presented awards to four honorees.

Derreck Johnson received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Johnson founded Home of Chicken and Waffles in Jack London Square in 2003, creating jobs for the formerly incarcerated and young people from Oakland’s inner-city communities.

Celessa Baker, vice president of Marketing Partnerships at Sephora, received the Visionary Leadership Award. A marketing executive with more than 20 years of experience, Baker served as retail marketing lead for the global launch of Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.

Angela Johnson, director and head of Global Delivery Partnerships at Uber Technologies, received the Business Excellence Award. She previously served as Uber’s chief of staff and founded the Coalition of Black Excellence.

Dr. Denise Saddler, superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District, received the Educational Recognition Award. Saddler has spent more than 40 years in the city’s education system, working as a teacher, principal, and district leader before becoming superintendent in 2025.

Lee announced that Oakland is listed in the Top 10 as best destinations. “Oakland is on the move,” said Lee. In agreement with Lee, Simon vowed to continue fighting for the resources needed to keep Oakland moving forward.

“The chamber is committed to strengthening Oakland’s economy and uplifting its Black business community,” said Cathy Adams, president and CEO of OAACC.

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Post News Group Nov. 3 Election Endorsements

The Post Newspaper Group has announced its official endorsements for the upcoming November 3 election, offering recommendations for a wide range of political candidates, local propositions, and regional measures. The selections cover key races in Oakland and Berkeley, including mayoral contests and city council seats, as well as critical positions for the Peralta Community College Board and AC Transit. The group also evaluated state offices and several high-profile ballot initiatives. Check the full list to see which specific candidates and measures earned the publication’s support.

Published

1 hour ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

Nov. 3 Election Endorsements

The Post Newspaper Group endorse the following political candidates, propositions and measures.

Oakland

Mayor

Barbara Lee

City Council

District 2: Charlene Wang
District 4: Janani Ramachandran
District 6: Kevin E. Jenkins
City Auditor: Michael Houston

OUSD School Board

District 2: Jennifer Brouhard
District 6: Valarie Bachelor

Measure EE: Yes

Measure FF: Yes

Berkeley

Berkeley City Council

District 1: Laura Babbitt
District 4: No endorsement
District 7: Syrak Micael
District 8: No endorsement

Peralta Community College Board of Trustees

Area 5: Sandra Weese

East Bay Municipal Utility District

District 3: Marguerite Young

Bay Area Rapid Transit

District 4: Robert Raburn

AC Transit

District 3: Joel Young

City of Richmond

Mayor: Ahmad Anderson

State Offices

Governor: Xavier Becerra
Lt. Governor: Fiona Ma
Secretary of State: Shirley N. Weber
Controller: Malia M. Cohen
Attorney General: Rob Bonta
State Assembly, 14th District: Buffy Wicks
State Assembly, 18th District: Mia Bonta

Federal Offices

U.S. Congress, 10th District: Mark De Saulnier
U.S. Congress, 12th District: Lateefah Simon
U.S. Congress, 14th District: Aisha Wahab

State Measures:

Prop 1: Yes
Prop 2: Yes
Prop 3: Yes
Prop 4: Yes
Prop 5: Yes
Prop 37: Yes
Prop 38: No
Prop 39: No
Prop 40: No
Prop 41: No
Prop 42: No
Prop 43: No
Prop 44: No
Prop 45: No

District Measures

Regional Transit Measure: Yes

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OPINION: OUSD Kids Are Eager to Learn. Our Board Is Holding Them Back

Oakland Unified School District students are facing a literacy crisis, with fewer than one in three reading at grade level. Despite receiving significant per-pupil funding, the district is struggling with what county officials describe as a decision-making problem rather than a lack of revenue. Oakland Parents for Quality Education and the local NAACP are now sounding the alarm over fiscal instability, alleging that board leadership has failed to identify necessary budget cuts while ignoring warnings from school principals. To understand how these leadership decisions are impacting campus resources and student equity, read more.

Published

3 hours ago

November 3, 2026

Post News Group

Oakland Parents for Quality Education joined the NAACP Oakland Branch at a press conference outside MetWest High School in August calling for greater accountability and transparency in OUSD Board leadership, improved school safety, and responsible fiscal oversight. Courtesy photo.

By Edmond Chun Special to The Post

Oakland Unified students are falling behind: fewer than 1 in 3 read at grade level, and the numbers are worse for Black and Latino students. This is happening in a district that has received more per student than even the highest-funded states. As Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro has said, “OUSD’s biggest problem isn’t a revenue problem. It’s a decision-making problem.”

That is why Grace Park-Bradbury and I, two OUSD parents, started Oakland Parents for Quality Education, the ParentPAC. We believe our kids deserve a school board that faces hard decisions honestly. This board has not.

The county has warned them repeatedly. Earlier this year Castro said the new teachers’ contract “endangers” the district’s fiscal stability. That wasn’t because of the raises, but because the district was counting on cuts it had not identified.

Days later the board passed a budget that assumed $30 million in still-unnamed reductions. Board President Jennifer Brouhard and Vice President Valarie Bachelor voted yes. Director Mike Hutchinson voted no. The plan to name those cuts isn’t scheduled until mid-December, after the election.

The Oakland NAACP called for public forums and honest answers about the management of public funds. This fall Castro approved the budget only conditionally, noting that “a budget can be balanced but not be good for kids.”

Principals have spoken out as well. In January, 30 school leaders wrote that asking schools to do more with less “erodes the dignity of our profession” and “unconscionably compromises the quality of education our students receive.”

In April, 60 principals raised concerns that “have diminished our confidence in our current leadership,” warning that district decisions had produced “a structural deficit and cash-strapped schools.”

In June, all 15 high school principals objected to using voter-approved Measure N and H reserves for expenses already in the budget. The district did it anyway. The measures’ citizen oversight commission has demanded the money back. Auditors found the board had the legal authority, but as Castro observed, legality does not settle whether it was what voters thought they were approving.

Opponents claim we want to close schools. Our candidates do not all agree on consolidation. Hutchinson has fought closures for years, yet he also wrote the 3Rs proposal examining how many schools the district should operate.

What our candidates share is a willingness to weigh every option openly. This board told the superintendent not to even consider consolidation, and every school is being cut instead. As principals representing two-thirds of OUSD schools wrote, “the gradual starvation of our schools is also an equity issue.” Closures disrupt families, especially in Black and Brown neighborhoods. So does starving every campus.

You may have seen ads calling us a front for out-of-town billionaires. Every contribution is publicly reported, and 140 Oakland families have given. The people sounding the alarm are principals, citizen commissioners, the county superintendent, and the NAACP. None of them are billionaires. They are the people who see our schools up close.

Oakland schools are staffed by excellent principals and teachers. Our kids are like kids everywhere: eager to learn if given a real chance. They are being held back by a board that will not make hard choices.

In District 2, vote for Arielle Fleisher. In District 4, rank Kathryn Camp and Mike Hutchinson first and second. In District 6, rank Alexandra Williams and LeAna Powell first and second. Leave your third choice blank.

Vote like our children’s future depends on it. Because it does.

Edmund Chun co-founded Oakland Parents for Quality Education and is an OUSD parent.