Community

Republican state legislators file bill to limit Community Oversight Board powers

NASHVILLE PRIDE — At the start of Black History month, Tennessee Republicans filed a bill that will limit the powers of Nashville’s Community Oversight Board.

Published

8 years ago

February 8, 2019

Oakland Post

By Pride Newsdesk

At the start of Black History month, Tennessee Republicans filed a bill that will limit the powers of Nashville’s Community Oversight Board (COB).

The bill, HB0658, sponsored by Rep. Michael Curcio and supported by Majority Leader William Lamberth, would remove subpoena powers from the board, reducing the ability of the board’s investigative role.

Nashville citizens supported the creation of the board, voting for it overwhelmingly in the August 6 election. The establishment of a Community Oversight Board had been pursued for years but received recent traction from the recent killings of unarmed Black men, Jocques Clemmons and Daniel Hambrick, by Nashville police.

Opponents of the bill say it unfairly discriminates against African Americans, other racial minorities, and low-income rural communities that envision healthy police-community relations as a public safety issue and that it “negates popular control and is averse to small government.”

“The bill filed by GOP legislators regarding our Community Oversight Board is state government overreach, plain and simple,” said state Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville). “The residents of Nashville spoke loudly and clearly last November. We want transparency and accountability from our police department. Out-of-county lawmakers seem to have no interest in respecting the will of the voters.

This new bill is a direct assault on the expressed wishes of Nashville to ensure transparency and accountability for all of our families, and I’ll work to ensure that the Community Oversight Board is protected.”

Nashville Mayor Briley responded to the state legislature, by issuing the following statement:

“The members of the COB represent the diversity of our city, from three highly respected former law enforcement officers and a former state Attorney General to community activists and neighborhood advocates. Better yet, this body was approved by the Metro Council after a very competitive process. Each member of the 11-member COB has stepped forward to serve Nashville and help create a safer and more equitable criminal justice system.

“On Feb. 12, I will convene the first meeting of Nashville’s COB. I will continue to support the process as we move forward together, as a body and a city, to begin this important work.”

The group Community Oversight Now held a press conference announcing a new campaign in response to the legislative preemption.

The group’s ‘Don’t Play Where You’re Not Welcome’ campaign will target the top-ranked football and basketball high school athletes (classes of 2020 and 2021) encouraging them to withdraw their support from Tennessee’s colleges and universities.

“This includes the top 300 football players and top 100 basketball players in the country as designated by recruitment sites such as ESPN 300 and Rivals.com, as well as the first and second team all-state athletes in Tennessee and other Mid-South states. The withdrawal of support means we are making a vigorous effort to steer these athletes away from Tennessee institutions and to accept athletic scholarships elsewhere,” said group representatives.

“The recruitment of top-ranked athletes is the bread and butter of Tennessee’s sports economy. For example, the University of Tennessee football team brought in more money ($106 million) than the University of Alabama football program in 2017 and its basketball program is ranked #1 in the nation. Successful athletic programs and the revenue they generate spill over into local economies and impact small businesses. The loss of two or three football players (out of a 25-member recruitment class) can adversely impact a program for years.”

Community Oversight Now plans to nationalize the plan to inform out-of-state recruits “about Representatives Curcio and Lamberth’s efforts to make Tennessee an unsafe environment.” Educational institutions that have supported police accountability measures and 14th amendment equal protection claims, such as community colleges and historically black colleges and universities, will be exempted from the campaign.

“We are calling on Tennessee lawmakers to vote ‘no’ on HB 658,” said Community Oversight Now officials. “We are calling on the Governor, Lt. Governor, Senator Leadership, and people of good will to reject this discriminatory legislation. Additionally, we are exploring all legal options to prevent state preemption.”

This article originally appeared in the Nashville Pride.

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Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

18 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

21 hours ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.