Business

The Power of a President Standing on the Picket Line

The economy may be the No. 1 issue in the upcoming election. But it’s still a mystery. How can inflation be normalizing around 3%, going down from its peak from earlier this year, and prices are still going up?

Published

3 years ago

October 3, 2023

Oakland Post

Rather, it’s the symbolic gesture of Pres. Joe Biden making history going to Michigan to become the first president to ever join a union picket line. Hard to believe that’s never happened before. But it finally did this week.

By Emil Guillermo

COMMENTARY

The data shows the economy is good, even better. But personally, most of us feel worse.

Why? Because all the data is useless.

The economy is a psychological thing. You got a fat wallet. You feel good. You got a skinny wallet, you feel bad. When it’s always skinny, you look for a political scapegoat—the incumbent.

Most elected officials will never know that because I doubt, they ever think twice when going shopping for food.

Would they ever put back an item because it cost 20% more than the last time? Instead of a dollar, that thing in their basket is a $1.20. Do they put it back for the store brand?

I don’t know for sure. But I doubt you’ll see anyone putting back sirloin for ground chuck. Or trade the meat for the soup bones.

Frankly, I’d put all of it back. I’m vegan.

But my point is many elected officials don’t seem to feel what we feel in real life.

Can you see Trump pumping gas—and caring about it?

Or Biden at the checkout counter perplexed saying, “Ah, I thought those were a BOGO–‘Buy one get one’ free?”

That’s the level of honesty you’ll never see in a debate or in any exchange with a politician.

Because they aren’t ordinary folk.

If you watched the Republican debate this week, notice how far removed any of them are from any of us.

Even the ones that look like you and me.

Do you relate to Tim Scott, the Black conservative, whose strategy is to be the “nice” Black man? Specifically, he’s the “nice” Black man who is even nice to Donald Trump.

For Asian Americans, we have Vivek Ramaswamy who wants to be the second coming of Trump. He will gladly get rid of the Juneteenth holiday as being extraneous. If elected, Ramaswamy will repeat every hateful thing Donald Trump did the last time. With pleasure.

But who talks about flinching at the grocery store checkout, turning in a brand-name for a store brand? Who from the campaign stump is ready to be that normal, that honest?

And that’s why the political message of the week isn’t likely to be anything that was said on a debate stage.

Biden on the Picket Line

Rather, it’s the symbolic gesture of Pres. Joe Biden making history going to Michigan to become the first president to ever join a union picket line.

Hard to believe that’s never happened before.

But it finally did this week.

“You guys, the UAW (United Auto Workers), saved the auto industry in 2008,” said Biden holding a bullhorn. “You made a lot of sacrifices, gave them a lot. Companies were in trouble. Now they’re doing incredibly well. And guess what? You should be doing incredibly well, too.”

Biden stood on the picket line for the workers’ wage and benefit demands. And then he handed the bullhorn to Shawn Fain, the UAW president, who talked about how the union back in WWII built the B-24 Liberator bomber.

“Today, the enemy isn’t some foreign country miles away,” Fain said. “It’s right here. It’s corporate greed…and the true liberator is the working class people. All of you, working your butts off on those lines to deliver great products for our companies.

“We’re the people who make the world run. It’s not the billionaire class. It’s a working class of the billions of people who have been left behind. That’s what this battle is about and we’re changing that.”

Biden, who has centered his campaign on middle class values, stood with the workers as Fain spoke.

That’s why the leading Republican candidate will not be among the also-rans debating in California. Trump, who has a 30 to 40-point lead over his closest rival, will be in Michigan to woo working class voters.

Part of Trump’s surprising victory in 2016 was that he was able to convince working class people that a phony billionaire like him had their best interests at heart.

It was the contradiction that combined with the misogyny factor against Hillary Clinton, that helped Trump win the presidency.

Trump needs to continue to dupe white, blue-collar conservatives into thinking he is their guy.

But what did Trump really do for them? Increase their wages? No. Did he even act as a conservative? No. Cutting taxes to the rich and adding to the federal deficit is not an act of conservatism.

Trump simply appealed to a shameful racist, sexist side of those white, blue-collar voters, who then gladly cast their ballots against their own best interests for Trump.

Will Michigan Trumpers continue to vote in that way? Trump needs them to if he wants to win. If he doesn’t fool them again, it could be the beginning of seeing Trump for what he is: A twice-impeached, thrice criminally indicted former president who has no business running for a second term.

If Michigan shows a softening of support, it will be because of an historic act: The first sitting president ever who stood with striking Americans on a picket line.

It’s more important than you think.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. See his micro-talk show at www.amok.com

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

Published

2 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

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Up to the Job: How San Francisco’s PRC Is Providing Work Opportunities That Turn Into Lasting Stability

Each year, PRC serves more than 5,000 clients through a wide range of programs. These include housing navigation, legal advocacy to ensure access to health and public benefits, supportive housing, job and life-skills training, and residential treatment programs.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Black Leadership Council (BLC) Advocacy Day in Sacramento. BLC works to advance meaningful change through policy engagement to unlock the full potential of Black and low-income communities. Photo courtesy of PRC.

By Joe Kocurek, California Black Media

Seville Christian arrived in San Francisco in the 1990s from Kansas City, Mo., a transgender woman coming from a time and place still hostile to who she was.

San Francisco offered a deeper LGBTQ+ history and a more visible community of people like her, but even in a city known for acceptance, building a stable life from scratch was no small task.

After arriving in the city, she turned to Positive Resource Center (PRC) looking for work — and for a foothold — in a new place.

“PRC gave me my first job,” Christian said. “A simple gig — passing out magazines at the San Francisco Pride Parade.”

That first opportunity marked the beginning of a decades-long relationship with PRC, one that has seen Christian grow from client to valued employee, and eventually to policy fellow.

“Today, I’ve been with PRC for 27 years, going on 28,” she said.

Seville Christian’s decades-long relationship with PRC includes as a client, fellow and beloved employee. Photo courtesy of PRC.

Helping people access employment and build sustainable careers has been a cornerstone of PRC’s mission since its inception nearly four decades ago. In its most recent annual impact report, PRC served 443 clients through workforce development services, including career counseling, educational programs, hands-on training, and job search assistance. The average wage earned by PRC clients is $26.48 per hour — approximately 38% above San Francisco’s minimum wage.

To advance this work, organizations like PRC have benefited from funding through California’s Stop the Hate Program, which provides direct support to community-based organizations leading anti-hate initiatives.

Christian’s path was not without challenges. During some rocky years, she experienced periods of housing instability and struggled with addiction. Through PRC, she enrolled in a life-skills program that emphasized using her own lived experience as a means of helping others. The program helped set her on a path toward completing an associate’s degree and ultimately launching a career in case management.

“Today, whether someone is new to the city or has lived here their whole life, I know how to help them navigate to where they need to be,” Christian said.

Members of PRC’s Black Leadership Council meet with a lawmaker in Sacramento. Photo courtesy of PRC.

While PRC was founded to serve people living with HIV, its mission has expanded over the decades to meet the needs of people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those facing mental health and substance use challenges.

According to PRC’s Chief of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Tasha Henneman, some of the organization’s earliest programs remain as vital today as they were at the start.

“Our emergency financial assistance program helped more than 1,200 people this year pay rent, cover medical bills, and keep the lights on,” Henneman said. “And over 1,400 people reached out for legal advocacy, resulting in more than $2.5 million in retroactive benefits unlocked.”

Beyond direct services, PRC is deeply committed to community empowerment and policy change. Programs such as the Black Leadership Council support community leaders in advocating for systemic reform, while the Black Trans Initiative focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by Black transgender individuals.

A recent study from the Williams Institute highlighted findings that 71% of transgender homicide victims in the U.S. between 2010 and 2021 were Black and that nearly a third of the transgender homicides during that period were confirmed or suspected hate crimes.

PRC’s direct and indirect services can be a lifeline for people experiencing hate and are an example of the resources people can get connected with through the state’s CA vs Hate hotline.

PRC is now also producing a film project that centers the lived experiences of Black trans clients, including individuals like Christian.

PRC welcomed guests to their annual Open House in April, an evening dedicated to connection, reflection, and learning more about the programs and people working every day to support San Franciscans experiencing housing instability, unemployment, and behavioral health challenges. Photo courtesy of PRC.

“Our film highlights the health journeys and lived experiences of some of PRC’s Black trans clients,” Henneman said. “Our goal is to give voice, visibility, and agency to the participants — and to bring their stories, both harrowing and inspirational, to policymakers and the broader public.”

The film, expected to be released later this year, is directed by Yule Caise, with assistant director Zarina Codes, a Black transgender San Francisco resident.

Today, Christian continues her relationship with PRC as an ambassador, reflecting on a journey that began with a single job opportunity and grew into a lifelong commitment to service.

“Sometimes I’ll be riding the bus or standing in a grocery store, and someone will come up to me from a women’s shelter,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, Miss Seville, I just want to thank you. You really helped me with what I was dealing with.’”

She paused, smiling.

“And in those moments,” Christian said, “I think to myself, “Well!.”

A single word that sums up pride in a journey to find the best in herself.

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.