Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌

Toks Omishakin, Transportation Secretary Nominee, Moves Up to Cabinet Level

Omishakin, 44, makes history as the first African American to serve in that Cabinet-level position responsible for overseeing all state agencies that regulate and support transportation and administer services related to the sector.

Published

4 years ago

March 21, 2022

Antonio Ray Harvey

Toks Omishakin being sworn in by Gov. Gavin Newsom Feb 28, 2022 (Facebook)

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

In February, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Adetokunbo “Toks” Omishakin Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA).

“@CAgovernor want to express gratitude for new appt to Cabinet Secretary @CA_Trans_Agency,” tweeted Omishaken after his nomination was announced in February.

“Looking fwd to continued #partnership and realizing shared vision to implement initiatives with #Equity #Climate #Safety focus, for CA’s transportation system, now and in future. #CAForAll,” Omishakin’s tweet continued.

In California state government’s chain of command, Omishakin’s role as secretary is a step up from his last role: director of California Department of Transportation (CalTrans).

Newsom appointed him to lead CalTrans in September 2019.

Earlier this month, Omishakin’s wife and two children joined him as he took the oath of office in Sacramento to begin serving in the governor’s Cabinet.

At the swearing-in ceremony Newsom said Omishakin brings experience and vision to the role.

“As head of the largest and most complex transportation system in the nation, I’m confident that he’ll continue to bring his forward-thinking leadership and dedication to serving the people of California,” Newsom stated. “(Omishakin will) advance our ongoing work to build safer, healthier, and more sustainable communities that serve all Californians.”

The same day Omishakin took the oath of office, Newsom swore in Amy Tong, 48, to succeed his African American Secretary of California Government Operations Agency (GovOps) Yolanda Richardson.

Richardson resigned from the role in February, citing personal reasons. That same week California’s first African American Surgeon General Nadine Burke-Harris also resigned “to focus on her family.”

Tong previously served as director of the California Office of Digital Innovation. Before that, she was director of the California Department of Technology.

“A veteran of state service, Director Tong’s deep experience in the public sector and leadership in the technology field have helped guide key efforts to make government more efficient and effective, including our work to bridge the digital divide and help state agencies navigate complex challenges during the pandemic,” Newsom said, pointing out Tong’s past accomplishments.

In his role as CalSTA Secretary, Omishakin will oversee Caltrans, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the California Highway Patrol, the High-Speed Rail Authority, among other agencies and transportation-focused committees.

He is assuming the position after President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill into law last year. The legislation will direct billions of dollars into the state for wildfire preparation, public transit projects, bridge and road repair, and broadband internet.

California will receive $25 billion from the federal government for highways under the Reconnecting Communities Initiative. The program was created to undo some of the effects of the economic and social disruption caused by highway construction through a number of majority Black communities under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.

The U.S. Transportation Department estimates that, between 1957 and 1977, nearly 480,000 households across the country were forced out of their homes to accommodate the highway construction, which started under President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration. Some of those highway projects entrenched segregation by isolating some of those majority-Black communities and cutting off their access to resources.

In an April 2021 interview with California Black Media, Omishakin said CalTrans needs to “engage more” with Black and Brown communities.

“We need to reach out more to people and businesses to let them know what opportunities exist,” he said.

The position of Secretary of the California State Transportation requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $227,178 annually.

Omishakin, born in Knoxville, Tenn., is registered without a political party preference. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Jackson State University, an HBCU in Mississippi. He is completing a doctorate degree in Engineering Management at the University of Tennessee.

From 2011 to 2019, Omishakin was deputy commissioner for Environment and Planning at the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

In August 2020, Omishakin opened the CalTrans Office of Race and Equity (CORE), which works closely with the Office of Civil Rights to combine equity initiatives. The office hosts a virtual business summit to support small business owners.

“Omishakin has implemented innovative strategies to create a more equitable, world-class transportation network for all users while improving the safety and livability of neighborhoods across the state.

“Under his leadership, Caltrans has worked to accelerate more than 100 roadway projects during the pandemic, adjusted operations to help keep goods moving amid supply chain challenges and spearheaded the transformative Clean California program that is revitalizing public spaces across California,” said Newsom.

Antonio Ray Harvey

Posts by Antonio Ray Harvey

Up Next

Black Press Journalist Appointed to Two National League of Cities Posts

Don't Miss

Chairwoman Barbara Lee Notes Anniversary of American Rescue Plan

Antonio Ray Harvey

Click to comment

Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌

$96 Million Allocated So Far to Black-Owned Firms as High-Speed Rail Project Expands Jobs, Boost Local Economies

Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, says the rail project “is exactly the kind of investment” California needs.

Published

3 months ago

September 14, 2025

Oakland Post

San Joaquin River Viaduct, completed in February 2021, is a 4,700-foot structure in north Fresno spanning the San Joaquin River and Union Pacific tracks along SR 99. Featuring arches as Fresno’s northern gateway and a pergola that carries high-speed trains over the rail line, it stretches from the river to near Herndon Avenue.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

As of May 31, the most recent data from the California High-Speed Rail Authority shows that 47 African American-owned firms are participating in the project as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).

A total of 936 Certified Small businesses are working on the high-speed rail program statewide, representatives of the high-speed rail project say.

The number of Black-owned DBE firms (5.2%) accounts for $96 million of the $1.136 billion allocated to minority firms thus far.

Smallwood-Cuevas, speaking in Aug. 25 at the State Capitol Swing Space Annex — along with a coalition of Democratic state legislators and union leaders — provided an update on the California High-Speed Rail project and its efforts to employ people from the Black community and businesses.

“It builds a cleaner, more connected California while creating thousands of union jobs,” said Smallwood-Cuevas. “And we must ensure workforce equity, with pathways that open doors for workers who too often have been left out of good-paying careers.”

The remaining DBE minority-owned firms received the following amounts:

Asian Subcontinent: 24 firms received approximately $65 million
Asian-Pacific Islander: 52 firms received approximately $86 million
Native American: 6 firms received approximately $39 million
Hispanic/Latino: an unspecified number of DBE businesses received approximately $848 million

There are currently 328 certified DBEs participating in the project, according to the California High Speed Authority. The multi-billion-dollar project is billed to be committed to small, disabled, disadvantaged, and diverse businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project.

“As a Central Valley native, I know firsthand how transformative high-speed rail will be for our communities,” stated Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) a member of the CLBC and Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee.

“Stable and sustained funding is essential to delivering this project and fulfilling the promise made to voters.”

The news conference was hosted by Senate Transportation Chair, Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), who was promoting Senate Bill (SB) 545. He and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) urged the Legislature to commit to a steady, annual investment from a cap-and-trade program to fund the high-speed rail project.

Dr. Melanie Okoro, the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Eco-Alpha, attended the briefing. Eco-Alpha is a Sacramento-headquartered small, women-owned, minority-certified firm.

The company, not classified as a DBE, earned its status as a certified small business and a certified women-minority small business through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Department of General Services (DGS). The certification allowed Eco-Alpha to be featured by CHSRA as a small business working on the project.

The Black-owned firm provides engineering and environmental services to the California High-Speed Rail project, primarily focused on facilities operation and Maintenance.

Okoro said laborers are not the only workers benefiting from the project. Professionals of color in engineering, with specialized knowledge and problem-solving skills to design, build, and maintain a wide array of structures, systems, and products, are looking forward to these “great opportunities.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Sacramento: Lawmakers Hear From Health Advocates on “State of Black Maternal Health”

Participants highlighted several past and current bills going through the state Legislature that focus on improving maternal health equity. The proposals address systemic inequities to improve the healthcare experiences of Black women during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

Published

3 months ago

September 10, 2025

Oakland Post

CBHN Executive Director Rhonda Smith convened a panel of experts—including health policy advocates, public health directors, researchers, and birth workers—for the organization’s legislative briefing on the state of Black maternal health. Sacramento, CA, Aug. 27, 2025. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

Adjoa Jones is a Los Angeles-based health and community leader who has dedicated her career to advocating for equitable birth outcomes for Black mothers and infants.

Participating in a legislative briefing hosted by the California Black Health Network (CBHN) on Aug. 27, Jones shared stories that shed light on the disproportionately high rate of pregnancy-related complications and deaths among Black women.

Two Black women in Southern California, Jones says, suddenly passed away after giving birth. From Jones’s perspective, those maternal mortalities could have been prevented.

“I come to you speaking from the voices of our community. From the stories of two unforgettable mothers, but it really speaks to the most preventable tragedies,” said, Jones, who is the Director of African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Prevention Initiative at the L.A. County Department.

“It’s not just impacting California, but our nation far and wide,” Jones added during the event titled “The State of Black Maternal Health” and held at the California State Museum in Sacramento.

Panelists included Sandra Poole, Health Policy advocate for the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and Brittany Chambers, Associate Professor for the Department of Human Ecology at the University of California at Davis.

Other panelists were Palav Babaria, Deputy Director for the California Department of Health Care Services, and Zea Malawa, Director of Expecting Justice.

Rhonda Smith, the Executive Director of CBHN, served as the host and moderator of the briefing.

“There are amazing and incredible women who are doing amazing work here in the state,” Smith said of the panelists who discussed potential policy solutions and accountability.

During Jones’ presentation, she shared the tragic stories of two women. One was April Valentine, who died on Jan. 10, 2023, after giving birth at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

According to reports, Valentine died from a blood clot, a pulmonary embolism, that formed in her leg and circulated to her lung. A well-known complication during pregnancy. Valentine’s family members said her condition was preventable, and they filed a wrongful-death claim.

The second woman, 32-year-old Briget Cromer, died in 2023 at California Hospital Medical Center, hours after giving birth to her fifth child. Her family believes her death was due to medical negligence.

Her family’s legal team filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHH) alleging systemic racial bias in care.

According to the California Department of Public Health, Black women are more likely than their counterparts to die during pregnancy. They represent 5% pregnancies in the state but account for 21% of pregnancy-related deaths.

“We’re doing all that we can to ensure that pregnancy is uplifted (and) pregnancy is a place that’s where folks can enjoy the journey, Jones said.

Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), an obstetrician-gynecologist, was the keynote speaker.

“Here in California, we tragically lose another mother due to pregnancy-related complications every five days,” Weber Pierson said. “Here and nationally, Black mothers are three to four times likely to be one of those mothers lost. That’s coming from 40% of maternal deaths.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌

Air Quality Board Rejects Two Rules Written to Ban Gas Water Heaters and Furnaces

The proposal would have affected 17 million residents in Southern California, requiring businesses, homeowners, and renters to convert to electric units. “We’ve gone through six months, and we’ve made a decision today,” said SCAQMD board member Carlos Rodriguez. “It’s time to move forward with what’s next on our policy agenda.”

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Shutterstock.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌
California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Two proposed rules to eliminate the usage of gas water heaters and furnaces by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in Southern California were rejected by the Governing Board on June 6.

Energy policy analysts say the board’s decision has broader implications for the state.

With a 7-5 vote, the board decided not to amend Rules 1111 and 1121 at the meeting held in Diamond Bar in L.A. County.

The proposal would have affected 17 million residents in Southern California, requiring businesses, homeowners, and renters to convert to electric units.

“We’ve gone through six months, and we’ve made a decision today,” said SCAQMD board member Carlos Rodriguez. “It’s time to move forward with what’s next on our policy agenda.”

The AQMD governing board is a 13-member body responsible for setting air quality policies and regulations within the South Coast Air Basin, which covers areas in four counties: Riverside County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and parts of Los Angeles County.

The board is made up of representatives from various elected offices within the region, along with members who are appointed by the Governor, Speaker of the Assembly, and Senate Rules Committee.

Holly J. Mitchell, who serves as a County Supervisor for the Second District of Los Angeles County, is a SCAQMD board member. She supported the amendments, but respected the board’s final decision, stating it was a “compromise.”

“In my policymaking experience, if you can come up with amended language that everyone finds some fault with, you’ve probably threaded the needle as best as you can,” Mitchell said before the vote. “What I am not okay with is serving on AQMD is making no decision. Why be here? We have a responsibility to do all that we can to get us on a path to cleaner air.”

The rules proposed by AQMD, Rule 1111 and Rule 1121, aim to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from natural gas-fired furnaces and water heaters.

Rule 1111 and Rule 1121 were designed to control air pollution, particularly emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Two days before the Governing Board’s vote, gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa asked SCAQMD to reject the two rules.

Villaraigosa expressed his concerns during a Zoom call with the Cost of Living Council, a Southern California organization that also opposes the rules. Villaraigosa said the regulations are difficult to understand.

“Let me be clear, I’ve been a big supporter of AQMD over the decades. I have been a believer and a fighter on the issue of climate change my entire life,” Villaraigosa said. “But there is no question that what is going on now just doesn’t make sense. We are engaging in regulations that are put on the backs of working families, small businesses, and the middle class, and we don’t have the grid for all this.”

Rules 1111 and 1121 would also establish manufacturer requirements for the sale of space and water heating units that meet low-NOx and zero-NOx emission standards that change over time, according to SCAQMD.

The requirements also include a mitigation fee for NOx-emitting units, with an option to pay a higher mitigation fee if manufacturers sell more low-NOx water heating and space units.

Proponents of the proposed rules say the fees are designed to incentivize actions that reduce emissions.