Activism

Town Nights Events for Oakland Families Living in Violent Hot Spots

Adamika Village founder Daryle Allums explains why their Town Nights event at Sunnyside Park is unique and different. “Adamika Village is a victim-led organization, so everything we do is in honor of loved ones lost to violence or to honor their families,” Allums said. Last winter, their event was hosted at Castlemont High School, and paid tribute to Michael Franklin, Castlemont’s star basketball forward who lost his life in a double-homicide on Edes and 90th Avenue in 2018. They dubbed the school, whose mascot is the knight, “Mike’s Knight’s.”

Published

4 years ago

June 8, 2022

Oakland Post

The Allums Family (left to right): Jairee Allums, Maria Allums, Jacari Allums (Yellow T), Daryle Allums and Amour Allums

By Tanya Dennis

Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) is sponsoring a second round of Town Nights events beginning June 16 throughout the city of Oakland to support community and family-oriented activities in areas that have been identified as hot spots for violence. Town Nights’ successful outreach began last November, kicked off with free turkey dinner giveaways, basketball tournaments, COVID-19 services and much more.

The mission of the DVP is to decrease violence in specific communities that have been identified as hot spots in Oakland. The events are hosted by grassroots community organizations.

Adamika Village founder Daryle Allums explains why their Town Nights event at Sunnyside Park is unique and different. “Adamika Village is a victim-led organization, so everything we do is in honor of loved ones lost to violence or to honor their families,” Allums said. Last winter, their event was hosted at Castlemont High School, and paid tribute to Michael Franklin, Castlemont’s star basketball forward who lost his life in a double-homicide on Edes and 90^th Avenue in 2018. They dubbed the school, whose mascot is the knight, “Mike’s Knight’s.”

This year, Allums says, “I chose Bernice Carter Park, also known as Sunnyside Park, because this is the place I sold my first piece of crack. I’m back to build up what I destroyed and tore down.”

Allums has orchestrated beautification and restoration of Sunnyside Park in anticipation of the four weeks of activities. “We’re replacing basketball rims, weeding the community garden that now has weeds 8 feet high, we’re painting over graffiti, and giving stipends to the community to assist us [in cleaning] out the sand box on the 15^th [of June] from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. I’m going back to my community to clean it up because I left a toxic residue,” Allums said.

The Sunnyside Park Town Nights event is unique from the others, Allums says, because they plan to give away cash money and prizes. “We are asking people to dress in African attire, and we’re giving away free dashikis to the first twenty people that come.”

Each night will begin with what Allums terms the “African Way,” with a blessing of the park and activities with libation, African dancers and drummers. Games and activities will feature the city’s biggest obstacle course for “Wipe Out” with Whipple balls and water guns, with one winner walking away with a $100 prize. Double Dutch, dance contests and a DJ challenge are other activities participants can look forward to. Red, black and green liberation peace flags will be mounted at each corner of the park and Adamika Villages’ Credible Messengers will patrol for safety.

The main attraction of each Town Nights event will be a basketball tournament with people bringing their five-on-five team for a chance to win $1,000, winner take all. Free food will be provided by Amazing Bar Be Cue, a group comprising mothers and fathers that have lost their children to community violence. Town Nights are from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. and will be hosted four consecutive Fridays, June 17, June 24, July 1 and July 8.

Allums, in reflection, shared that, “at Town Nights, we honor our lost loved ones. Last year it was Michael Franklin. This year, Evry Season Town Nights is in honor of my son, Keandre Allums. Sunnyside Park is where he grew up at, this was his safe place because everybody knew him. He was little D.”

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.