Community

Track and Field Coach Willie White, 82

Willie Louis White passed peacefully at his home in El Sobrante on June 29, 2021, with Karen, his wife of 30 years, by his side.

Published

4 years ago

July 17, 2021

Christy Price

Willie White/ Cal Bears website

Willie Louis White passed peacefully at his home in El Sobrante on June 29, 2021, with Karen, his wife of 30 years, by his side.

White was born in Shreveport, La., on July 24, 1938, to Lieutenant White and Ollie White Edgar. He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1956, attended Los Angeles Harbor Junior College in 1957, and transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education in 1960.

White began his celebrated career in track while attending UC Berkeley. As he worked on his bachelor’s degree he competed in numerous events and was twice ranked in the top 10 in the world in the men’s 100-meter dash by Track and Field News.

As the head track coach at Berkeley High School from 1966 to 1984, White became one of the most successful California high school track coaches. White coached the Berkeley High School team to one of the nation’s best and highest achieving records in American High School Track and Field. He was the first coach to ever win both championships for boys and girls, in the same year.

White was the assistant track and field coach, and head coach of volleyball at Cal State Hayward (East Bay) from 1984 to 1996. He also coached at Pittsburg High School.

Coach White retired from Cal State Hayward in 1996.

In 2010, White joined forces with the Oakland Parks and Recreation Department and the 100 Black Men of Oakland and was instrumental in reviving track & field and Girl’s Day Sports.

White has received countless honors and awards for his contributions to track and field over the last 60 years. In 1981, the City of Berkeley proclaimed July 11, “Coach Willie White Day” and in 2014 the City of Oakland proclaimed June 7, “Willie White Day.”

Track and field, along with his community and family remained an important part of White’s life for decades. He coached the Berkeley East Bay Track Club and the East Oakland Track Gems (EOTG). In 2014, several of his athletes qualified and competed internationally in Australia; he was still coaching EOTG until his passing.

White is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Karen, his four children and a host of grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, July 24, 2021, on the Berkeley High School track field.

In lieu of flowers and to support his vision of community-based track and field, and in his memory, the family asks donations to be made to the East Oakland Track Gems at https://my.cheddarup.com/c/in-memory-of-coach-e.

Christy Price

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Oakland Post: Week of July 2- 8, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 2 – 8, 2025

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6 days ago

July 7, 2025

Oakland Post

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Trump Set to Sign Largest Cut to Medicaid After a Marathon Protest Speech by Leader Jeffries

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S.

Published

1 week ago

July 3, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

By a vote of 218 to 214, the GOP-controlled U.S. House passed President Trump’s massive budget and spending bill that will add $3.5 trillion to the national debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S. With $175 billion allocated in spending for immigration enforcement, the money for more police officers eclipsed the 2026 budget for the U.S. Marines, which is $57 billion. Almost all of the policy focus from the Trump Administration has focused on deporting immigrants of color from Mexico and Haiti.

The vote occurred as members were pressed to complete their work before the arbitrary deadline of the July 4 holiday set by President Trump. It also occurred after Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries took the House floor for over 8 hours in protest. Leader Jeffries broke the record in the U.S. House for the longest floor speech in history on the House floor. The Senate passed the bill days before and was tied at 50-50, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski saying that, “my hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.” There were no changes made to the Senate bill by the House. A series of overnight phone calls to Republicans voting against, not changes, was what won over enough Republicans to pass the legislation, even though it adds trillions to the debt. The Trump spending bill also cuts money to Pell grants.

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“The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 17 million people will lose their health insurance, including over 322,000 Virginians. It will make college less affordable. Three million people will lose access to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And up to 16 million students could lose access to free school meals. The Republican bill does all of this to fund tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations,” wrote Education and Workforce Committee ranking member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) in a statement. The bill’s passage has prompted Democrats to start thinking about 2026 and the next election cycle. With the margins of victory in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate being so narrow, many are convinced that the balance of power and the question of millions being able to enjoy health care come down to only several thousand votes in congressional elections. But currently, Republicans controlled by the MAGA movement control all three branches of government. That reality was never made more stark and more clear than the last seven days of activity in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.