Bay Area
Unsung Athletes of Color from Bay Area Get Their Props in ‘Remember Their Sacrifice’
Arif Khatib and Pete Elman are promoting and selling their book “Remember Their Sacrifice – Stories of Unheralded Athletes of Color.” They hosted a book signing event on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at YEMA, a men and women’s clothing store located at 10 Main St. in Tiburon.

By Godfrey Lee
Arif Khatib and Pete Elman are promoting and selling their book “Remember Their Sacrifice – Stories of Unheralded Athletes of Color.” They hosted a book signing event on Sunday, May 7, 2023, at YEMA, a men and women’s clothing store located at 10 Main St. in Tiburon.
Khatib is the founder and president of the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame. Elman is an author, musician, teacher, and sports journalist in the Bay Area.
“This book is designed to teach people about African-Americans and other athletes of color, and how they greatly contributed to sports of America, (and) the Olympics,” says Khatib, “All of these athletes are heroes, and yet many people don’t know who they are, except their families and friends. It is our responsibility to shine a light on these athletes and talk about how they made their contributions.”
Khatib and Elman wrote about how these athletes did more than what they thought they could do as athletes, and hope that this book will inspire its readers to do more than what they think they can do in their own lives.
Khatib personally knew every individual in this book and many of them were in his Hall of Fame. He did further research, avoiding Google and other search engines, instead asking the athletes for raw facts, something never shared with others. What they shared was included in his book.
“We need to learn about each other, bridge that gap, and get past all that hate. It is time for diversity and inclusion, so we can live and get along together,” Khatib said.
Pete Elman, the coauthor of the book, loves playing sports, history, and teaching. Doing this book was an opportunity for him to combine his love of sports, writing, language, and teaching.
“It really makes a big difference when you know some of these people that you are writing about, and that you can call on their relatives, friends,” Elman said. “Even if they pass away, you can learn something about them.”
“These athletes crossed and broke the racial barrier and made it possible for today’s athletes to attain and enjoy the success that they have today,” Elman said.
The major athletes that are written about in the book are: Pumpsie Green, Alice Coachman, Pete Brown, Spencer Haywood, Toni Stone, Dr. Sammy Lee, Burl Toler, Billy Mills, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, Archie Williams, Janet Johnson, Curt Flood, Dr. Tae Yun Kim, Edward Gourdin, Emilio “Millito” Navarro, Chi Cheng, Lt. Eugene Evans and Lt. Col. Eli Page Howard Jr.
Other sports figures in the book are Don Barksdale, Mal Whitfield, Silas Simmons, Willye White, Yoshihiro Uchida, Marshall “Major” Taylor, Joe Reliford, Thell Torrence, Willy T. Ribbs, Joe Gaetjens, Manny McIntyre, Julius Menendez, Eddie Hart, Sam Lacy, and “Big Sam” Skinner.
The book can be obtained through Amazon, Rowman, Barnes and Noble, and other booksellers. For more information, call Arif Khatib at 510-629-2895.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

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Activism
Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland
Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

By Magaly Muñoz
In 2023, the average spending on groceries increased by nearly $30 each month from the year before;people are spending over $500 a month to put food on the table.
Through previous reporting by the Post, we’ve learned that families in Oakland are depending more and more on free or low cost groceries from food banks because they can no longer afford the rising costs of food at the store.
Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.
We’ve recently spoken to families across these two areas of Oakland and have heard several stories that all point to one problem: food is expensive. Some individuals are spending upwards of $150 a week for themselves or double if they have teens or small children in the family.
We’ve also heard stories of people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure struggling to maintain their diets because they’re having a hard time affording the food that helps them stay healthy.
Do these experiences sound similar to what you or your family are dealing with every month? Are you struggling to afford your basic groceries every week? Do you depend on food banks to help you get by? Are there any chronic illnesses in your household that need to be managed by a special diet?
We want to hear about your experiences and ideas for solutions!
The Oakland Post is investigating food access in Oakland and how residents are surviving as the cost of living continues to increase. Your experiences will help shape our reporting and show local leaders the need to invest in our communities.
In order to get as much feedback as possible, we ask that you click this link to fill out a brief questionnaire or visit tinyurl.com/Oakland-Post-food-survey. You can also scan the QR code above to reach the survey. After you fill it out, please consider sharing the link with your friends and family in Oakland.
If you have questions, please reach out to our Oakland reporter Magaly Muñoz at mmunoz@postnewsgroup or text/call her at (510) 905-5286.
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