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Rep. Lee, Civil Rights Leaders, Press Biden on Racial Justice ... see page 13
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
Weekly Edition. Edition. February 28 - March 5, 2024
61st Year, No. 9
Oakland Gets Glimpse of Potential Police Chiefs Special to the Post
The Oakland Police Commission’s Police Chief Search Ad Hoc Committee invited the public to hear from a new pool of police chief candidates to discuss their qualifications on Thursday, Feb. 29. Oaklanders had been given the opportunity to submit questions to the ZOOM meeting. Their profiles are below.
Police Chief Candidate Abdul Pridgen
Police Chief Candidate Floyd Mitchell
Rev. Jeremy McCants, Oakland faith leader, chaired the rally against recalls Wednesday morning on the steps of Oakland City Hall. Photo by Ken Epstein.
Oakland Community Leaders Reject Recalls, Raise Concerns About Recall Organizer’s Violent Behavior, Arsenal of Body Armor and High-Capacity Firearms
By Ken Epstein
Police Chief Candidate Lisa Davis
Police Chief Candidate Louis Molina
Oakland community members held a rally on the steps of Oakland City Hall Wednesday opposing several recall campaigns against progressive political leaders in Alameda County as an attack on the democratic rights of local voters. They raised “grave concerns about the violent behavior and
hateful rhetoric of recall organizer Seneca Scott,” and his Instagram postings of weapons he is stockpiling, according to the media release announcing the Wednesday press conference. “We are here to rally against the recalls,” said Rev. Jeremy McCants, Oakland faith leader, speaking at the rally. “We are a coalition of Oaklanders, voters, people of faith,
workers, artists, civil rights activists, young people, and elders.” Calling the recalls against Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price a waste of taxpayer money, he said these current recalls are a “rightwing attack on our democracy, specifically an attack on progressive governance that aims to address structural inequality and
racism.” “We can’t afford to spend $4.5 million on a special election because some people are mad that they lost their ‘real’ election. The point of these recalls is to disable our city government.” Further, he said, “there is no place for hatred, hostility, and violence in our city.” Continued on page 14
Faith Community Expresses Support for D.A. Pamela Price
Police Chief Candidate Abdul Pridgen
Chief Abdul D. Pridgen was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, and has dedicated over three decades to policing, his life’s work, taking him from New York to Texas and California, where he and his family have found a welcoming home in the Bay Area. His tenure in San Leandro, from Sept. 13, 2021, to Feb. 20, 2023, was a testament to his innovative
approach to policing. Hired on the heels of a controversial police shooting, Chief Pridgen focused on initiatives emphasizing life’s sanctity, de-escalation techniques, and fostering safer outcomes. He was instrumental in integrating cutting-edge training programs such as ICAT and ABLE across the department, demonstrating his dedication to enhancing his officers’ skills and ethical standards. Continued on page 14
More than a dozen of Oakland’s faith leaders came together at Geoffrey’s recently to show their support for Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who is facing a possible recall election. Price has met with several other community groups recently, reassuring them that she is prepared to prosecute suspects once they have been arrested and charged by the police. Photo by Jonathan Fitness Jones.
Faces Around the Bay: Tiffany Diamond Carson
A new program has opened four church parking lots that give homeless people living in their car a place to park overnight, hassle-free. Photos courtesy The Interfaith Council of Alameda County Self-Service Safe Car Parking Program.
Safe Place for Unhoused People with Vehicles
The Interfaith Council of Alameda County Self-Service Safe Car Parking Program is an overnight parking program for unhoused people who live in their cars and are either students, seniors, employed or who are employable, run the gamut of ethnic and lifestyle diversity are all accepted and approved on a case-by-case basis. Safe Car Parking sites are operated on selected properties of faith-based congregation(s) in Oakland to provide a safe and secure place for car-dwellers to park, sleep and have access to available services. Showers and laundry services are scheduled, DMV, insurance, minor auto repairs, gas fund support, snacks and water all are provided based upon funding availability. Referrals: Affordable housing, job training and employment referrals are provided. Congregations: those that are interested in participating in ICAC’s homeless solution strategies are welcome to inquire. For more information on parking application, congregation interest, volunteering, and financial support please, go to www.interfaithac.org or call 510-239-8832
Working Together Works
Tiffany D. Carson. Photo courtesy of “Antonio.” By Barbara Fluhrer Special to The Post Tiffany Carson was born in 2000 despite the doctors’ warnings to her single mother that the pregnancy would endanger her health. Carson’s mother had high blood pressure, was on dialysis and was diagnosed with a terminal disease. They shared an apartment in Oakland and were devoted to one another. By the time Carson entered school, her mother was regularly in and out of hospitals and convalescent homes. Carson was her mother’s constant companion, leaving school and finding transportation to go wherever her
mother was. (An older brother was seldom around.) Carson attended Santa Fe Elementary and Claremont Middle schools in Oakland. “School was very hard for me,” she said. “I had a dysfunctional family. I always knew my mother was dying. The hardest thing in my life was the passing of my mother in 2017, leaving me alone with the challenges I had to face. She was my best friend.” “I moved to Berkeley and was introduced to a new culture. I graduated from Berkeley High in 2018, then attended Berkeley City College, where I was Continued on page 14