Oakland to Sell Its Ownership of Coliseum Stadium in Landmark Deal to Black-Owned Development Group
By Magaly Muñoz
In a unanimous decision, the Oakland City Council voted to allow the city administrator to negotiate the sale of the city’s half-ownership of the Oakland Coliseum to the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG). The agreement, announced by Oakland city officials in late May, is expected to bring about revitalization and further investment in East Oakland.
AASEG will buy the city’s half of the Coliseum for $105 million, with $60 million due by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. The purchase will help the city reduce the $177 million mid-year budget deficit and will prevent cuts from departments, such as Oakland police, in the meantime. The other half of the Coliseum is currently being bought out by the Oakland A’s who are playing their last season at the stadium be-
fore temporarily relocating to Sac-
ramento while their new ballpark starts construction in Las Vegas. The A’s have been paying Alam-
eda County for their half of the
stadium since 2019 for $85 million but it’s still unclear when they will finish paying it off.
The AASEG is an Oakland-
based development group, a fea-
ture that many residents and city leaders have said makes the deal Continued on page 8
The African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AAESG) and some of their supporters were honored and celebrated at the Coliseum site by Mayor Sheng Thao, Councilmembers Noel Gallo and Rebecca Kaplan during Black History Month. Pictured left to right are Richard Johnson, Beverly Greene, Noel Gallo,Ray Bobbitt, Rebecca Kaplan, Gay Plair Cobb, Mayor Sheng Thao, Dee Johnson. Photo by Paul Cobb.
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
61st Year, No. 24
Weekly Edition. Edition. June 12 - 18, 2024
postnewsgroup.com
OPEN LETTER:
AASEG’s Playbook for Victory at The Oakland Coliseum Dr. Robert Lacy, Jr., pastor of St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church, private school, and theological academy vows to rebuild after the 6-alarm fire and wears the fundraising hoodie. Cash App: $satu2624 or GofundMe Page: Help Save West Oakland’s Historic Site
St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church Calls for Donations to Rebuild, Expand
By Carla Thomas
On Friday, May 10, St. Andrew Missionary Baptist Church Private School Theological Academy, parsonage, and an adjacent house in West Oakland were engulfed by flames. The six-alarm fire gave firefighters a choice, save the parsonage or save the neighboring two-story sanctuary and K-12 academy. Once the fire was extinguished, the 150-year-old (Oakland Landmark #140) parsonage was gutted and the
church building withstood major fire damage but was still standing. Today, the charred property on the corner of West and 27th is missing a rooftop, and all that remains are half of the stained-glass windows are broken and what’s left of a recently repaired Toyota also damaged by the fire. Now resembling a junk yard, the entire lot, about 1.5 acres of land is filled with debris as the $10,000 excavation begins. Pastor Robert Lacy, Jr. vows to rebuild and says
the Lord told him, “Don’t let it sit too long.” Lacy’s church, which serves the community not only spiritually, but with regular food services and clothing giveaways says the organization had been recently certified to add a university to the church campus. While some projects are on pause, Lacy says he hosts Sunday service on the street in front of the church. “I set up one tent covering, Continued on page 8
Rev. Amos Brown, Danny Glover Inducted into Regional NAACP Legacy Hall of Fame
Actor Danny Glover and Third Baptist Church pastor Rev. Dr. Amos Brown were inducted into the Legacy Hall of Fame ceremony at the 2024 NAACP California Hawaii State Conference with the state president Rick L. Callendar at the Sacramento Sheraton Hotel. Photo by Carla Thomas. By Carla Thomas The 12th Annual NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference Legacy Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held at the Sheraton Hotel on Monday in downtown Sacramento. The 2024 inductees are civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown and actor/civil rights activist Danny Glover.
Honoree actor Danny Glover with Post News Group journalist Carla Thomas at the Legacy Hall of Fame ceremony at the 2024 NAACP California Hawaii State Conference at the Sacramento Sheraton Hotel. Courtesy photo.
Rev. Amos C. Brown, Th.D., of San Francisco, a distinguished civil rights leader who studied under Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and participated in pivotal civil rights actions, serves as president of the San Francisco Branch of the NAACP. Danny Glover, renowned actor, producer, and activist was celebrated for his impactful performances
Dis Dept of Finance Is Helping Borrowers Sort Out Calif. Their Student Loans ... see page 2
in film and his commitment to civil rights and economic justice. Glover, born in San Francisco, has received numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts. “We are proud to commemorate Rev. Brown’s civil rights activism and Danny Glover’s legacy as 2024 NAACP CA/HI State Conference Continued on page 8
BOOK REVIEW: Two Authors Delve Into History of Juneteenth for Children and Adults ... see page 2
Pamela Price shared her views as a longtime Oakland resident with OPD Chief Flyd Mitchell and other members of her team on June 7.
Alan Dones. Courtesy photo. By Alan Dones
Honorable Mayor, Members of the City Council, and my fellow Oaklanders: Today, AASEG steps onto the field with a team of equity all-stars ready to score touchdowns and break records and barriers for economic empowerment in East Oakland and the entire East Bay region. Our leader, Ray Bobbitt, has assembled a Dream Team by drafting a powerhouse lineup of businesses, experienced professionals, and community leaders who share a common goal: to transform the Coliseum complex into a beacon of opportunity and prosperity. We are a dream team united in our commitment to our community. We Have Home Field Advantage: Today, the Council will vote on the AASEG’s purchase of this land, but we understand the Coliseum will never be truly ours. This site will always belong to the people of Oakland, and it is our sacred duty to develop it in a way that serves their best interests. We see the Coliseum as our collective home field, and our game plan is to ensure that everyone in the community shares in the future victories. We Have A Winning Playbook: Community Benefits and Economic Returns AASEG understands that prioritizing community benefits is not a sacrifice play; it’s indeed a strategy for success. We understand Continued on page 8
Alameda County D.A. Pamela Price Meets with New Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell
D.A. Price Shares Her Views on the History of Oakland
Special to The Post
On Friday, June 7, 2024, DA Pamela Price convened a historic meeting with Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell. Mitchell recently took over the helm of the Oakland Police Department after serving as the head of the Police Department in Lubbock, Texas. Chief Mitchell began his career as a patrol officer with the Kansas City Police Department in Missouri. He served 25 years in Kansas City, and then became the police chief for the City of Temple, Texas. In 2019, Mitchell was appointed police chief of Lubbock, Texas, where he served until September 2023. Mitchell is a veteran of the United States Air Force and earned both his BSA and MBA degree in Business Administration from Baker University in Kansas. He is also a graduate of the Certified Public Manager Program administered by Texas State University, the FBI National Academy, and the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Policing at Boston College. As a longtime resident of Oakland, Price shared some of her knowledge of the history of Oakland with Mitchell as well as an overview of the longtime and
structural relationship between the Oakland Police Department and the District Attorney’s office. Price and Mitchell discussed some of the challenges OPD faces and has faced over the years, as well as the resilience of Oakland residents and the true “flavor” of Oakland as a community. Price pledged her support to assist Mitchell in his transition and shared her hope for his success as the new chief. Mitchell shared his priorities and his interests as he moves forward. The senior members of DA Price’s leadership team who attended this historic meeting included Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl Roberts, Chief Assistant of Prosecutions Otis Bruce, Jr., Senior Assistant District Attorney Jimmie Wilson, Chief of Inspectors Eric Lewis. Deputy District Attorney Brian Owens who works most closely with OPD was also in attendance, along with the Interim Director of the DA’s Community Support Bureau, Deputy District Attorney Esther Lemus. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Oakland’s Chief of Education & Community Safety Brooklyn Williams also attended the meeting.
California Hosts Symposium Connecting Small Rev. James Lawson, Jr.: A Legendary Civil Rights Leader Who Businesses to Billions of Dollars in Contracts ... see page 2 Trained John Lewis in Non-Violence, Dies at 95 ... see page 7