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CLEOPHAS WILLIAMS, My Life Story in the ILWU, Local 10 of poverty and southern Jim Crow Book Review: “Cleophis Williams: 4thracism. Annual Juneteenth in the he Town Jubileea... In California, became My Life Story” ... See Page 7 See Page 6 civil rights advocate and an elected job dispatcher in his local. He won Cleophas Williams, My Life Story in the International Longshore and the first of his four terms as Local 10 president in 1967. Warehouse Union, Local 10, is a In the second section of the book, welcome addition to the rich literature about the famously progressive Williams explores the intersection of union politics and race in Local ILWU. Williams (1923-2016) was “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18 10, which has had an African Amera four-time Local 10 president, the postnewsgroup.com Weekly Edition. June 28 - July 4, 2023 Edition. ican majority since 1959. In running first African American to hold that for office, Williams had to contend office, and an iconic figure in the with a conservative, white-led facunion’s history. Former Local 10 DeClare Publishing, 2023 Order tion in the local. Going beyond this Secretary-Teasurer Clarence Thomin hardcover, ebook and paperback problem to review other issues, Wilas describes him in the volume’s www.MillionWorkerMarch.com introduction as the Jackie Robinson liams analyses race and politics in the local in complex and sometimes Local 10 efforts to protect Ausof the ILWU. “Thethe truth is – “Affirmative “The Supreme troubling terms. At one point he tralian-born Bridges from deportaThe book is a collection of Williams’ Discrimination Action allowed Court decision perceptively observes, “Racism made tion. Williams also traces writings, including a previously still Local exists10’s in seek a sustained push to integrate many me and Michelle monsters out of us all…. set We us back unpublished 92-page manuscript, America—of utopia but we are not there yet.”four the best jobs on the Bay Area waterto prove we more than brief occasional pieces, and other we can’t go front. He retired from the job — but This second section of the book offerings. It was compiled by Thombelonged” decades” backwards” begins with the period immediately not from the struggle, as members as and edited by his wife, Delores PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA BARBARA LEE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN of the ILWU Pacific Coast PensionafterCONGRESSWOMAN World War II. Williams vividly Lemon-Thomas, with the support of Cleophas’s widow Sadie Williams describes pre-container break-bulk- ers Association put it — in 1981. Cleophas Williams can be read and Sade’s daughter Jackie Chauhan. cargo handling and has insightful observations about the 1946, 1948, profitably by all members of the The great strength of the book is its and 1971 longshore strikes. He ILWU, regardless of their local or accessibility. It presents Williams’s recalls how ILWU founder and long- their background. Everyone who recollections in rich narrative form time International president Harry is interested in work and unionism in his own powerful voice. Bridges defended African American will benefit from reading it. The Cleophas Williams is divided longshore workers from job losses book contains a useful glossary, a into two distinct and informative during a post-war decline in cargo helpful index, and numerous attracsections. The first focuses on Wiltonnage, and he recounts Black-led tive illustrations. liams’s personal life from his youth
BOOK REVIEW NAACP, LDS Work on Infant Mortality ... See Page 2 By Harvey Schwartz
Pamela Price — Gun Reform ... See Page 8
Oakland Post
Affirmative Action Slapped Down Swanson for State Senate Campaign Raises $30,000 at Scott’s Bunch
60th Year, No. 24
“Deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life” JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON
in the Deep South during the Great Sandré R. Swanson, standing, is joined by Post Newspapers Publisher Council President + District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas Harvey Schwartz is curator of the International Longshore & WarehousePaul Cobb and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma at a fundraiser for Depression of the 1930s through his )left) and Councilmember Treva Reid, who abstained duringUnion the vote.. Swanson’s campaign at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant. Photo by Conway (ILWU) Oral History Collection at the union’s library in San Francisco. early career as a longshore worker and Local 10 activist in Northern California between 1943 and 1967. Williams relied on his strong family background, his religious faith, and his belief in education to survive and persevere despite the challenges
writings include “Solidarity Stories: An Oral History of the ILWU”(2009); City Council AdoptsHis “Building the Golden Gate Bridge: A Workers’ Oral History” (2015) and Alameda County Grand “Labor under Siege, Big Bob McEllrath and the ILWU’s Fight for Organized Budget, Closing $360 Labor in an Anti-Union Era”, co-authored with Ronald E. Magden (2022), Jury Says Former D.A. Million Deficit andbooks published by the University of Washington Press. He holds a Ph.D. inO’Malley Violated State, history from UC Davis and specializes in West Coast maritime history. Maintaining City Services County Regulations to Win
By Post Staff
After numerous town halls and public hearings and much public input, Oakland City Council adopted a balanced budget for 20232025. While closing a historic $360 million deficit, the budget focuses on delivering effective, equitable services. Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas led the Council’s budget amendments with her Budget Team, consisting of Councilmembers Rebecca Kaplan (At-Large), Carroll Fife (District 3) and Kevin Jenkins (District 6). “We are standing together despite facing the worst deficit Oakland has ever seen. I am proud of the work City Council did to provide more support for the vital services Oaklanders rely on (in) building upon Mayor (Sheng) Thao’s proposed budget,” said Bas.
“Our balanced budget expands our community safety work by focusing investments in violence prevention programs, including more support to address sex trafficking; adding community ambassadors in our business corridors, focusing on our most impacted areas; adding civilian investigators to solve crimes; supporting small businesses by continuing our facade improvement program; activating our public spaces; providing critical funding for more affordable housing; and supporting arts, culture, parks, youth and senior programs,” she said. Supporting the council’s amendments to her budget proposal, Mayor Thao said, “I am deeply grateful for Council President Bas, Councilmembers Fife, Kaplan, Jenkins, and Kalb, who voted to pass this
Jones.
Labor donated 6/2023
By Ken Epstein
Sandré R. Swanson, standing, is joined by Post Newspapers Publisher Paul Cobb and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma at a fundraiser for Swanson’s campaign at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant. Photo by Conway Jones. By Post Staff
This week the Sandré R. Swanson for State Senate campaign reported receiving $30,000 in donations from their first major fundraising event of the summer. California State Treasurer Fiona Ma was a special guest speaker at the event. Treasurer Ma also made a major personal donation and described her friendship and support of Sandré from the time they served together in the California State Assembly. The Sunday brunch was held at Scott’s Seafood Restaurant at
Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. Scott’s owner, Raymond Gallagher has joined other business leaders like, Ces Butner, founder, of Horizon Beverage, and Carol H Williams of Carol H Williams Advertising in making generous contributions to the ‘Swanson for Senate’ campaign. Like all other state campaigns, the Swanson campaign is seeking donations this week to meet the June reporting deadline. “This is an important deadline for all campaigns to show some
An investigation conducted by the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury has revealed that employees in the office of former District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, including prosecutors, may have violated state and county laws and regulations by using work emails and county-owned equipment to raise money and campaign for their boss in the 2018 election, according to the recent annual Grand Jury’s report. “When the District Attorney’s Office management learned that there was improper behavior among District Attorney staff, they took no immediate corrective action, and staff faced no consequences related to that behavior,” according to the report, which was released on June 23. The grand jury’s investiga-
tion, which reviewed hundreds of documents and interviewed more than 30 people, concluded that about 25 staff in the district attorney’s office campaigned during work hours, using county-owned computers and the county-operated email system to raise money for O’Malley’s 2018 reelection campaign. “(Violations) included requests from district attorney staff to donate to O’Malley’s campaign, as well as attending campaign events, distributing of campaign flyers, and participating in photographs that district attorney staff believed were used to help her candidacy,” the report said. In addition, the emails were coordinated with police unions in other cities and counties to request their attendance at cam-
Mayor Sheng Thao Removes Former Judge from Police Commission Continued on page 8
By Post Staff
Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte (Ret.) Superior Court of Alameda County
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has removed former Alameda County Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte from the Oakland Police Commission. An appointee of former Mayor Libby Schaaf, Harbin-Forte’s term on the Commission ended on Oct. 16, 2022, and she has remained on the commission at the discretion of the Mayor’s Office. “Judge Harbin-Forté’s seat on the Commission was a holdover position, which she graciously served at the pleasure of the Mayor’s Office,” Thao said in a statement to KTVU. “I will be using the current vacancy to appoint my own person. I thank Judge Harbin-Forté for her service on the Commission.” The decision to remove Harbin-Forte comes in the midst of infighting among members of the Oakland Police Commission and concerns raised by police reform advocates that the commission’s dysfunc-
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tion has kept it from fulfilling its duties to ensure police accountability and initiate the search for a new police chief. Police reform advocates and several members of the commission spoke recently at a press conference on the steps of City Hall calling for the removal of Harbin-Forte and Commission Chair Tyfahra Milele. Speaking in an interview with KTVU, Regina Jackson, currently a commissioner and three-time former chair of the commission, praised Mayor Thao’s “bold action that will allow us to focus on work that will help guide us out of [federal oversight] and toward effective police accountability.” “Sustainability and credibility in the Oakland Civilian Oversight structure is the paramount mission at hand,” Jackson added. “Thank goodness for checks and balances.” In an interview with KTVU Wednes-
day, Harbin-Forte blamed the mayor for caving in to people who sought to remove her from the commission. “I see it as a badge of honor,” HarbinForte said. “It means that somebody was scared about what we were doing. “The mayor has been helping to ensure that the control of the Oakland Police Department will stay in the hands of the federal monitor. “I think that it’s unfortunate that she has chosen to mislead the public, to mislead Oaklanders and buy into the rhetoric of others who don’t have the best interest of all Oaklanders at heart,” Harbin-Forté said. Speaking at a recent Police Commission meeting, chair Milele accused those who want her removed of a “coordinated attack staged by the colluding members of the [Police Commission], the [Coalition for Police Accountability], and the chair of the selection panel.”
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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. File photo.