Remembering the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom By Gay Elizabeth Plair Cobb
Editor’s note: The “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” brought an unprecedented throng to the National Mall on Aug. 28, 1963. From every corner of the U.S., marchers came to demand fair wages, economic justice, an end to segregation, voting rights and long overdue civil rights. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his incomparable “I Have a Dream” speech on
that day. Below, Gay Plair Cobb shares her remembrance. “Sleepy eyed, joining the early morningchartered bus ride from New York City to Washington, DC … exhilarated, but not knowing what to expect in the late August heat …. the yearning for justice, solidarity with others on the journey, the possibility of new legislation, and also the possibility of
violence … We just did not know. In the end, there were an amazing 250,000 of us, awed and inspired by Mahalia Jackson, John Lewis, Dorothy Height, James Farmer and, of course, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Dream that became our North Star is still our North Star 60 years later and into eternity. Grateful to have been a foot soldier then. Still grateful now.”
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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Weekly Edition. Edition. August 23 - 29, 2023
Dozens of Baptist Ministers of East Bay Pray for DA Price
60th Year, No. 32
“We will stand with her. Forget about a recall. Let her do her job.”
Rise East 10-Year Plan Calls for $100 Million Investment
By Post Staff
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price was invited to meet with representatives of more than 40 congregations to hear her testimony and to find out how to help her execute “equal justice for all.” Photo by Jonathan Fitness Jones By Post Staff
East Oakland’s Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church played host to an impactful event as Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price met and prayed with more than 20 pastors and faith leaders who were participating in the 2023 Bay Cities Baptist Minister’s Union Citywide Revival. This gathering at 5717 Foothill Blvd., a precursor to the annual revival, presented a distinctive platform for faith leaders to question Price on the current status of the community, her ongoing challenges, her role and responsibilities, and her steadfast dedication to justice reform. Well-recognized in the faith community, Price seized the
moment to dispel misconceptions surrounding her position. She forthrightly acknowledged the mistaken perception that she wields the authority of a mayor or police chief. However, she sought to explain that while her role as District Attorney is paramount in ensuring an equitable dispensation of justice, it still has limits. Rev. Joe Smith, president of Bay Cities Baptist Ministers, told the Post that Mayor Sheng Thao is scheduled to meet their group Thursday, Aug. 25 to also answer questions about crime and her role and responsibilities in solving the city’s problems. Smith, his fellow ministers and their congregations will be look-
ing for solutions to the problems of the unhoused, job seekers, and school absenteeism. “We want to work with our mayor, our district attorney, our schoolteachers, and everyone that has contact with our members and their families,” Smith said. “We want progress. We want affordable housing, and we want justice and jobs. We must also do our part to keep our youth in school and train them up in the ways that they should go so they won’t get in trouble.” Against the backdrop of her personal journey — from the foster care system to her present status in the legal field — Price brought up the transformative influence of Continued on page 10
As Mayor Sheng Thao speaks, members of her administration stand by: (l.-r.) Cheryl Ho (Port of Oakland); Ken Maxey (Chamber of Commerce); Bryan Brandice (Port of Oakland); Larry Gallegos (Economic Workforce Dev.); Mayor Sheng Thao, Sophia Navarro (Economic Workforce Dev); Michael Colbruno (Port Commissioner) and Jimmy Hoang (Mayor’s office). Photos by Jonathan Fitness Jones.
Mayor Sheng Thao Speaks on Public Safety, Oakland-Vietnam Trade Opportunities
By Ken Epstein
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, just back from a Vietnam trade mission, spoke at a press conference this week to discuss the results of her international meetings and also to address community concerns about crime in the city. She said she is “working day and night” to increase public safety: investing in violence prevention programs, seeking more funding to expand public safety
resources, and collaborating with the governor to bring in the California Highway Patrol and Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. As the mayor of Oakland, she said, “I was able to call the governor directly, and this is now why we have the resources of CHP here in the City of Oakland. Pointing out that the city now has the highest number of officers in uniform in the past three years, she said there is still work to be done to put the officers where they
are needed most. Thao also discussed the recent successful trade delegation to Vietnam, which ended Aug. 8 and included the mayor, Alameda County officials and Port of Oakland board members, and was designed to promote Oakland as a trading partner with Vietnam. “This trip was an investment in Oakland’s future, by cultivating critical relationships that will Continued on page 10
A new philanthropic partnership is kicking off a plan to invest $100 million to enhance the quality of life in a 40-by-40 block area of East Oakland. Rise East is a collective impact initiative that grew out of a community-led vision to develop a Black Cultural Zone in East Oakland almost 10 years ago. The effort is led by community members who were born and raised in East Oakland and is designed to keep Black families in the area and lead to the return of families who were displaced due to economic barriers and systemic disinvestment. This privately funded initia-
tive will focus on an East Oakland community known as the “40x40,” which runs from Seminary Avenue to the Oakland-San Leandro border and from MacArthur Boulevard to the Bay. This area is home to the largest concentration of Black residents (over 30,000) who remain in Oakland flatland neighborhoods today. “As young people raised in the area and now serving as leaders, our vision is for a robust and vibrant renaissance in legacy Black communities; vibrant, thriving Black arts, cultural, and commercial areas in a thriving economy and ecosystem powered by collective efforts that assures our inalienable human right to love, health, well-
ness, belonging, power, safety, and self-determination,” said Carolyn (CJ) Johnson, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone and member of the 40x40 Council, speaking at a press conference Thursday announcing the initiative. Rise East is a joint effort between the 40x40 Council and Oakland Thrives, which is a network composed of resident leaders, major employers, and representatives of large public agencies, including the City of Oakland and Oakland Unified School District. “Kaiser Permanente is a proud co-founding member of Oakland Thrives, whose goal is to make Oakland the healthiest city in the Continued on page 10
JPMorgan Chase Bank Hosts Backpack Giveaway in Oakland
The support team of the backpack giveaway sponsored by the Oakland Branch of the JPMorgan Chase Bank seen with the host, Community Manager and Vice President Myesha Brown, fourth from right. Photo courtesy of Chase Bank. By Selina Pichardo With the school year kicking into gear, JPMorgan Chase wanted to stress the importance to parents and their children about learning money basics to navigate the world. To help prepare for the year ahead, JPMorgan Chase hosted a Back-to-School event at its Oakland Community Center branch on Saturday, Aug. 19. The event featured school supplies giveaway, activities for the whole family, financial health workshops, and more. Multiple families joined the financial literacy workshop led by Chase Community Managers while over 300 backpacks were given to children to help celebrate the new school year. The financial literacy workshop discussed laying the groundwork
for earning and saving and explained how by helping children understand money management, they are being set up for success on a journey toward financial independence. The Chase Oakland Community Center opened in 2021 as only one of 12 among Chase’s 4,800 branches nationwide. It is a community-inspired model led by Chase Community Managers with free financial health resources like skills training, local pop-up shops and ‘fintech’ innovation for local residents and small businesses. “The goal of the Community Manager is to improve financial health among residents, businesses and the community through identifying programming, resources, and
collaboration opportunities that address local needs,” said September Hargrove, executive director for Community Banking at JPMorgan Chase. “It’s events like our back-toschool giveaway and other events our community managers attend that helps advance our mission to go beyond banking to community building and show up in other ways to help our local communities grow.” If parents are interested in learning more about Chase’s suite of family banking solutions and resources, they are encouraged to visit chase. com/StudentBanking. Parents and entrepreneurs are also encouraged to visit the Chase Oakland Community Center located at 3005 Broadway in Oakland.