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Elected Officials, Faith Leaders & Thurmond Discuss Antisemitism ... see page 2
Empowering Black Women in Maternal and Feminine Health ... see page 6
Mothers in Mourning, Moms, Allies Protest Gun Violence in California ... see page 6
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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Barbara Lee and Rob Bonta March for Pride Together
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, wearing a pink hat, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta lead the Oakland Pride Parade. Photo by Gene Hazzard.
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson California Black Media
On Sunday, the California Black Women’s Collective (CBWC), a coalition of women from different professional backgrounds, issued a statement responding to remarks Gov. Gavin Newsom made to NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.”
When asked what he would do if 90-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein were to step down due to her failing health, the Newsom said he would appoint a short-term caretaker to replace her. “Interim appointment,” Newsom told Todd. “I don’t want to get involved in the primary. It Continued on page 8
Barbara Lee Adds Bernie Sanders Political Staff to Growing Campaign
U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee (courtesy photo). and U.S. Sen. Bernie Saunders (courtesy photo). Special to The Post Two members of the Bernie Sanders for President 2020 team have joined Barbara Lee’s campaign for Senate, the Lee campaign announced reently. Robert Dempsey and Anna Bahr, who served as national states director and deputy national press secretary for the Sanders presidential campaign in 2020, respectively,
are joining the Lee campaign as campaign manager and senior advisor. “My message in this race is simple: working people deserve a progressive fighter who will fix an economy that is rigged against the middle class and the poor, prioritize climate, racial and economic justice and truly represent the Continued on page 8
60th Year, No. 35
Weekly Edition. Edition. September 13- 19, 2023
The Rise East Project
Part 1 of 8 - Genesis of Oakland’s Black Cultural Zone and Rise East Rise East is a $100 million privately funded initiative that will rebuild Black neighborhoods in a 40 x 40 block area of East Oakland over 10 years. Project partners are Oakland Thrives, The 40 x 40 Council and Blue Meridian Partners.
Common was honored on Hiero Day by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Kimberly Mayfield. Photo courtesy of Ariel Nava.
Oakland Celebrates Hiero Day 2023, Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop
By Post Staff
Thousands of music fans showed up at Oscar Grant Plaza Monday, Sept. 4 to celebrate the 11th annual Hiero Day block party and commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, featuring the Souls of Mischief, Oakland native Kev Choice, Mister F.A.B. and a special guest appearance by Common. Hosted by the City of Oakland and Mayor Sheng Thao, the free event showcased over 30 live performances on three stages, including legendary, underground and undiscovered performers of hiphop, R&B and other genres. Souls of Mischief is part of the rap collective Hieroglyphics, which founded Hiero Day and this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. “HIERO DAY (is) a driving force in the music festival culture in Oakland,” according to event organizers. “The event is widely regarded as a day to celebrate independent hip-hop music and serves as a Labor Day destination being one of the largest hiphop music gatherings in the Bay
Area.” The event was held at Jack London Square last year, but this year, it moved to the plaza in front of Oakland City Hall, reflecting its new connection with the Mayor’s Office and the City of Oakland. “I’m so grateful to be here in Oakland,” said Common said after receiving a “heavyweight champion” belt and proclamation from Mayor Thao. “Y’all inspired us … The music, the culture — Hieroglyphics influenced me.” Said Mayor Thao: “Oakland is the heart of the Bay Area’s music, art and culture scene, and I am so grateful for all the work our Hiero Day organizers did to celebrate it.” The City of Oakland this year is hosting three events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, including the collaboration with event organizers of Hiero Day. A special event was held on Sept. 10 to honor “50 years of women rooted in hip-hop,” including Pam the Funkstress, the Conscious Daughters, Traci Bartlow, and Mystic and Black.
The Black Cultural Zone is on track to receive $10 million of a $40 million grant to the City of Oakland for infrastructure improvements. Above is the proposed BCZ development on 73rd and MacArthur that will provide a cultural hub, 118 affordable residences plus a manager’s unit, food hall, community pantry, co-working space and roller-skating rink. Courtesy image.
By Tanya Dennis
The mission of the Black Panthers 10-point program, envisioned in 1966, germinated in 2000 at the first annual Malcolm Jazz Festival in San Antonio Park, hosted by Eastside Arts Alliance, a collective of multi-racial artists who, like Malcolm X, utilized the public platform to address racial inequities and organize a credible institution to create solutions. Elena Serrano, an Eastside collective member who serves as its executive director says, “The Black Panthers captured hearts and minds through authentic guerrilla theater, inspiring people by how they presented themselves, dressing the same, on the same message making people believe they could create a society that benefited them.” For nearly 30 years, Eastside Arts Alliance (EAA) has held down that Black Panther culture at 2277 International Blvd. and recently celebrated its 24th annual Malcolm X Festival.
“We created a Black arts movement in a neighborhood that is Black, Asian and Latinx, a movement where artists’ work and organizers come together to build power,” Serrano says. “We work with teenagers that want to be hip-hop stars, poets, and writers so they address power-building strategies in their music and words.” The Black Cultural Zone, a strategic partner in the $10 million Rise East initiative credits their genesis to Eastside Arts Alliance. Rise East is a 10year, privately funded initiative to help Black families thrive in a 40-square-block area of East Oakland. “We connected to the Black Cultural Zone six or seven years ago when the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project was planned for International Boulevard, a project to improve rapid transit,” Serrano says. “BRT publicity was showing beautiful neighborhoods that didn’t even have Black folks Continued on page 8
Mandela Act Ended Prolonged Solitary Confinement Richard Johnson, formerly incarcerated in solitary confinement, now travels the state lecturing on how others can start “Giving Back”
By Richard Johnson
At the California State Capitol on Sept. 6, I had the privilege to advocate for AB-280, the Mandela Act, a bill aimed at putting an end to prolonged solitary confinement. The following day, I actively participated in the “Day of Action” rally and spoke at the press conference organized by the California Mandela Coalition at California State Capital Park in Sacramento. During my speech, I shed light on the torture and trauma of enduring solitary confinement for two decades and underscored the critical importance of passing AB-280 Mandela Act. AB-280 was conceived as a direct response to the suffering en-
dured by men, women, individuals with mental health conditions, the disabled and even children who have been subjected to solitary confinement for days, years, and even decades. For those unfamiliar with the horrors of solitary confinement, it entails living in a cramped space, without windows but continuous lighting, and enduring extreme temperatures, whether excessively hot or cold. Richard Johnson, of Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back, spoke at a rally at the state Sometimes individuCapitol about his experience in solitary confinement and his support for the Mandela Act. als are allowed to leave Photo by JonathanFitnessJones. their cells for as little
as 30 to 90 minutes, or sometimes not at all. It is misguided to assume that such conditions do not have a profound and detrimental impact, as prisons invariably reflect broader societal issues. I can speak to this from my own firsthand experiences which spanned years. Being a youthful offender held in solitary confinement with nothing but one’s thoughts for solace is a daunting and challenging ordeal. The politics of prison life place everyone, both inside and outside, in constant jeop-
ardy. The United Nations has explicitly stated that any duration exceeding 15 days in solitary confinement constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Given this fact, one must contemplate the implications of subjecting individuals to decades of such severe treatment, regardless of the circumstances that led them to prison or solitary confinement. Punishment then becomes torture, a blatant violation of human rights, civil rights, and, most importantly, the moral principles that deem such treatment inhumane and wrong. Regrettably, for some, life has been reduced to the ‘politrixs’ (maContinued on page 8