Dis Barbara Lee Releases Statement on U.S. Senate
Election Results ... see page 8
Post Interview: Front-Runner Nikki Fortunato Bas Talks Priorities as County Supervisor ... see page 8
Octavia Butler: Pioneering Science Fiction Afrofuturist Author... see page 4
Concluding Black History Month, California Black Caucus Honors ‘Unsung Heroes’ ... see page 2
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
Oakland Homeless Shelter Is Being Transformed Into Permanent Supportive Housing
Alfreda ‘Snookie’ Abbott, 92
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. Courtesy of CBS News.
D.A. Price’s Attorney Demands Officials Comply with Alameda County Charter When Reviewing Validity of Recall Petition Signatures Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley speaks at the OakDays shelter event announcing the transition into permanent housing. Credit: Magaly Muñoz.
By Magaly Muñoz
OakDays, a homeless shelter near Oakland International Airport, was recently approved by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to be converted into permanent supportive housing for previously homeless residents and residents with severe medical needs. The county first acquired the old motel space in the fall of 2020 during the rise of the pandemic. Funding was provided through Project
Roomkey, a state response strategy that provided non-congregate shelter options, such as hotels and motels, for people experiencing homelessness, to protect human life and minimize strain on the healthcare system. The project will be funded through Alameda County Measure A1, which provides $18.6 million to increase funding for affordable housing county-wide. State Homekey is allocating $15 million. The Continued on page 8
By Post Staff
The law firm representing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price has submitted a letter to the county’s Registrar of Voters demanding the registrar and county officials comply with requirements of the Alameda County Charter when reviewing the petition that was submitted this week to put the recall of D.A. Price on the November ballot. The recall group, which began its campaign to unseat D.A. Price almost immediately after she took office in January of 2023, said on Monday it has submitted sufficient voters’ signatures to qualify for the ballot. In a statement, the group claimed it has gathered at least 127,387 sig-
natures, considerably above the 73,195 valid signatures necessary to qualify for the fall election. However, a March 5 letter from the Sutton Law Firm to Tim Dupuis of the Alameda County Registrar of Voters, the county Charter, section 62, “differs in several ways from the California Elections Code with respect to recall of local officials” and could invalidate many of the signatures. Specifically, the County Charter requires that (1) only voters registered in Alameda County are permitted to circulate the recall petition; (2) petition signers must list their occupation on the petition; and, the Registrar has 10 days after submission to determine whether Continued on page 8
Faces Around the Bay: Susheel Bibbs
Westlake Middle School students walked out Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, to support a Gaza cease-fire and to protest attempts by the school Singer, producer, author, teacher and scholar Susheel district to suppress political activism. Photo courtesy an Oakland Bibbs. Photo credit: Raehann parent. Bryce-Davis.
Westlake Middle School Students Walk Out for Gaza Cease-fire and Against School District Censorship
By Ken Epstein
Students and staff at Westlake Middle School, led by the Black Student Union (BSU), held a walkout Wednesday morning, Feb. 28, in support of a Gaza cease-fire and opposing the Oakland Unified School District’s attempt at the last minute to cancel permission to use a school site for a Cease-fire Teach-in. The protesters marched from
Westlake to the Black Panther Museum at 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland. “The Black Student Union condemns the censoring of free speech and suppression of political activism,” according to a statement on social media. A press conference was held at Westlake, 2629 Harrison St. in OakContinued on page 8
Barbara Lee Releases Statement on U.S. Senate Election Results
Congresswoman Barbara Lee at Esquire Tower & Plaza. Photo: Facebook.
By Post Staff
Following the Associated Press
calling
Representative
Adam
Schiff and Steve Garvey, the top
two competitors in the primary and special election for U.S. Senator for California on Tuesday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement on Wednesday: “I want to thank all my supporters and all of the volunteers who made calls, knocked on doors, and did amazing work on the ground to reach communities across the state. Our voices and values were heard loud and clear: Californians deserve a living wage, an economy that works for everyone, housing and healthcare as human rights, Continued on page 8
61st Year, No. 10
Weekly Edition. Edition. March 6 - 12, 2024
postnewsgroup.com
By Barbara Bauer Susheel Bibbs dedicated 20 years to researching and presenting the life of Mary Ellen Pleasant, a Black woman, real estate mogul and financier regarded as the “Mother of Human Rights” in California (1814-1904). Bibbs brings the culmination of her work to the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 650 14th St., on March 9 at 2 p.m.. Bibbs, singer, producer, author, teacher and scholar, began singing in her kindergarten class in St. Louis, MO, when the teacher asked her to sing during nap time. In high school, she sang in the chorus and became the youngest Legend singer, a group whose repertoire centered on Spirituals, (The Legend Singers Chorale Ensemble). Bibbs moved to California in 1980. She lived in San Francisco for 20 years, working many jobs, including teaching at U.C. Berkeley (1982-2010). Bibbs, who studied with renowned vocal teachers, holds degrees from Boston University’s School for The Arts, the New England Conservatory of Music, and The Mozarteum in Austria. Her first concert recital was in1983; she toured in opera and concert presentations for over 30 years in the U.S. and abroad. Her awards include an
Emmy and a commendation from Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco for her contributions to the Arts, who named her “the world’s foremost authority on Mary Ellen Pleasant.” A PBS Arts Showcase profiled her nationally, and her work in TV and film led to 26 international awards. In 2012, Bibbs founded The Living Heritage Foundation to assist other artists. Because Bibbs wanted to perform compositions “by my own people,” she researched Black composers and her first concert tour included a program of compositions exclusively by Black composers. She researched and produced programs that brought to life The Hyers Sisters (1855-1929): singers and pioneers of Black musical theater and Mary Ellen Pleasant (1814-1904), an abolitionist. Bibbs continues to shine a light on their lives, informing the world of their contributions. Bibbs was resourceful. Once she became ill during a tour in Europe with what she thought was “bronchitis.” When she later found out her sickness actually resulted from an allergy to the sulfates in wine, which was served daily in Europe, she packed her bags and shifted her focus. “I returned to the U.S., called the founder of Zoom, a singer I had worked with, and he engaged me in a project.” Later, in 2005, after several surgeries, she shifted her focus to films and work with TV. Bibbs wanted to sing and used every possible resource to fulfill her dream. Her Art was a springboard. Bibbs continues her work from her home in Sacramento. Her mantra: “When one door closes, look in the mirror and open another.”
Alfreda Helen Abbott. Courtesy photo. Alfreda Helen Abbott (“Snookie”) passed away at the age of 92 on March 2, at her home in the Oakland hills surrounded by her family. She was born March 8, 1931 and reared in West Oakland as the only child of Fred and Alberta Lester. Alfreda graduated from Oakland
High in 1949 and went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Shortly after completing her degree, she married the intelligent and charismatic Robert P. Abbott on June 6, 1954. The couple were married for 56 years until his passing in 2010. Alfreda traveled extensively and has visited six continents. She had many interests in life and some of her passions included her family, fine dining, caring for her plants, and public service. A “foodie,” Alfreda enjoyed trying new restaurants along with regularly dining at her favorites. She was always current on the newest spots. Alfreda’s professional life Continued on page 8
Louis Molina (left) and Lisa Davis are two of the four candidates vying for Oakland Police Chief. Candidates Adbul Pridgen and Floyd Mitchell will be featured next week in Part 2 of this article.
Meet the New Slate of Candidates for Oakland Police Chief (Part 1)
By Magaly Muñoz
The Oakland Police Commission hosted a public forum on Feb. 29 at City Hall for the new slate of candidates in the running for Oakland police chief. The candidates are New York City Assistant Deputy Mayor Louis Molina; Cincinnati Assistant Police Chief Lisa Davis; former San Leandro Police Chief Abdul Pridgen; and former Lubbock, Texas, Police Chief Floyd Mitchell. This week, The Oakland Post will provide answers from Molina and Davis: Next week, we will provide the responses from Pridgen and Mitchell. The candidates presented a plan for their first 100 days as police chief and were asked a series of questions about their role in the Oakland Police Department (OPD). Here are highlights from their answers: What is the plan for your first 100 days as police chief? Molina will prioritize building community; review departmental
inner workings including budgets, hiring processes and policies; analyze data and reports to understand their impact on the community; and focus on crime prevention strategies and addressing mental health and substance abuse issues. Davis will go on a ‘listening tour’ to engage with city leaders, members of the community and members of OPD to understand expectations, perceptions, and concerns; explore data-driven violence reduction strategies; and review OPD values, such as morale, recruitment, and retention. Why does your background in policing make you the best fit for Oakland’s police chief? How will you use this experience? Molina: The deputy assistant mayor shared that he has been involved in the ‘main pillars’ of the criminal justice system: policing, the district attorney’s office, and corrections in multiple local jurisdictions. He has worked with vulnerable communities, such as the homeless popu-
Continued on page 8
California Assembly Passes Reparations Resolution; Paves Way for Compensation Discussions
Asm. Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa) discusses on the Assembly floor the importance of ACR 135. The resolution “formally recognizes and accepts responsibility for all of the harms and atrocities committed by representatives of the state who promoted, facilitated, enforced and permitted the institution of chattel slavery,” the language stated. CBM photo by Robert Maryland. By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
The process the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) promised to initiate to pass a package of reparations bills began Feb. 26, on the Assembly floor at the State Capitol with the passage of Assembly Concurrent Resolution (ACR) 135.
Authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-La Mesa), ACR 135 — or the “Human rights violations and crimes against humanity on African slaves and their descendants” — recognizes the “harms and atrocities committed by representatives of the State of California who promoted, facilitated, enforced and permitted the institution Continued on page 8