Monsa Sakura Nitotó, Artist, Activist, Mentor, 75 ... see page 7
“COMMENTARY: Stealing Votes is the Worst Kind of Theft” ... see page 7
Mrs. Gracie Thomas Celebrates 103 Beautiful Years ... see page 4
In Memoriam: Charles Ogletree, Celebrated Harvard Law Professor ... see page 2
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
60th Year, No. 30
Weekly Edition. Edition. August 9 - 15, 2023
postnewsgroup.com
Treva Reid Mobilizes Volunteers for Community Clean-Up Job
LACK OF FINANCING
Tidewater Developers Couldn’t Finish the Job — They Turn Back Keys from 1440 Broadway to the Bank
Craig Young is the managing principal of Tidewater Capital. Courtesy photo. By Post Staff
Oakland City Council District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid supporting clean-up efforts on International Blvd. Allen Temple Baptist Church. California Black Media photo. Photo by Krystal Raheem. Oakland District 7 City Councilmember Treva Reid kicked off the 2023 Community Safety Task Force Day of Action series on Friday, July 28. This is the second year of the series where attendees were able to get resources like housing support, community safety services, adult and youth employment opportunities, nutrition and wellness, job opportunities, anti-displacement programs, gang violence intervention, re-entry information for the formerly incarcerated citizens and more. “It was an honor to support the growth and safety of our residents,” said Reid, “The goal of the Community Safety Task Force is to ensure that District 7’s community has direct access to essential resources in their neighborhoods. Our Day of
Action signifies the power of collaboration and fellowship across multiple sectors in the City of Oakland and the Bay Area at large.” The Community Safety Task Force was initiated by a combination of city and county partners, private stakeholders, and communitybased organizations, who hold a collective vision of supporting District 7’s most underserved (BIPOC, youth, seniors, and unhoused) residents who have been victims of violence or are at-risk of becoming victims of and/or enacting violence. “Leadership stability and action are critical – especially in times of crisis. We must develop a regional approach to strategizing and implementing community safety initiatives with accountability for the brazen criminal activity takContinued on page 8
Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, front row center in red sunglasses, is surrounded by supporters on the front steps of the René C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland California. Courtesy photo.
Local Democrats Back Pamela Price: ‘Let Her Do Her Job’
By Post Staff
The Democratic Party of Alameda County has voted overwhelmingly to oppose the recall of District Attorney Pamela Price, pledging to organize to defeat the recall of the progressive D.A., now in office for only eight months. The recall effort is backed by conservative special interests and individuals that supported her opponent in the general election last fall and is also fueled by community fears about raising crime. At their Aug. 2 meeting, 83% of Alameda County Democratic Party voting members opposed the recall
in a resolution that said their organization “condemns the effort to recall District Attorney Pamela Price a few months after the voters of Alameda County chose DA Price in a decisive election, before her policies can even have the desired impact.” The resolution also pledged to contribute “educational and electoral efforts to the campaign to stop any potential recall of our elected District Attorney.” “Alameda County voters picked Pamela Price to reform a system that is as unsafe as it is unjust,” said Cristine Soto DeBerry, founder and
Tidewater Capital, a San Francisco-based developer, has already been caught up in controversy in recent months over a proposed project that threatens an historic venue, Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, in Oakland’s downtown Black Arts Movement and Business District. Now, Tidewater has defaulted on another of its Oakland properties, a $25.5 million debt and surrendered its ownership of an historic office building at 1440 Broadway to its lender, the San Francisco Business Times reported. Tidewater gave up the 10-story office building to New York-based Brightside Capital, which took control of the 83,000-square-foot property. Tidewater and Paris-based
Axa had bought the office building in 2018 for $43.5 million and refinanced it in 2021 with a floating-rate loan from BrightSpire. According to news reports, it is unclear whether Axa was still a co-owner of the property at the time of the surrender, and it was uncertain why Tidewater gave up the property three years before its loans were due. The value of the building, currently 60% leased, grew 250% in the three years before the pandemic. The restored 1911 brick building has marble interiors, oak finishes, high ceilings, large windows, and historic light fixtures. The building changed hands several times: it was purchased in 2015 for $15.75 million, sold again for $25.35 million, and then sold to Tidewater and Axa at a Continued on page 8
Wake Up to Good News on Saturday Morning with Miz April’s ‘The Gospel Experience’ on KPFA-FM
Continued on page 8
Rep. Barbara Lee Celebrates Black Business Month
April Wright. Courtesy photo. Special to The Post
Firefighters battle flames at the Schnitzer Steel/Radius Recycling plant in West Oakland. Bay City News photo.
Schnitzer Steel Catches Fire Neighbor to Howard Terminal and They Opposed the Proposed Stadium
City of Oakland Fire Department, Special to The Post Although smoke continues to rise from a fire on Wednesday at the Schnitzer Steel/Radius Recycling at 1101 Embarcadero West in Oakland, area fire crews assure Bay Area residents that the fire was nevertheless contained in just a few hours. Oakland Fire crews and heavy equipment operators from Schnitzer Steel/Radius Recycling worked through the night and into the early morning pulling apart the debris pile where the fire originated.
They made significant progress clearing away large sections of the pile while mitigating any remaining hotspots and preventing flareups. This preventative activity is what is causing smoke to continue rising from the location, however smoke conditions are much lighter than they were yesterday. Oakland Fire anticipates being on scene for several more hours today. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The “Oakland Fire Department swiftly arrived on the scene in reContinued on page 8
Rep. Barbara Lee speaks with a team member of Akash Systems at the tech company’s West Oakland satellite office. Courtesy photo. Special to the Post Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) toured Black-owned satellite manufacturer Akash Systems in West Oakland to celebrate Black Business Month. The visit came after Rep. Lee supported their bid to receive funding from the CHIPS and Science Act. The CHIPS and Science Act, passed one year ago Wednesday, makes historic investments in American manufacturing, supply chains, and national security. Akash Systems is pioneering the development and use of certain
advanced semiconductors for U.S. critical infrastructure and national security needs. The company is seeking $300 million in CHIPS and Science Act funding to expand their manufacturing footprint in the Bay Area, a proposal Congresswoman Lee and Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein wrote to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in support of in June. Lee toured the Akash manufacturing site, met with workers, and spoke with the leadership team Continued on page 8
‘Miz April,’ the host of the Gospel Experience on KPFA 94.1 FM, immerses her audience in various genres of sacred music on Saturday mornings from 6-9 a.m. Her listeners are graced by throwbacks of favorite singers, groups, and choirs ranging from years past to new and upcoming artists that are taking Gospel music to new levels. She clearly knows her stuff and has a performing and production background to bolster her presentations. Born April M. Wright, the Richmond native began singing at the North Richmond Missionary Baptist Church at 8 years of age and first appeared on stage when she was cast in David Leonard’s adaptation of “Little Shop of Horrors.” Since then, Wright has lectured and directed choirs locally and internationally: Those include the California State Baptist Conven-
tion, Northern California Chapter; Gospel Music Workshop of America; the historic Bethel A.M.E. Church and Third Baptist Church of San Francisco. Over the last 16 years she has appeared in productions of various plays including “The Dearly Departed” (2018, 2015 ); “Crowns” (2016, 2010); “The Wiz” (2011); and “The Black Nativity” (2007). Wright’s production company, Symphony Enterprises, premiered her music review, “Chicken, Chitlins and Caviar,” a musical journey through African American culture in 2017. Wright received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, OH. She has done continuing education at Jackson State University, Jackson, MS; UCLA School of Business, Los Angeles, CA; and Laney College, Oakland, CA.