Dis Fundraiser for the Youth Programs of the Berkeley Black Repertory Theater ... see page 2
Minority Environmental Justice Groups Want to Connect to Millions in EPA Funding ... see page 2
Oakland PAL Athletes Win at International Children’s Games in South Korea ... see page 3
The Power of a President Standing on the Picket Line... see page 8
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
Weekly Edition. Edition. September 28 - October 3, 2023
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Seniors Organize for Dignity at Sojourner Truth Manor
60th Year, No. 37
(l-r) Ray Bobbit, Royl L. Roberts, Burundi Ambassador Albert Nasasagare, Ottis Bruce Jr., Dr. Maritony Jones, Jonathan Fitness Jones visited the office of Alameda County DA Pamela Price (Photo by Richard Johnson) Tenants at Sojourner Truth Manor, like those above, complain that the manager, HumanGood, only communicates in English and provides no translation for non-English speakers. Photo by Ken Epstein. By Ken Epstein Residents of Sojourner Truth Manor in North Oakland, a housing complex for seniors founded by local civil rights and community leaders almost 50 years ago, are involved in a fight for dignity and decent living conditions with HumanGood, a nonprofit company that manages senior housing in Oakland and across the country. Tenants interviewed by the Oakland Post said that they are kept in the dark about what the management is planning or what repairs are underway. They say management often does not re-
spond to their complaints and concerns about needed repairs such as broken fixtures, flooding, and lack of heat or hot water in individual apartments, vermin, broken security cameras, televisions and building elevators, while the complex’s community room has been out of operation for 11 years. More general concerns are the lack of a social service coordinator, a position that in the past offered community-building activities and provided information and support for residents. Tenants are also concerned about the failure to provide translation for tenants who are not English-speaking, includ-
ing those who are Ethiopian, Eritrean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Arabic-speaking. “They’re not treating us seniors like we’re human beings; since this management company has been here, there is no communication whatsoever,” said Beverley Colston, who has lived at Sojourner Truth for eight years and serves as the chairperson of the tenant association. Underscoring the lack of transparency, 14-year-resident Nancy Delaney said, “Management is treating us like we’re livestock;
Burundi’s Ambassador Visits Oakland to Unite and Collaborate with Oakland-Burundi Sister Cities
By Post Staff In a remarkable display of international goodwill and cooperation, Ambassador Dr. Albert Nasasagare, the former Special Advisor to President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, Africa, embarked on a historic visit to Oakland, California. Invited by Dr. Maritony Ann Jones, a fellow ambassador and humanitarian, the visit took place on Sept. 25th-26th, and it offered a unique opportunity to foster international relations Continued on page 12 and showcase Oakland’s hospital-
ity by the Oakland-Burundi Sister Cities executive team. The visit was hosted and sponsored by JonathanFitnessJones, Oakland Post Ambassador to the Community/AASEG, and Ray Bobbit founder of African American Sports & Entertainment Group (AASEG), underscoring the significance of this diplomatic engagement. Dr. Albert Nasasagare, met with the board and staff of the Oakland Private Industry Council (PIC) and was briefed on how projects
like the AASEG could become a resource of hope and opportunity for groups like the Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB) founded by Richard Johnson. The Ambassador was given information on how to develop and utilize youth employment and training programs by PIC CEO Ray Lankford. Dr. Nasasagare also visited the offices of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Y. Price
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Oakland Businesses Go on OneDay Strike to Protest Public Safety Issues
Greg Hodge is CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network. Courtesy photo.
The Rise East Project
The $100 million, privately-funded, 40x40 initiative to help Black East Oakland
By Tanya Dennis Part 2
Rise East is a $100 million privately funded initiative that will rebuild Black neighborhoods in a 40x40 block area is East Oakland over 10 years. Project partners are Oakland Thrives, the 40x40 Council and Blue Meridian Partners. The number 40 in sacred scripture signifies, new growth, new life, and transformation. In African American history, the number 40 signifies the broken promise of 40 acres and a mule made by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and General William T. Sherman at the end of the Civil War in 1865. On Oct. 15, 1966, The Black Panther Party demanded 40 acres in reparations for Black folks in their party’s ten-point program demanding payment for that overdue debt. In 2021, the 40x40 initiative was created by a coalition of community-based organizations, Roots
Community Health Clinic, Black Cultural Zone (BCZ), the Brotherhood of Elders Network and East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) to address systemic issues of racism and displacement of African Americans in a roughly 40x40 block area in East Oakland, an area with the highest concentration of Black folks in the Bay Area. Greg Hodge, CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network says “Roots was already serving this area under the leadership of Dr. Noha Aboelata when the pandemic hit, hitting the Black population the hardest, the most underserved in the city. Within this area, household income and life expectancy are lowest among Black residents compared to other racial/ethnic groups. There is a 15-year gap in life expectancy between Black residents in East Oakland (70 years) and white residents of the Oakland Hills (85 years), Hodge said. Dr. Aboelata and staff questioned how they could further supContinued on page 12
The striking business owners hold signs during the two-hour shutdown on Tuesday. Photo by Magaly Muñoz. By Magaly Muñoz
Oakland community leaders held a press conference Tuesday morning in front of Le Cheval restaurant to show solidarity with the community via a one-day business strike to call for the city of Oakland to do more for public safety and retail crime. Carl Chan, former president of the Chinatown Business Association, announced the strike last week at an Oakland NAACP press conference where leaders and supporters of the branch called for an investigation into why the city did not apply for state funds that would’ve given police enforcement money to investigate and prosecute suspects of organized retail crime. The strike took place at over 100 small businesses throughout the city from 12- 2 p.m. after the press conference on Tuesday. Le Cheval, a Vietnamese restaurant, was chosen, Chan said, because, in spite of its longtime status in the community, the upsurge in crime over the last few years led to the recent announcement that they’re closing their doors on Sept. 30 after 38 years at 1007 Clay St. in downtown Oakland. A 2022 crime report from the Oakland Police Department
showed that auto theft, commercial burglary and carjacking have gone up significantly in the last five years. Commercial burglary showed the highest increase by over 50% since 2018. Chan said business owners are making certain demands to restore safety in Oakland, including direct resources to support small businesses and public safety measures from all levels of government. “We want to also focus on the solutions, what we can do together to make positive changes,” Chan said. “We want to invite everybody, including our leadership. This is not about division, it is about unity.” Several business owners were called to speak about their experiences, one being Chef Nijel Jones. Chef Jones of Kingston 11, a former Jamaican restaurant and now reggae lounge, said that his windows were being repaired that very morning because of a breakin that occurred a few weeks ago. He said aside from the breakins, homelessness is also a huge issue in keeping people from coming to small businesses. He went on to tell a story of an unhoused woman who came into his restaurant, asked to use the restroom and Continued on page 12
(L-R) George L. Randolph, Gwen Randolph, Sherron Hogg-Harris, Stacy Hogg Stewart. Photo by JonathanfitnessJones
Oakland’s Historic Style-Rite Beauty Salon
Surviving Decades of Change, This Family-Owned Salon Thrives by Embracing Overall Care from Hair to Humanity, by specializing in hair restoration and treatment for individuals grappling with hair loss due to alopecia or cancer.
By Dr. Maritony Jones and Post Staff
In the heart of Oakland’s 14th Street, a timeless beauty and care institution, the Style-Rite Beauty Salon, stands as a testament to resilience, community, and innovation. For over seven decades, this Black-owned business has not only weathered the storms of civil rights movements, economic upheaval, and the pandemic but has also transformed itself into a beacon of overall care, transcending the boundaries of hair treatment to embrace the full spectrum of human well-being.
Founded in 1950 by the trailblazing Isaiah and Gladys Randolph, the salon helped them to provide for their, George, Gwen and Sharon. This salon has seen four generations of clients walk through its doors. Today, Gladys’s granddaughter, Stacy HoggStewart, carries on her legacy with a vision that extends far beyond hairstyling. The Evolution of a Family Legacy With a smile, Stacy said, “I grew up here, learned here, and received my discipline here.”
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