DisBusiness Owners Concerned as Groups Step Up Black Attacks on Diversity ... see page 2
Cal State Names Dr. Berenecea its First Woman President ... see page 4
State Assembly’s Black Caucus Played Key Role in California to Make Historic Investment in Fight $20-Per-Hour Fast Food Worker Pay Deal ... see page 7 Against Organized Retail Crime ... see page 6
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
60th Year, No. 36
Weekly Edition. Edition. September 20 - 26, 2023
postnewsgroup.com
Black San Francisco Ballet Dancer Angela Watson Performs in Oakland Premiere of Misty Copeland Film “FLOWER” Event By Carolyn Evans
Angela Watson is among several Black ballerinas blazing new trails in ballet companies across the country, Europe and Asia. Courtesy photo.
On Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. at Oakland Paramount Theatre, Oakland Ballet Company and Life in Motion Productions will present the Oakland premiere of “Flower,” a short film starring and produced by international ballet trailblazer Misty Copeland. Without using dialogue, the film provides an artistic impression of the homeless, unhoused and worsening medical conditions of a community of Black and Brown people bombarded by the impacts of gentrification. A highlight of the event will be a live performance featuring
Angela Watson, a Black ballerina from the Oakland-Bay Area who is the newest member of the San Francisco Ballet Company and appears courtesy of Tamara Rojo, its new artistic director. Watson’s invitation to perform at the premiere of “Flower” at the behest of the Oakland Ballet Company is a measure of her formidable talent and a sign of respect among professionals in ballet. Like Misty Copeland, whose rise to become a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, Watson is part of the changing face of ballet as more Black ballerinas take their places in dance com-
Oakland NAACP Demands Members of the 2022 summer theatre camp. Photo by Pamela Spikes. Investigation on Missed refront at 1719 Alcatraz until the By Tanya Dennis Black community, led by memDeadline for Crime Fighting Part II bers of Downs Memorial Church, Founded in 1964 in the ba- reached deep into their pockets, Funds from State sement of Progressive Baptist and, with the help of the City of by July 7 at 5 p.m. (PST) through an online submission port. In the Bay Area, law enforcement grants were awarded to San Francisco ($17.3 million), Fremont ($2.4 million), Newark ($986,444), Vacaville ($4.4 million), Santa Rosa ($560,653) and San Ramon ($5.6 million). In addition, $2 million in grants were awarded to the Alameda County District Attorney and San Francisco District Attorney. Had Oakland made the application deadline, NAACP estimates that it could have received about $15 million for “extra police patrols, squad cars, and automated license plate readers to track down suspected perpetrators of crime.” Participating on the press conference panel from the Oakland NAACP branch were Robert L. Harris, general counsel; Cynthia Adams, chapter president; Greg McConnell, lifetime member; Terry Whiley, legal redress committee chair; and representing the community was Carl Chan, former president of Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce; Bishop Bob Jackson, senior pastor at Acts Full Gospel Church; and Noel Gallo, Oakland city councilmember. Continued on page 7
Local Black Leaders Break Silence on ‘Politicization’ of Oakland NAACP Branch Speakers at press conference call for national NAACP to oppose local chapter’s support for “right-wing” policies
By Ken Epstein
Several lifelong NAACP members, including Black Business Round Table host Doug Blacksher and civil rights attorney Walter Riley, held a press conference this week criticizing the conduct of the
Oakland NAACP chapter for its attacks on criminal justice reform and on reformer Black District Attorney Pamela Price, the repetition of false narratives about crime and criminal justice, and the use of hisContinued on page 10
BRG had two missions: to serve underprivileged, underserved and minority populations and perform the works of Black playwrights. Established by founders Birel and Nora Vaughn and continued by their daughter, Dr. Mona Scott and grandson, Sean Scott, BRG used theater as a platform to address social issues oppressing the Black community while elevating Black art, music and advocacy. BRG was instrumental to the African American community to address such issues as: • Human trafficking • Health Education Through Theater (HETT) programs • HIV/AIDS prevention programs and services • A youth Tutorial and Cultural Enrichment program (TACE) • Summer day camp drama
programs for at-risk youth and children with disabilities The Transformation Festival, which celebrated the healing of trauma through the performing arts Partnerships with the World of Work projects to provide atrisk youth on-the-job training, anti-violence and recidivism reduction programs targeting at-risk youth and adults A three-year partnership with Rome Neal of the Nuyorican Theatre, resulting in his award-winning “Monk,” a one-man dramatization of the life of Thelonious Monk and Neal’s “Banana Puddin’ Jazz Meets Sweet Potato Jazz.” Continued on page 8
Angela Watson. Courtesy photo. panies all over the country and abroad.
Berkeley Black Repertory Group in Peril, Seeks Support
Top row, left to right: Terry Wiley, Greg McConnell, Jethroe Moore II, Bishop Bob Jackson and Noel Gallo. Second row: Robert L Harris, Cynthia Adams and Carl Chan. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.
By Magaly Muñoz Post Staff On Monday morning, community leaders including representatives from the Oakland NAACP chapter held a press conference at Acts Full Gospel Church to discuss their response to the city’s failure to meet the deadline for applying for state funding aimed at tackling organized retail crime. Last year Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bills 154 and 178 introduced by Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Alameda) allocating a total of $267,118,293 to fight organized retail crime, the largest-ever single investment by the state. On Sept. 14, the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) awarded grants from the state budget to 55 local law enforcement agencies across California as part of the Governor’s Real Public Safety Plan. These grants, aimed at preventing, investigating, and prosecuting cases of organized retail theft, will be distributed among 34 police departments, 7 sheriff’s departments, one probation department, and 13 district attorney offices. The application for the awards opened on April 14 and were due
In 2015, Copeland ascended
into the pantheon of principal dancers at the American Ballet Theatre. Since then, Black ballerinas have been blazing new trails. Watson’s journey to becoming a ballerina began at Oakland’s Shawl-Anderson Dance Center, then Oakland Ballet Company School followed by Oakland School for the Arts where she first received formal ballet technique training at age 12 by OSA School of Dance artistic director Reginald Ray Savage and ballet master Alison Hurley (both now retired). Continued on page 8
Church, the Black Repertory Group (BRG) moved to a sto-
Berkeley, built their theater on Adeline St.
•
•
•
MThao AYOR SHE NG THAO DECL‘Boogaloo ARES Mayor Sheng Declares Dance ‘BOOGALOO DANCE DAY’ IN HONOR OF OAKLAND’S STREET DANCE LEGACY Day’ Honoring Oakland’s Street Dance Legacy
By Post Staff
At the 12th annual Original Boogaloo Reunion on Sept. 16, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao paid tribute to an often-overlooked aspect of the city’s cultural heritage by declaring the third Saturday of September each year as “Boogaloo Dance Day” in the city of Oakland, celebrating the profound influence of Boogaloo dance cul(Mayor Sheng Thao pictured alongside original Boogaloo Dance Pioneers of the 1960’s and 70’s. ture. Mayor Thao pictured alongside original Boogaloo Dance JonathanfitnessJones) Nearly six decades ago, Af- Photo by Sheng of the 1960s and ’70s. Photo by JonathanFitnessJones. rican American youths on the Pioneers By: POST Staff streets of Oakland gave birth to Brown, and applied it to their even national television appeara historic proclama/on at the 12th annual Original Boogaloo Reunion on September an innovative dance culture that Inunique ancestofrom the 1960s to aspect the 1980s. style. 16th, 2023,dance Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao paid tribute an oCen-overlooked of has left an indelible mark on the the city's cultural heritage. She declared the 3rd Saturday of September each year as Oakland’s Boogaloo culture Individual dancers and groups world. Descendants of the Great “Boogaloo Dance Day” in the city of Oakland, celebra/ng the profound influence of from various Oakland neighbor- laid the foundation for modern Migration of African Americans Boogaloo dance culture. hoods nurtured the Boogaloo street dance, including styles from the southern United States Nearly six decades ago, African American youths on the streets of Oakland gave birth to culture, which thrived in like “Popping,” “Pop Locking,” to the West, these young dancers andance innova/ve dance culture that has leC an indelible mark on the world. Descendants of and “Robotting.” local talent shows, school dances,from“Strutting,” of African Americans the Southern United States to the West, adopted the term “Boogaloo,” the Great Migra/on these young dancers adopted the term “Boogaloo,” popularized ar/stsdance like James In the 1980s,bythese forms popularized by artists like James community performances, and Brown, and applied it to their unique dance style.
became an integral part of contemporary hip-hop dance culture, featuring prominently in major motion pictures, commercials, and music videos by some of the world’s most renowned artists. Today, they stand as some of the most recognizable and influential dance styles in the world. For those interested in delving deeper into the rich history of this dance culture, a docu-series titled “Boogaloo: The Greatest Story Never Told” offers a more comprehensive exploration of this vibrant part of Oakland’s heritage. The declaration of “Boogaloo Dance Day” by Mayor Thao serves as a testament to the enduring legacy of Oakland’s street dance culture and its enduring impact on the world of dance and entertainment.
Oakland NAACP Calls on Special Stage Events, Activities Oakland Mayor to Rehire Former for Children at Oakland’s OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong Black-Eyed Pea Festival Individual dancers and groups from various Oakland neighborhoods nurtured the Boogaloo dance culture, which thrived in local talent shows, school dances, community performances, and even na/onal television appearances from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Mayor reiterates that chief was fired for ‘kneejerk’ response to criticisms and ‘poor judgment’
Former OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong was fired by Mayor Sheng Thao in February. Thao said her decision to fire the police chief was difficult but necessary. File photos. By Ken Epstein The Oakland NAACP has is-
sued a statement calling on Mayor Sheng Thao to rehire fired Oak-
land Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong, citing a non-binding arbitrator’s report that is not publicly available, though some peoContinued on page 10
Special to The Post
Got kids? So, you know they like to do the same thing over and over. They want you to read them the same story, watch the same movie, eat the same food. They don’t get tired, but you are a little weary of the routine that you know is actually good for them. But on Saturday, Sept. 30, you don’t have to go to Fairyland again. The 8th Annual Black-Eyed
Pea Festival, held on the front lawn of Oakland Technical High School, is offering a change to your routine with main stage acts and activities for children. And it’s free. The festival begins at 11 a.m. with a welcome by the event’s regular M.C., Carla Service of Oakland’s Dance-A-Vision. After a brief drum invocation by Awon Ohun Omnira, renowned Bay Area vocalist Rhonda Benin begins the first of two 25-minContinued on page 10