Loop Capital Leader Reynolds Plans to Help AASEG Transform Coliseum District Area with Jobs and Businesses
Reynolds, who has handled multimillion dollar deals, was suprised at why so many people doubted their financial capacity. He said their investment could reach $3 to $5 billion for housing, hotels, restaurants, open space, entertainment, and local small businesses that benefit the East Oakland Community. “Oakland is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to with its lakes, mountains, shorelines, open space and
weather. Black and Brown contractors have often lacked the bonding, insurance, and equipment to become prime contractors. I want to give them a chance to become primes.” He said job training will be provided. “We want Oakland’s youth to be connected to jobs and career pathways.”
Part 1. Read full article on page 8
At SpringHill Suites by Marriott Oakland Airport, AASEG President Ray Bobbitt (left) with (left to right) Loop Capital Vice President Al Dinwiddie, OAACC President Cathy Adams, and Loop Capital President James “Jim” Reynolds Jr. Photo by Carla Thomas.
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
Weekly Edition August 12 - 18, 2026
postnewsgroup.com
63nd Year, No. 32
Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor Race
Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run Rendering courtesy JPMorganChase.
From Blueprint to Breakthrough: Tackling Affordable Housing in Oakland
By Post Staff
with local, state, and federal part-
The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:
ners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.
some major successes in dealing with some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, decreasing crime dramatically and making significant inroads in homelessness and illegal dumping.
year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.
Mercy Housing California and JPMorganChase help neighborhoods—and residents—thrive Sponsored by JPMorganChase Finding an affordable place to live continues to be a challenge for many as widespread housing shortages persist across the U.S. Rising home prices and high interest rates have made homeownership inaccessible for a large portion of the population. Meanwhile, as rental demand increases, the number of renters facing affordability challenges is also on the rise.
The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025 by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies reveals that cost burdens for renters reached another record high in 2023. Similarly, the JPMorganChase Institute reports that renter affordability is declining forcing people to devote more of their take home pay to housing costs. There is a growing need for affordable housing across the U.S. and that rings true here in Oakland.
NPRC Scores First Advocacy Victory: David Shaw Finally Gets His Wish to ‘Go Home’
Beverly and David Shaw were separated by a hospital after Beverly took David there to treat his dehydration. The hospital determined Beverly was not caring for David properly and placed him under their guardianship. Courtesy photo. By Tanya Dennis For nearly four years, Beverly Shaw fought to bring her husband home. She watched as David Shaw moved through three nursing homes, became increasingly sedated and repeatedly expressed his desire to return to his wife. Last week, that finally happened. The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC), formed by the
Post Newspaper Group in January following years of reporting on alleged abuses within the probate court system, helped Beverly secure the return of her husband, along with the couple’s property and assets. For NPRC, the Shaw case represents its first major advocacy victory. For David, it means something much simpler: He finally got to go home. Continued on page 8
Essay: California Can Close Its Colorectal Cancer Gap ... see page 2
Brenda Grisham. Brenda Grisham A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham is a longtime public safety advocate who led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, She pledges to work
Barbara Lee. Barbara Lee A former congressional representative and state a=ssembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved
First Vice President of Sacramento City Unified School District Taylor Kayatta and family. Courtesy photo.
Less Affluent School Districts, Including Sacramento City, Face Threat of State Takeover
By Post Staff
A recent show on radio station KPFA.94.1 featured a discussion about the racialized threats to less affluent urban public-school districts as state authorities pressure school leaders to take bailout loans to resolve budget shortfalls.
Preserving Heritage: The Legacy of the Hampton University Museum ... see page 6
These loans come with draconian terms that eliminate the authority of voter-selected school boards and institute extreme austerity, including the closure of many schools in poorer neighborhoods. A dozen mostly minority school districts have been forced under
Mindy Pehenuk.
Julius Robinson.
Mindy Pechenuk An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last
Julius Robinson While not much information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community, but there is a lack of infrastructure and leadership.
state control in the past 20 years, including the Oakland Unified School District. At present, Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD), an ethnically and racially diverse district of about 42,000 students, is the target, but the district’s school board and the community are fighting back. Speaking on the July 15 show, “Education Today,” hosted by education professor Kitty Kelly Epstein, Taylor Kayatta, a certificated public accountant (CPA) who serves as the first vice president of SCUSD, spoke about the ongoing struggle of their board and community to keep SCUSD from being taken over. “There’s been pressure on my school district for over a decade now; there’s a feeling (from the state) that we’re intrinsically broken, that we cannot manage our finances,” said Kayatta, who has two elementary students in SCUSD. “It reached a fever pitch a couple of years ago before COVID, I really felt it as a parent in the community that they were coming for us,” he said. “Within the past year, they’re back at it again,” he said. “The pres-
sure right now to accept a state loan is something I am not sure I could even describe.” He said that the outside authorities would not even allow the board to hire its own financial adviser to help find solutions; the state takeover is the only option they want. “We have a county superintendent in Sacramento County, (who) has been on the job for decades. It’s been his mission, in my opinion, that something is wrong with Sac City Unified, that we are the problem child; we need outside control, (and) we shouldn’t be running ourselves,” said Kayatta. In a district where enrollment is slightly declining and many students have complex educational needs, SCUSD does face financial difficulties, he continued. “There’s going to be challenges with the budget in the long term, but I think we need to address that in way that is community-driven, with the community understanding what it means rather than accepting some blanket (imposed) ‘best practice’ that often involves making dramatic harsh cuts, things like closing schools without plans. Continued on page 8
Returning to Its Roots, the Oakland Black-Eyed Pea Festival Bill Requiring Public Notices to Be Published in Newspapers’ Print Editions Heads to Gov. Newsom’s Desk ... see page 7 Partners with the Freedom Farmers Market Sept. 12 ... see page 7