Dis Black Lawmakers at Forefront of Newsom-Trump Redistricting Clash ... see page 2
BOOK REVIEW: Lead Boldly: Seven Principles from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ... see page 4
OPINION: Some Believe Trump’s Takeover of D.C. Police Is a Necessary Solution to an Unending Crime Epidemic.. see page 6
Bring on the Bands: The Roots of African American Music on Stage at Black-Eyed Pea Festival ... see page 7
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
62nd Year, No. 34
Weekly Edition August 20 - 26, 2025
California to Mark 60th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act with Public Event in Sacramento
Hundreds in Oakland Denounce Trump’s Suppression of Voting Rights ‘I came here today to bring this message that it is absolutely midnight, and we will find our way to morning’ – Congresswoman Lateefah Simon
Mayor Barbara Lee. Photo courtesy of City of Oakland.
Under Mayor Lee, Oakland Is Cutting Red Tape for Small Business Permits
Secretary of State Shirley Weber speaks with CBM media partners about voting rights, May 19, 2025, in Sacramento, CA. CBM photo by LC Photography. By Bo Tefu California Black Media California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber will host an event on Aug. 25 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – landmark federal legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices and expanded ballot access nationwide.
The program will feature a panel discussion examining both the historic passage of the act and its modern-day impact on elections, with particular attention to California’s role in advancing voting rights. The event will also include a special exhibit curated by the California State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State’s office. Continued on page 8
By Post Staff
One of Mayor Barbara Lee’s top priorities, along with housing, illegal dumping, homelessness, and public safety has been to respond to calls for permit reform, a longtime concern of economic development groups and community advocates who have complained that complex and restrictive permit rules are squashing small businesses. According to Robin Abad, ombudsperson for the City of Oakland, the goal of permit reform is to “streamline and reduce bureau-
cracy for small businesses.” “Permit reform impacts so many aspects of our local economy,” Abad said. “With the right changes, more entrepreneurs will be able to realize their dreams by starting up businesses in Oakland, and we’ll be able to retain the rich and diverse small business community we enjoy here.” Abad said permit reform is already underway. Recent code amendments have relaxed rules for businesses in Downtown Oakland, the Broadway-Valdez district in Uptown, and the area Continued on page 8
Speakers at the Aug. 16 pro-democracy rally at Lake Merritt in Oakland included Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas. Photo by Ken Epstein. By Ken Epstein
denounce the Trump administra-
Joining more than 300 protests and marches across the country, hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators rallied on short notice in Oakland on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Lake Merritt Amphitheater in Oakland to
tion’s plans to guarantee Republican reelection by gerrymandering and suppressing voting rights in Texas and other states. According to Drucilla Tigner, executive director of pro-democContinued on page 8
Remembering Dr. James Sweeney III: A Life Dedicated to Service
Outside Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office, Kathryn Wade of Antioch, Malad Baldwin’s mother, Jalani Lovett’s sister, Yvette Martin, Jalani Lovett’s mother, activist Terry Lovett, and an unnamed supporter protest violence across California and demand justice for Jalani Lovett. Photo courtesy of Carla Thomas.
Organizers Demand Justice for Jalani Lovett, Protest Violence Across California
By Carla Thomas
On Aug. 19, families impacted by police violence and organizations from several cities across California rallied in front of the Attorney General’s offices to protest Rob Bonta’s failure to investigate the murder of Jalani Lovett. Born and raised in Oakland,
Lovett was arrested in 2019 and died in 2021 after being held in Los Angeles Men’s Central Jail. He was in the custody of the notorious 3000 Boys sheriff’s gang, a group linked to the deaths of many other inmates. And while his body showed signs of severe physical trauma, the Los AngeContinued on page 8
Photo courtesy Port of Oakland.
Imports and Exports Surge at Port of Oakland By Post Staff
Dr. James Sweeney III. File photo.
By Carla Thomas
Community leader and dental practitioner, Dr. James Sweeney III passed away on Aug. 10. A Nashville native, Sweeney earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Fisk University in his hometown in 1967. He then attended Meharry Medical College, also in Nashville,
Port of Oakland July container
Loaded imports jumped from
70,334 TEUs (20-foot contain-
where he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1971. From 1971 to 1973, Dr. Sweeney served in the United States Air Force at David Grant Hospital, Travis AFB, CA. At the completion of his service, Dr. Sweeney began his private practice as an associate dentist with Dr. Henry Lucas in Continued on page 8
volume marked a strong rebound
ers) in June to 92,392 TEUs in
from June, with volumes climb-
July, a 31.4% increase, the high-
ing sharply as importers moved
est monthly import total so far in
cargo early to get ahead of the an-
2025.
activist, religion editor, business operator, public official and volunteer organizer. And now, since I have been blessed by God to be alive after 82 years, I told the gathering that I would start chronicling some of my experiences and stories as columns, photos and interviews. As I told Cathy Adams, Richard “Razor” Johnson and Wil Ussery and others, please provide recommendations and issues or events that you feel I should include. Since this is the era of AI, which
means Artificial Intelligence, but for me it might mean Active Ignorance, I will incorporate those experiences by finally using Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok and all the other communication pathways. And as a publisher I will not be quiescent about the present political climate, but I will use my podcast and other social media tools to propose solutions and strategies to fight back and save democracy, whether it poses a threat to our plans for a
nounced Aug. 1 tariff deadlines.
“This kind of front-loading—
As one of the city’s largest
where cargo owners accelerate
economic engines, the Port of
shipments to avoid added costs—
Oakland plays a critical role in
was clearly the driving force be-
job creation, international trade,
hind the month’s performance,” Continued on page 8
and regional development.
Post Publisher Paul Cobb Begins Life Story Series on 82nd Birthday By Paul Cobb
I want to thank my wife Gay Plair and my niece Constance Camille Cobb Zunino for organizing a surprise Aug. 18 birthday party celebration for me at the Marriott in downtown Oakland. During the extemporaneous reminisces, which included Mayor Barbara Lee, who formerly lived around the corner from us on Filbert Street, several family Mayor Barbara Lee presented a proclamation to Post publisher Paul Cobb during a surpise birthday party celebration in his honor.
members and friends urged me to write a book about my life as an
62nd-anniversary fundraiser or not. Please share your ideas, suggested solution topics, photos and videos to pcobb@postnews-
Paul at seven. Coutesy photo.