Dis Black History Month @ 100: Gov. Newsom, First Partner OPINION: This is Black History Now – When Black Honor Prominent Black Californians ... see page 2 Journalists Are Criminalized in America ... see page 2
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Rising Optimism Among Small And Middle Market Business Leaders Suggests Growth for California ... see page 6
BOOK REVIEW: The Crown’s Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery.. see page 4
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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63rd Year, No. 6
Weekly Edition February 11 - 17, 2026
Discrimination in City Contracts
Disparity Study Exposes Oakland’s Lack of Race and Equity Inclusion
Dr. Eleanor Ramsey (top, left) founder, and CEO of Mason Tillman Associates, which conducted the study revealing contract disparities, was invited by District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife (top center) to a Council committee meeting attended by Oakland entrepreneur Cathy Adams (top right) and (bottom row, left to right) Brenda Harbin-Forte, Carol Wyatt, and councilmembers Charlene Wang and Ken Houston. Courtesy photos.
Part 1
By Ken Epstein A long-awaited disparity study funded by the City of Oakland
shows dramatic evidence that city government is practicing a deeply embedded pattern of systemic discrimination in the spending of public money on outside contracts that
excludes minority- and womanowned businesses, especially African Americans. Instead, a majority of public money goes to a disproportion-
ate handful of white male-owned companies that are based outside of Oakland, according to the 369page report produced for the city by Mason Tillman Associates, an
False Accusations Keep Mother and Daughter Apart
Though proven false, allegations of Nedra Jones breaking into Vera Parker’s home filed in court mean that Jones hasn’t seen her mother in three years. Courtesy photo.
Part 10
By Tanya Dennis Commentary The probate case for 100-yearold conservatee Vera Parker is typical of those The Post has cov-
Chris Helfrich, CEO of the Eat, Learn, Play Foundation, serves on a panel discussion at the Positive Coaching Alliance’s Sports Done Right Summit at the Oakland Marriott City Center in downtown Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.
By Post Staff
There are still things to see and places to go as Black History Month continues. In Oakland, get ready for the Ninth Annual Black Joy Parade. Listed below are other places in the
Bay where you can learn and have fun. Oakland Every year thousands of people come to Oakland’s Black Joy Parade to support Black business, artists, performers, activists and more.
Council’s Life Enrichment Committee, which she chairs. Councilmembers, angry at the conditions Continued on page 8
In San Francisco, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon addresses the audience at the Urban League Bay Area’s first annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast at the University of California. Photo by Malcolm Wallace Images.
Championing Access: Sports Done Right Summit Brings Youth By Carla Thomas The event, held at UCSF’s RobSports Leaders to Oakland Civic leaders, policymakers, and ertson Auditorium, featured the re-
By Carla Thomas Hundreds of sports leaders, coaches, and community advocates gathered Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the Oakland Marriott City Center for the Sports Done Right Summit, a national conference hosted
Black History Month in the Bay Area
Diaspora Dance won Best in Joy at the 2025 Black Joy Parade. Black Joy Parade website image.
who brought it this week to the
Cost of Living, Maternal Health Care Key Issues in Urban League’s 2026 Black Bay Area
The Case Against Probate: ered for over 10 years. Here, only the names have been changed. The case thread goes like this. Children of the conservatee are positioned to inherit their parent’s estate. Greed sets in and siblings cannot agree, even though the will and trust clearly state equal division of assets. One sibling challenges the will, and the family seeks resolution in probate court. Parker had drawn up a trust in 2013 that awarded her daughters – Teri Parker and Nedra Jones – equal shares in her estate. Thwarting that trust, Teri drafted a will for her mother, awarding herself 85% of her mother’s estate and 15% going to sister Nedra Jones. After Parker discovered what Teri had done, she immediately drafted a new will and trust in 2018 evenly splitting her estate, consisting of property and cash valued at $3 million. Despite Parker being of sound mind, her new will was not honored by Judge Barbara Johnson in Continued on page 8
Oakland-based firm that performs statistical, legal and economic analyses of contracting and hiring. The report was made public by Councilmember Carroll Fife,
The community’s joy, vibes and energy are what fuel the economy and makes a real impact on the vibrancy of Oakland and its Black community. The theme for the Ninth Annual Black Joy Parade is Black Boldness. The Parade features • More than 200 Black-owned vendors including food, drinks, clothing, handmade items and more. • Two stages of Black performances, including a soon to be announced headliner and the Black Joy Choir • Activities for the whole family at Lil Joy for kids, Games n’ Grooves and Healing Village. • Black Joy Parade official merch The Black Joy Parade route Begins: 14th Street & Broadway Ends: Broadway & Grand Avenue Continued on page 8
by the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in collaboration with the San Francisco 49ers Foundation. The event, coinciding with Super Bowl week, focused on “Championing Access,” ensuring Continued on page 8
community advocates gathered at the University of California, San Francisco recently for the Urban League Bay Area’s first annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, a new forum designed to honor Dr. King’s legacy through research, discussion, and policy engagement.
lease of the 2026 State of Black Bay Area report, conducted by public opinion research firm EVITARUS, along with two policy panels and a California gubernatorial candidate forum. Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Congresswoman Lateefah Continued on page 8
Alameda County Students Urged to Claim $52 Million in CalKIDS Scholarships Before FAFSA Deadline By Vanessa Vizard
Funding from CalKIDS Scholarship can be applied to tuition costs, books, scool supplies or a computer. Courtesy photo.
As the March 2 priority financial aid deadline approaches, Alameda County high school seniors completing the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) are encouraged to check whether they have a CalKIDS Scholarship that can help pay for college or career training. In Alameda County, more than $52 million in CalKIDS Scholarship funds are available to support students pursuing higher education. The scholarship is easy to claim and doesn’t require essay submissions, recommendaContinued on page 8