Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.: He Kept Hope Alive
Reverend Jesse Jackson spoke at the UN March 2012 for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In his remarks, Reverend Jackson highlighted the importance of freedom of expression in the fight for human rights and to combat racial discrimination. Photo: United States Mission Geneva. By Post Staff
Movement under the tutelage and
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose lifelong work for human dignity began during the Civil Rights
influence of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was followed by leadership of the Rainbow/PUSH organiza-
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
tion, two campaigns for U.S. president and diplomacy efforts that deescalated international incidents, passed away on Monday. He was 84. Jackson’s health had been in decline since he was diagnosed with a neurological condition similar to Parkinson’s disease in 2017. Born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1941, Jackson did well in school and attended first the University of Illinois, the North Carolina A&T and Chicago Theological Seminary until he left in 1966 to devote himself to the Civil Rights Movement. Gaining the attention of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Jackson was chosen to head a branch of Operation Breadbasket, the economic arm of
the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition whose aim was to get jobs for blacks. In the wake of King’s assassination in Memphis in 1968 – the same year he was ordained – Jackson’s management of the 15-acre tent city in the Poor People’s campaign and holding a Black Expo event that brought Black business leaders and politicians from across the country to Chicago for five days presaged his renown as a leader. In 1971, Jackson started Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) whose goals were to boost economic empowerment and expand educational, business and employment opportunities for the disadvantaged and people of color. Known for his powerful oratory supporting the humanity in every-
one no matter their racial or ethnic background, ability, age, or sexual orientation, his appearance on the children’s show “Sesame Street” leading the kids in a call-and-response of the poem “I Am Somebody,” galvanized the next generation of humanitarian leaders. Jackson brought that ‘Somebody-ness’ to reality in founding the National Rainbow Coalition, a social justice effort devoted to political empowerment in 1984 and converging it with Operation PUSH. The same year he followed in the footsteps of U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm in running for the U.S. presidency. Though he didn’t win the nomination, Jackson’s campaigns in 1984 and 1988 forced the Democratic Party to widen its vision
Reverend Jesse Jackson and former Oakland Post reporter Chanelle Bell at the 2011 NNPA National Conference n Chicago. Photo by Brenda Hudson. for human rights for people of the ‘rainbow’ when it brought millions more voters to the polls and boosted Continued on page 8
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
63rd Year, No. 7
Weekly Edition February 18 - 24, 2026
Voices of Legacy Make ‘Good Trouble’ With Joyful Noise at First Presbyterian Church Black History Month Event
Councilmember Carroll Fife and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. File photos. The Voices of Legacy perform at First Presbyterian Church. Photo by Linda Carter does not show all members. The full roster is: SOPRANOS: Lenora Cole, Shirley Graves, Marilyn Reynolds. ALTOS: Loreda Quarles-Brown, Dianne Doss, Nina Fallon, Dalya Jones, Ana People, Janice Williams, TENORS: Marco Akil, Carolyn Jones, Carlton Jones, Marcella Logwood, Joshua Williams, Dr. Rev. Fredrick Williams, BASSES: Lee Ball, Willie Kelly, Dennis Ward, BASS PLAYER: (Guest) Raye Jackson, DIRECTOR: Velmar J. Brown.
Councilmember Carroll Fife Shines Light on Discrimination in City Contracting
Mayor Lee says she is working ‘to make certain Oakland’s procurement practices truly reflect our city’s values of equity and inclusion’
By Post Staff
with special programs, music, ser-
tuals that originated during the slav-
with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.
The first Presbyterian Church of Oakland has chosen the theme ‘Good Trouble’ in honor of Civil Rights Movement leader John Lewis to celebrate Black History Month
mons, and educational discussions
ery era in America as well as mod-
Over the years, many of her stu-
each week.
ern arrangements.
dents became professional singers
By Ken Epstein
Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife has been a driving force working to raise public awareness and bring change to longstanding practices revealed by a cityfunded Disparity Study, which shows dramatic evidence that the City of Oakland has been practic-
The Voices of Legacy, founded
Cobb-Hill, known as an impre-
throughout the world. Mrs. Velmar
in 1973 by the late Mary Cobb-Hill,
sario of Negro Spirituals, once per-
Brown has been the director since
performed traditional Negro Spiri-
formed at the Oakland Auditorium
Cobb-Hill’s death in 2017.
Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs By Carla Thomas The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eightweek program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life. The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business
Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.
owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building Continued on page 8
Mayor Barbara Lee Hosts Local Influencers at ‘I Love Oakland’ Event at City Hall
By Carla Thomas Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee welcomed a group of local influencers to City Hall on Feb. 12, for the “I Love Oakland” influencer event, a pre-Valentine’s Day offering, designed to celebrate and promote civic pride, community storytelling, and social media savvy. The one-hour guided tour gave a dozen Instagram and TikTok creators, each with audiences ranging from 5,000 to over 100,000 followers, a behind-the-scenes look at Oakland City Hall, one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Participants included content creators focused on local food, family life, culture, and social justice, representing handles such as @booziebrunch, @510families, @oaklibrary, @thetownexperience, @bayareafoodz, @naeemahtravels, @senor_barragan, @townstrides, @ thetownexperience, @visitoakland and @phamamiii. The tour included stops at his-
Bay Area social media influencers with 5k-100k-plus followers, tour Oakland City Hall. Mayor Lee refers to them as Oakland’s cheerleaders. Photo by Kim Barkadian. torical spaces such as the City Council Chambers, the Mayor’s conference room, and the ornate lobby, each serving as a reminder of Oakland’s storied past and its vibrant civic life. Karen Boyd, communications director for the City of Oakland offered historical insights about City Hall’s architecture and its
role during historic moments in Oakland’s evolution. Journalist and influencer Carla Thomas of the Post News Group helped guide portions of the tour, sharing local context about the City’s “Love Life” motto, and its roots honoring the memory of Donald Lacy’s daughter, LoEshé Adanma Lacy and the work of the
LoveLife Foundation. Lee joined the group in her office, which provided sparkle and spirit with a Mardi Gras-themed entrance, complete with green foil pom-poms in a cheerful nod to the holiday tradition. As she greeted the visitors, Lee called them “cheerleaders for Oakland.” That reference carried special meaning for the new mayor, whose office lobby features a 24”-by-24” photograph of herself as a high school cheerleader, a nod to her own history of breaking barriers. Lee shared a personal reflection with the group, recalling how, with persistence, her mother’s support, and the NAACP, she became the first Black member of the San Fernando High School cheerleading team. The story illustrated both her lifelong dedication to racial diversity, organizing, and her deep personal connection to the community. “I can’t turn a cartwheel, but Continued on page 8
ing a deeply entrenched pattern of systemic discrimination in the spending of public money on outside contracts, excluding minority- and women-owned businesses and especially African Americans. The Disparity Study shows that a lot of public money, almost a half Continued on page 8
National Probate Reform Coalition Invites Top Government Officials to Town Hall By Post Staff
Members of the National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRF) met Feb. 5 to share frustration in the lack of response all have experienced in attempts to engage State Bar Associations, as well as Judicial Councils responsible for oversight of judges, attorneys,
and guardians in the probate court system. “I now know what finding a needle in a haystack feels like,” remarked Nedra Jones, a member of the coalition. “These people protect each other. They are not going to admit error or fault. It’s a ‘good old boy’ system. All I know Continued on page 8
FACES AROUND THE BAY:
DJean Collins
I’m proud to write this piece
about my mother, DJean Collins, and her debut book. She is a National Merit Scholar, an author, and now retired after working at Oakland Unified School District for more than 20 years. She has wanted to publish a book for as long as I can remember. Yet, as you know, “Life be life’n.” Dreams can get further and further away from
DJean Collins’ new book is available at Marcus Books in Oakland. Courtesy photo. By B. Bauer A shout out to local author,
us. This book took a miracle. Before it was complete, Mother suffered a near fatal heart attack that left her on life support, “chillin’’”with the ancestors. With many blessings, she recovered and has since deliv-
DJean Collins, as she publishes her
ered a reading experience that gen-
story, “Beseeching Light-Journal
erations will be able to utilize. This
of an Eccentric Anachronism.” Her
book details the heartache, spiritual
son Maagic Collins tells her story.
Continued on page 8