County Votes Reparations
Alameda County Makes History: Board of Supervisors Unanimously Adopts Reparations Action Plan Landmark 5–0 Vote Advances One of the Nation’s Most Comprehensive County-Led Reparative Justice Efforts
Special to The Post The Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted 5–0 on Tuesday to adopt the Final Action Plan of the Alameda County Reparations Commission, marking a historic milestone in the County’s commitment to advancing reparative justice for Black residents. The vote follows nearly three years of work by the Alameda County Reparations Commission, which was seated in July 2023. Through extensive historical research, analysis of County data,
public listening sessions, expert testimony, and community engagement, the Commission developed a comprehensive roadmap for addressing documented harms and expanding opportunity for future generations. The Final Action Plan addresses disparities in housing, economic opportunity, education, health, environmental justice, public safety, arts and culture, land use, and other areas where historical government policies have contributed to inequitable outcomes for Black residents. Continued on page 10
The Reparations Commission members and Alameda County Board of Supervisors celebrated the approval of its report on June 30. Present were (first row, l. to r.) Dee Johnson, Supervisor Elisa Marquez, Supervisor Lena Tam, Debra Gore, Artavia Berry, Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Jennifer Gayden, and Supervisor David Haubert; Second row (l. to r.) Supervisor Nate Miley, Larry McClendon, Brandon T. Sass, Phil Gardiner, Shadrick A. Small, and James Knowles. Photo by Ashley Sturgis, supervisor’s assistant from the Office of Supervisor Lena Tam.
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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63nd Year, No. 26
Weekly Edition July 1 - 7, 2026
Roots and 40x40 Council Present Grassroots Strategy to Build Safer Neighborhoods Zakiya Jendayi was named the sole beneficiary of her friend Dr. Laura Dean Head. Courtesy photo.
Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Mario Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.
From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Khariyyah Shabazz, associate Commitment to Reform City Contracting director of Neighborhood Special to The Post
On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminating barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities. Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting repre-
sented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months. On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities: ● Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/ SLBE) waiver practices ● Strengthening prompt payment compliance
● Improving procurement forecasting and transparency ● Expanding contractor capacity building and business development ● Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson. Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the Continued on page 10
‘The Oakland Street Academy Saved My Life’
By Ze Segundo Special to The Post
This is an autobiographical statement by a former Street Academy student who overcame many obstacles in the1970s, attended S.F. State University, and built a successful life for herself. I was born and raised in Oakland, living in a household with a single mother and eight children. My life was chaotic: I never felt loved, never hearing the words, “I love you.” Mural at the Emiliano Zapata Oakland Street Academy, an alternative I was 4 years old when all of us were sent to foster homes. There, high school in the Oakland Unified School District, located at 417 29th my little sister and I were tortured. St. in Oakland. Courtesy photo. I believe we were there a little over that’s kind of hard to do when a sex- self. Taking sips of leftover alcohol a year. ual predator lives with you. in glasses and beer cans. That would When we finally returned home My mother would have parties be the start of my alcoholism. to our mother, she had a new hus- on the weekends where there would I started cutting myself when I band who was very abusive to all of be many people drinking and fight- was 11 years old and didn’t know us including my mother. ing. The police were often at my why. I think it was because it made I and my other sisters were sexu- home. I hated Sunday mornings me feel something different and ally abused by two uncles and my because my mother would make us big brother. I remember my uncle kids clean up after the parties. The somehow made whatever I was choking me and telling me if I told house had the stench of cigarettes feeling go away for the moment. I didn’t have many friends and anyone, he would kill me and my and booze. Having to clean up other people’s didn’t have any social skills. I was little brother – so I didn’t tell. I was terrified of him. I tried to stay away vomit made me sick to my stomach. very shy and withdrawn. In my Continued on page 10 from him as much as possible, but This is when I started to drink my-
Development with Roots Community Health, addresses community members about Peace Committees at Lodestar Academy in East Oakland. Photo By Carla Thomas. By Carla Thomas Oakland community leaders, residents, and organizers gathered at Lodestar Academy on June 27 to mark the launch of Neighborhood Peace Committees; a grassroots effort designed to prevent violence by addressing conflict at its source. Hosted by Roots Community Health and the 40x40 Council, the event at 701 105th Ave. in East Oakland blended the energy of a community celebration with the urgency of a public safety solution. Music filled the space, a burrito lunch was Continued on page 10
Probate Reform: Thinking of Future Beneficiaries, Jendayi Continues Battle to Uphold Trust
By Tanya Dennis
Plaintiff Zakiya Jendayi says she has come full circle in her years-long legal battle over the estate of her late friend, Dr. Laura Dean Head. The case, Hamlin v. Jendayi, was previously covered by the Post News Group on Nov. 18, 2025, when Alameda County Superior Court Judge Sandra Bean invalidated Head’s will and trust and ruled in favor of Head’s disinherited sisters. Jendayi, who says she was one of Dr. Head’s closest friend and the sole beneficiary named in the estate plan, contends that the latest developments have brought her back to the same position she faced in 2023, continuing to fight for what she believes are her legal rights to the estate. Bean’s ruling on March 28, 2023, invalidated the Head Trust
after finding undue influence. Jendayi filed a petition asking the court to vacate that judgment. According to Jendayi, the court declined to consider the merits of her petition, stating that nearly three years had passed since the original ruling and citing the legal principles of finality and timeliness. Jendayi disputes that conclusion. She argues that California law permits a judgment to be set aside and vacated at any time if it was entered without jurisdiction, without due process, or was procured through fraud upon the court. In her motion to vacate the judgment, she alleges that the original decision lacked jurisdictional and constitutional foundations and further claims there was no operative pleading before the court. Those allegations have not been adjudicated yet. Continued on page 10
Opinion: Unfair Media Attacks on OUSD Leadership for Not Closing Schools
The school district has achieved ‘significant milestones that reflect disciplined leadership and a renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility,’ said Board President Jennifer Brouhard By Jennifer Brouhard Special to The Post I am not going to directly respond to or amplify the personal attacks on the Oakland Unified School District’s dedicated leaders who are working every day on behalf of Oakland’s students. Dr. Denise Saddler is a respected educator who leads with integrity, honesty, and decades of experience in service to OUSD. Since stepping into the role of interim superintendent, she has worked tirelessly alongside the Senior Leadership Team and fiscal consultants to address one of the most difficult financial situations our district has faced. In December, the Board gave clear direction: bring forward a budget proposal that did not
Jennifer Brouhard. File photo. include a state loan and did not include school closures. Saddler and her team did exactly what the Board asked them to do. There were differing opinions about how to address the district’s fiscal challenges. The two former employees referenced in a news article supported a different
approach that included pursuing a state loan and exploring school closures. Those proposals were presented to the Board alongside Saddler’s proposal. The Board adopted Saddler’s recommendation because it reflected the direction we had established. Since I joined the Board in 2023, the majority of the Board has consistently opposed school closures and has worked to preserve local control by avoiding a state loan whenever possible. The public records cited in the article demonstrate the countless hours Saddler, the Senior Leadership Team, and our consultants devoted to developing a responsible financial plan. Difficult decisions were made, ideas were Continued on page 10