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Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
62nd Year, No. 24
Weekly Edition June 11 - 17, 2025
postnewsgroup.com
Learning Life’s Lessons
Unión del Barrio, Other Grassroots Groups Organize to Defend Immigrants’ Legal Rights
California’s 3-strike laws gave me two life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.’
Oakland City Hall.
Oakland Adopts Two-Year $4.36 Billion Budget
By Post Staff Richard Johnson and son Fati. Courtesy photo. By Richard Johnson I have written this book in hopes of being able to keep others from traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery. At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you’re-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose Continued on page 12
Hundreds gathered at Fruitvale Plaza in Oakland on June 10 in solidarity with immigrants and opposed to Trump’s use of armed federal agents in Los Angeles. Photo by Beth LaBerge/KQED.
More Than 500 Join Interfaith Rally in Solidarity with Los Angeles Resistance to Trump Invasion
By Post Staff
In response to last week’s “invasion” of Los Angeles by armed and masked federal agents, East Bay faith leaders and community members, joined by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, held an Interfaith vigil Tuesday evening at Oakland’s Fruitvale Plaza in support of Los Angeles residents and immigrant communities across the country. More than 500 people attended the Tuesday evening rally in Oakland, which was held simultaneously with a prayer vigil in Los Ange-
les, where rabbis, pastors, Muslim faith leaders, and indigenous spiritual leaders gathered to pray and speak out about the federal government’s abuses of power. Earlier on the same day, hundreds of protesters at San Francisco and Concord immigration courts shut down the courts after masked, plainclothes federal ICE agents detained people seeking asylum attending their court hearings. “Too many families in Los Angeles torn apart by this invasion still do not have access to a lawyer — and that’s not an accident. We, the people, the community, are here to Continued on page 12
In a show of unity, the Oakland City Council this week adopted a two-year, $4.36 billion budget, almost three weeks ahead of the endof-month deadline. The new budget contains no layoffs, no fire station closings and utilizes no revenues from the sale of the Coliseum complex. “I worked closely on this budget with City Council President Kevin Jenkins (who served as interim mayor) and a unified City leadership to ensure it reflected many of
my goals in my 10-point plan for my first 100 days in office – beginning with passing a balanced budget,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, who was only recently sworn in. “It allocates funding for clean streets, reliable fire protection, and decisive blight and illegal-dumping cleanup — echoing Point 5 from that plan, which called for strengthened blight crews and aggressive action with the DA’s office,” Lee said. “It also advances our publicContinued on page 12
OP-ED:
Mayor Lee Worked Cooperatively with Council on Budget
District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran. Photo courtesy City of Oakland. By Janani Ramachandran District 4 Oakland City Councilmember On Wednesday June 11, City Council took a bold step to prioritize investing in essential city services to get our beautiful Town back on track. As Chair of the Finance Committee, I am proud to have led a collaborative process, alongside Councilmembers Rowena Brown, Zac Unger, and Charlene Wang, to develop a set of amendments to the proposed FY 2025-2027 budget which passed successfully with a vote of 6 – 1. Despite facing a $265 million structural budget deficit, we were able to restore funding to ensure that all 25 fire stations remain open, fund five police acad-
emies, invest millions of dollars to combat illegal dumping and sideshow prevention, improve our permitting processes, fund a “business incentives” program to revitalize our commercial corridors, improve upon our homelessness prevention work, amplify the city’s anti-trafficking programs, reinstate our tree services division, staff up our Auditor’s office – all while preventing any layoffs of city staff, keeping our senior centers and after-school programs open, and crisis services like MACRO funded. I am most proud of our ability to fund these critical city services without the use of one-time fixes. We are still suffering consequences of last year’s budget – where a majority of the Council, myself not included, chose to incorporate anticipated proceeds from the sale of the Coliseum to fund essential services. Since the sale has still not yet been completed, the lack of funds led to drastic cuts in city services – including the temporary closure of fire stations, staff layoffs, and the cancellations of many service contracts. The budget that we passed this week proudly does not fund recurring expenses with anticipated one-time revenue – and moves our city towards being fiscally responsible with our taxpayers’ funds. Continued on page 12
Tens of thousands of people have been protesting against federal immigration raids in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Reuters. By Ken Epstein Public attention has focused on the courageous statements of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, and other officials opposing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in communities across the country, now at a boiling point in Los Angeles. But less attention has centered on the grassroots community groups that have been working in local immigrant neighborhoods for months and years to help vulnerable residents organize to defend their legal rights for themselves, their families, and their communities.
One organization, based in Chicago, is Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD), which describes itself as “a group of undocumented, unapologetic, and unafraid organizers building a resistance movement against deportations and the criminalization of immigrants and people of color in Chicago.” According to OCAD’s website, “We defend our communities, challenge the institutions that target and dehumanize us, and build collective power through grassroots organizing and cross-movement building. We fight alongside families and individuals challenge Continued on page 12
Dr. Head and Zakiya Jendayi: Their 28 -year friendship was ignored by Probate Court Judge Bean who ruled in favor of Dr. Head’s estranged sisters. One sister could not identify Head, in a picture shown while under oath.
The Case Against Probate: False Ruling Invalidates Black Professor’s Estate Plan, Ignoring 28-Year Relationship
By Tanya Dennis
Part 5
In a shocking miscarriage of justice, a California probate judge issued a Statement of Decision on March 28 riddled with numerous documented errors that invalidated the estate plan of esteemed Black Studies professor
Dr. Laura Dean Head. The ruling from the Alameda County Superior Court’s probate division in Berkeley has sparked outrage from advocates for probate reform, community members and civil rights activists, who say the decision reflects deep Continued on page 12
Oak Temple Hill Hosts Interfaith Leaders from Across the Bay Area
Special to The Post
Interfaith leaders from the Bay Area participated in a panel discussion at the annual meeting of Communication leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints held on Temple Hill in Oakland on May 31. Distinguished faith leaders Rev. Ken Chambers, executive director the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC); Michael Pappas, executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council; and Dr. Ejaz Naqzi, president of the Contra Costa County Interfaith Council addressed the group on key issues including homelessness, food insecurity, immigration, and meaningful opportunities to care for
From left to right: Troy McCombs (from the state of Washington), Elder Mark Mortensen (from Irvine, CA), Michael Pappas, Rev. Ken Chambers, Dr. Ejaz Naqvi, Elder Sigfried Nauman (from the state of Washington), and Richard Kopf. Courtesy photo. individuals and communities in need. Chambers, said he is thankful for the leadership and support of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-
day Saints’ global ministry, which recently worked with the interfaith congregations of ICAC to help Yasjmine Oeveraas a homeless Norwegian mother and her family
find shelter and access to government services. Oeveraas told the story of how she was assisted by ICAC to the Oakland Post. “I’m a Norwegian
citizen who escaped an abusive marriage with nowhere to go. We’ve been homeless in Florida since January 2024. Recently, we came to California for my son’s passport, but my plan to drive for Uber fell through, leaving us homeless again. Through 2-11, I was connected to Rev. Ken Chambers, pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County, and his car park program, which changed our lives. We spent about a weekand-a-half living in our car before being blessed with a trailer. After four years of uncertainty and 18 months of homelessness, this program has given us stability and
hope again. “Now, both my son and I have the opportunity to continue our education. I’m pursuing cyber analytics, something I couldn’t do while living in the car. My son can also complete his education, which is a huge relief. This program has given us the space to focus and regain our dignity. I am working harder than ever to reach my goals and give back to others in need.” Richard Kopf, communication director for The Church of Jesus Christ in the Bay Area stated: “As followers of Jesus Christ, we embrace interfaith cooperation and are united in our efforts to show God’s love for all of his children.”