Dis Childhood Literacy Bill Supported by NAACP and CTA Moves Closer to Becoming California Law ... see page 2
California Assembly Passes Bill to Strengthen Penalties for Soliciting Minors ... see page 2
Newsom, Pelosi Welcome Election of First American Pope; Call for Unity and Compassion ... see page 7
Nate Holden, State Senator and Longtime Los Angeles Councilmember, Dies at 95 ... see page 7
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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62nd Year, No. 20
Weekly Edition May 14 - 20, 2025
New Oakland Moving Forward
Oakland Hosts Town Hall Addressing Lead Hazards in City Housing
Oakland Unified School District’s Central Administrative Center and Board Room at the site of Cole School in West Oakland. Courtesy photo.
Oakland hosted a town hall to discuss implementation of programs to remove and reduce lead in local housing. iStock photo. By Magaly Muñoz The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department hosted a town hall in Fruitvale to discuss the efforts being undertaken to remove lead primarily found in housing in East and West Oakland. In 2021, the city was awarded $14 million out of a $24 million legal settlement from a lawsuit against paint distributors for selling lead-based paint that has affected hundreds of families in Oakland and Alameda County. The funding is intended to be used for lead poisoning reduction and prevention services in paint only, not water or other sources as has been found recently in schools across the city.
The settlement can be used for developing or enhancing programs that abate lead-based paint, providing services to individuals, particularly exposed children, educating the public about hazards caused by lead paint, and covering attorney’s fees incurred in pursuing litigation. According to the city, there are 22,000 households in need of services for lead issues, most in predominantly low-income or Black and Latino neighborhoods, but only 550 to 600 homes are addressed every year. The city is hoping to use part of the multimillion-dollar settlement to increase the number of households served each year. Most of the homes affected Continued on page 10
East Bay Community Foundation’s New Grants Give Oakland’s Small Businesses a Boost
After Two Decades, Oakland Unified Finally Will Regain Local Control
By Ken Epstein
After 20 years under state control, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) will regain local authority over its budget and dayto-day decision-making, emerging from an era of austerity when the district was forced by state-appointed overseers to close more than 40 mostly flatland schools, eliminate educational programs, and cut millions of dollars in services for students and classrooms. After making its final payment on a $100 million state loan at the end of June, the district in July will again be under the authority of the
local school board, like other districts statewide. The decades of direct intervention by state officials, Alameda County education officials and a powerful, state-funded regulatory agency, the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team (FCMAT), will finally come to an end in July, according to the office of State Superintendent of Schools Tony Thurmond. The official narrative of the state takeover is a simple one: the district overspent its budget, and the state altruistically stepped in to Continued on page 10
WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland
The East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) announced the first round of grantees for the Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund, its initiative supporting small businesses in Oakland’s most underserved neighborhoods. The Fund is dedicated to helping businesses overcome the challenges of accessing capital, particularly those in communities that have been historically impacted by disinvestment and community violence. This year’s grantees represent neighborhoods like Downtown Oakland, East Oakland, Eastlake, Fruitvale, and West Oakland. Many of the grantee partners have been long-standing pillars in their communities, underscoring their resilience and ongoing impact. • 96% of grantees identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color; almost half identify as Black, African American, or African. • Over half of business owners identify as women, transgender, or non-binary/gender variant/ non-conforming. • Over half of grantees have been
operating in Oakland for 10 or more years, with 20% serving the community for more than 20 years. Among the more than 140 grantees are (randomly selected): Elevate Golf Academy, Healthy Potter, International Coin Laundromat, Kinfolx, Mothers Touch, Flylady Tee, High Street Hand Car Wash, Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Hasta Muerte Coffee Cooperative, RBA Creative, This Is Baba’s House, Soulflow Enterprises, Sirius Creativity, Xin Da Di Salon and Marcus Books. These businesses are innovative and essential to the cultural and economic fabric of Oakland, EBCF said in their announcement. “We encourage you to learn more about their efforts and support their continued work in creating impactful change for their communities,” the statement says. As part of EBCF’s commitment to shifting power in funding decision-making structures and sharing power with community, it co-created and collaboratively implemented the Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund with a diverse ecosystem of partners who are committed to Continued on page 10
By Post Staff Since the African American Sports and Entertainment Group purchased the City of Oakland’s share of the Alameda County Coliseum Complex, we have been documenting the positive outcomes that are starting to occur here in Oakland. Some of the articles in the past have touched on actor Blair Underwood’s mission to breathe new energy into the social fabric of Oakland. He has joined the past efforts of Steph and Ayesha Curry, Mistah Fab, Green Day, Too Short and the Oakland Ballers. This week a number of socially enterprising members of this group visited Oakland to explore ways to collaborate with local
stakeholders at Youth Empowerment Partnership, the Port of Oakland, Private Industry Council, Oakland; Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, the Oakland Ballers ownership group and the oversight thought leaders in the Alameda County Probation Department. These visits represent a healthy exchange of ideas and plans to resuscitate Oakland’s image. All parties felt that the potential to impact Oakland is right in front of us. Most recently, on the back side of these visits, the Oakland Ballers and Blair Underwood committed to a 10-year lease agreement to support community programs and a community build-out. So upward and onward with the movement of New Oakland.
Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.
The Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund was created by East Bay Community Foundation to support businesses in neighborhoods that have been historically impacted by disinvestment, violence and systemic inequities, particularly in Downtown Oakland, Eastlake, Fruitvale, and West Oakland. Photo courtesy of East Bay Community Foundation.
Special to The Post
iStock.
Dr. Laura Dean Head, right, and Zakiya Jendayi, left. Dr. Head was Jendayi’s academic advisor, mentor, sorority sister and dear friend for 28 years. Courtesy photo.
The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office. Special to The Post The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday. The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances. “The Golden State Valkyries
are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.” In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com. Continued on page 10
The Case Against Probate Part 2 – The Dr. Laura Dean Head Case
By Tanya Dennis
Dr. Laura Dean Head, a Black Studies professor at San Franciso State University for 35 years transitioned on June 19, 2013. Aware of her imminent demise, Dr. Head appointed former student and friend for 28 years, Zakiya Folami Jendayi as trustee, executor, and sole beneficiary of her estate in front of several credible witnesses and a notary. Head also gave Jendayi power of attorney and appointed Jendayi as her advanced healthcare agent. Jendayi says “Laura had two sisters but was estranged from them the entire 28 years we were friends.” Despite that fact, Head’s sisters, Della Hamlin and Helaine Head questioned Head’s trust three times after Head transitioned attempting to acquire Head’s estate, and three different attorneys told them they
didn’t have standing. Dr. Head did not include either of her sisters in her trust or will. Dr. Head’s Trust included a disinheritance and no contest clause regarding her sisters. In 2020, Dr. Head’s deceased mother’s abandoned property for over 20 years sold, entitling Head’s estate to one-third of the proceeds. Jendayi filed a petition for distribution rights on behalf of Dr. Head’s estate. Head’s sisters responded, filing a lawsuit against Jendayi to invalidate Head’s trust, claiming Jendayi used undue influence and forgery, citing Head’s lack of capacity to make business decisions. During trial, Della testified she had not seen Head since 1997 or 1998, and Helaine could not identify Dr. Head in a photo during her trial testimony. Head’s Continued on page 10