Dis As California Invests Billions in Cap-and-Trade Earnings, Advocates Urge Better Public Awareness, More Impactful Spending ... see page 2
Black Media Leaders Respond to Newsom’s Plan to Cut Journalism Fund by $20 Million ... see page 2
California Bill to Strengthen Small Business Support Gains Bipartisan Support ... see page 2
Mary Eliza Mahoney: America’s First Black Professional Nurse ... see page 4
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
postnewsgroup.com
62nd Year, No. 21
Weekly Edition May 21 - 27, 2025
Barbara Lee Becomes Oakland’s 52nd Mayor
Helen Wyman, Laura Geist, Pastor Ken Chambers, and Randy Williamson at a food giveaway and trailer cleanup in Oakland in February. File photo by Kevin Hicks.
Mayor Lee Swearing-In: (From left to right) Oakland City Clerk Asha Reed and OUSD Student Board Director Maximus Simmons witness William Patterson of the East Bay Municipal Utility District swear in Barbara Lee as Oakland’s new mayor using her grandfather’s Bible at City Hall. In photo, right, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee (center) is joined by many Oakland officials who will be part of her leadership team. Seated, left to right: Councilmember-at Large Rowena Brown, District 2 Councilmember Charlene Wang, District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, City Clerk Asha Reed, District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. Standing, left to right: City Attorney Ryan Richardson, District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger, District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo, District 6 Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, District 7 Councilmember Ken Houston, and City Auditor Michael Houston. Photos by Paul Cobb. By Magaly Muñoz Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee was sworn into office as Oakland’s new mayor at a private ceremony Tuesday afternoon. She shared her agenda for getting the city “on the right track.” Lee talked about addressing the “moral disgrace” of the homeless-
ness crisis, ensuring public safety for young people and seniors, and helping artists and businesses grow. “We’ll continue through our share of challenges, but what I know about our city is that we are a community that punches above our weight,” Lee said. “We are a city of doers, dreamers, entrepreneurs, and
Oakland School Board Votes to Protect AfterSchool Programs
innovators.” Lee acknowledged the many challenges she has to contend with in her new leadership role, including public safety, city blight, and the looming budget crisis. Oakland is facing a projected $280 million shortfall over the next two years. The city shut down
firehouses, cut arts and culture programs, and reduced police spending in December to minimize its $129 million deficit for the 2024-25 budget cycle, decisions that continue to be points of contention with residents. In November, Oakland passed Continued on page 8
Faith-Based Fans Cheer $2 Tuesday Tickets for Ballers’ Believers Theme Night at Raimondi Park on May 27
Special to The Post
The Oakland Ballers will host Interfaith Night on Tuesday, May 27 at Raimondi Park in West Oakland as they take on the Grand Junction Jackalopes. Tickets are $2.00 for the first 800 attendees. For tickets, go to https://tickets.oaklandballers. com/event/5-27-2025-oaklandballers-vs-grand-junction-jacko04oxv The game will be highlighted by a ceremonial first pitch thrown at 6:35 p.m. by Rev. Ken Chambers, founding president of the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) and senior pastor of the West Side Missionary Baptist Church. ICAC’s mission is to build bridges of mutual respect and collaboration among different religious traditions while taking
collective action to address social justice issues such as homelessness, food insecurity, and housing inequality. In the spirit of that mission, the Oakland Ballers and their volunteer team, the “Ballunteers,” recently partnered with ICAC to help prepare trailers that will serve as transitional housing for unhoused families. Through programs like the Safe Car Park initiative, ICAC continues to offer practical, dignity-centered solutions to some of the most urgent challenges in Alameda County. Interfaith Night at Raimondi Park will reflect this powerful commitment to justice and unity, bringing people together for celebration, service, and community spirit, alongside a great night of baseball. Learn more about ICAC at interfaithac.org
Street Academy students. Photo courtesy Emiliano Zapata Street Academy.
Left to right: District 3 Trustee VanCedric Williams, District 2 Trustee Jennifer Brouhard, and District 6 Trustee Valarie Bachelor. File photos. By Ken Epstein The Oakland Unified School Board this week reversed a poorly worded decision made at a March board meeting, voting to protect after-school programs that were “inadvertently” included in funding cuts as the district struggles to eliminate an estimated $95 million budget shortfall. Concerned and angry parents
and after-school program employees packed the school board meeting Wednesday evening to protest as board members explained that it was never their intention to cut funding for programs that take care of children in the late afternoons while parents and guardians work or go to school. A joint statement by OUSD Board President Jennifer Brouhard Continued on page 8
Oakland High School Youth Share Thoughts on Democracy
Special to The Post
Students who have been studying American Government at Oakland’s Emiliano Zapata Street Academy have written essays about democracy. Below is a composite of their writings. In 2025, the state of democracy in America faces critical challenges that test its resilience and adaptability in an increasingly complex world. The foundational prin-
ciples of democracy are liberty, equality, and representation. Over the years the democratic process has expanded to include a broader spectrum of voices through suffrage movements and civil rights advancements. These remain vital, but various factors threaten to undermine these ideals. Political scientists from Cornell and Johns HopContinued on page 8
San Francisco. But her life was no less valuable than any other. Her family is pleading for her story to be treated with the same urgency and care as any woman whose life is taken by violence. Her name is
Shamieka Latoya Mabrey. She was loved. She mattered. And she deserves justice. We’re asking for the public to not forget her. Say her name. Share her story. Help bring justice to a woman who can no longer fight for herself. Until justice is served, Shamieka cannot rest in peace. Mabrey’s senseless murder continues to deeply impact her loved ones who are suffering from her loss. The Family Support Advocates join with Mabrey’s grieving family and loved ones in their pursuit of justice. Anyone in the community with information about Shamieka’s murder is asked to contact the Homicide Section at 510238-3821 or the TIP LINE at 510238-7950. #JusticeforShamieka. FAMILY SUPPORT ADVOCACY TASK FORCE The mission of the Family SupContinued on page 8
Her Life Matters: Oakland Family Calls for Justice for Shamieka Mabrey
Special to The Post
Her name is Shamieka Mabrey. She was 38 years old when her life was stolen from her in 2023, in Oakland, California. She was more than a statistic. More than a headline. She was a daughter, a friend, a neighbor, a pet parent, and a woman full of dreams. She worked hard, paid her rent and taxes, cooked meals, loved deeply, and hoped for a future filled with travel, marriage, and the comfort of a home she could call her own. She was one of three people shot on Feb. 24, 2023, but she was not just one of three. She had a name, a voice, and a story that mattered. Mabrey was in a relationship with the man now believed to be responsible for her death. Someone she cared for. Someone who lived with her. Her family received the devastating news the day after her life
Shamieka Mabrey. Courtesy photo. was taken and since then, her family has been fighting for answers. For accountability. For justice. Shamieka didn’t come from wealth or privilege. She was a Black woman from the projects of
Interfaith Council of Alameda County members and Oakland Ballunteers at a food giveaway and trailer cleanup in February. File photo by Kevin Hicks.
Gay Plair Cobb Remembers Malcolm X’s Visit to Queens College
By Post Staff As the world acknowledges Malcolm X's 100th birthday Gay Plair Cobb remembers his appearance at Queens College (City University of New York) in May 1960, when he was invited by the student chapter of the NAACP. That event – where this photo was taken – went smoothly, but less than a year later, after Malcolm’s fame had grown and he had been banned by UC Berkeley, the Queens College administration
wouldn’t allow him to return. Plair Cobb, who handled programming for the chapter, would learn a different side of the fiery speaker in telephone calls as they navigated the withdrawal of Malcolm’s invitation. In the end, he sent her a letter of thanks for hers and the students’ support. She said his leadership inspired her to stay active in the struggles for civil and human rights. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925, and he was assassinated on Feb. 21, 1965. Public domain photo.