Mayor Lee, Councilmember Carroll Fife Respond to ICE Activity Near West Oakland School Special to The Post
(L to r:) Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and District 3 City Councilmember Carroll Fife. File photos.
The sighting of a U.S. Immigrationand Customs Enforcement (ICE) van led to two school closings, an impromptu protest rally and a car crash on Wednesday morning in West Oakland. Hoover Elementary School and Harriet Tubman pre-school went on
lockdown until students were released to their parents later in the afternoon. The crash appeared to be a response from a parent who had dropped off their child at school and then hastily fled in a sedan that crashed into a parked car a few blocks away. Noting that Oakland is a sanctuary
city, the Oakland Police Department investigated the crash and reiterated to the public that it does not cooperate with ICE. Neighbors came out and surrounded the school, chanting songs to soothe the children inside while others, alerted by networks of activists, came to interrupt
ICE, blowing whistles and filming interactions. Carroll Fife, councilperson for District 3, where the sighting took place, and Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee both responded. Observing that the ICE agents left Continued on page 8
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
Weekly Edition November 19 - 25, 2025
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62nd Year, No. 50
Mayor Barbara Lee Appoints Assistant Chief James Beere as Interim Chief of Police
Oakland Police Commissioner Omar Farmer. Courtesy photo.
Is Oakland City Council Undermining Police Commission’s Authority?
Created by voters in 2016, the Commission has helped ensure police accountability and civilian oversight By Post Staff A recent Oakland City Council decision has dealt a significant blow to the Oakland Police Commission and its responsibilities under the Oakland City Charter to provide oversight of the Oakland Police Department. Now, some of the Oakland’s police accountability activists are raising concerns about city officials’ ongoing commitment to police accountability and ensuring constitutional policing. Without providing any reasons, the City Council voted unanimously on Oct. 21 to reject the reappointment of the Police Commission’s chairperson and an alternate com-
missioner. In the past, commissioners have been routinely approved by the Council after being picked through an established vetting process by a Police Commission Selection Panel, composed of nine members appointed by each City Council member and the mayor. Oakland’s Police Commission is considered one of the strongest of civilian oversight boards in the country. Accountability activists, including members of the Coalition for Police Accountability (CPA), have remained intensely focused on reforming the Oakland Police DepartContinued on page 8
DA Charges Suspect in Shooting Death of Laney College Coach John Beam
Coach John Beam. Photo by Jonathan Fitness Jones. By Post Staff Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson this week announced murder charges against Cedric Irving Jr., 27, who is accused
in the shooting death of beloved coach John Beam, who worked for decades as an educator and football coach at Skyline High School and Laney College in Oakland. Jones Dickson announced the charges at a press conference Monday afternoon at the René C. Davidson Courthouse. If found guilty, Irving could face a sentence of 50 years to life in prison, the district attorney said. According to court documents, Oakland Police Department officers identified Irving by going through many hours of surveillance footage from the Thursday, Nov. 13 shooting. After he was detained, Irving adContinued on page 8
HBCU Prep School – A Fresh Take on Black History and Culture
Image courtesy of HBCU Prep School. By Carla Thomas Black culture and history are being celebrated and reimagined for a new generation through the enterprising work of Claudia Walker, founder of HBCU Prep School, a line of learning products that highlight the legacy of Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and prominent figures in Black culture. Walker, a Spelman College alumna who originally set her sights on law, found herself swept up in a journey through Wall Street to classrooms in the Bay Area, a detour that would become the foundation for her award-winning career as an educator and businesswoman. Reflecting on her path, Walker credits two pivotal moments for her transformation. “After 9-11, I questioned my path, moved back to the Bay Area, and landed in education while pitching plays to agencies,” she explained. The career shift was unplanned but deeply transformative – when an opportunity arose to teach right across the street from her home, she accepted, beginning a 20-year tenContinued on page 8
Alameda County Supervisors (l.-r.): Elisa Marquez, District 2; David Haubert (president) District 1; Nate Miley, District 4; WCRC Board Chair Angi Fisher; Supervisors Nikki Fortunato Bas, District 5; Lena Tam, District. 3, (vice president); WCRC Development Director Kate Eaneman and board member Gay Plair Cobb. Photo courtesy of WCRC.
Appointed by Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief James Beere will become the interim chief of police effective Dec. 6. Photo courtesy of OPD. By Carla Thomas Mayor Barbara Lee announced a major leadership transition for the Oakland Police Department on Friday, Nov. 14, appointing Assistant Chief James Beere as interim chief of police effective Dec. 6, following the planned departure of Chief Floyd Mitchell on Dec. 5. The decision, made in consultation with Ricardo Garcia-Acosta, the outgoing chair of the Police Commission, adhered to the guidelines outlined in Measure S1, ensuring community oversight in the Continued on page 8
iStock.
California Celebrates National Scholarship Month and the Success of CalKIDS Scholarships
By Carla Thomas This November, California is celebrating National Scholarship Month by spotlighting the success of the CalKIDS Scholarship Program, which has become the largest children’s savings account initiative in the United States. The initiative now empowers over 5 million children statewide with resources to pursue higher education and career training. Launched in 2022, CalKIDS provides scholarships of up to $1,500 for eligible public school students, and up to $175 for every California child born on or after July 1, 2022. These funds that can be used for a range of educational expenses at accredited institutions nationwide. In just three years, the CalKIDS initiative has resulted in more than 700,000 claimed accounts, supporting students in paying tuition, purchasing books, and meeting other education-related costs. The program is administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board and led by State Treasurer Fiona Ma. Continued on page 8
Women’s Cancer Resource Center Receives Support from Alameda County for Women’s Health Advocacy and Services Global initiative also recognizes nonprofit for advancing equitable cancer care
Special to The Post
In a motion co-sponsored by Nikki Fortunato Bas and Nate Miley, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors declared November as Women’s Cancer Month and honored the Women’s Cancer Resource Center with special recognition in providing services to women of Alameda County. WCRC has been announced as one of the 80+ organizations that were awarded funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global open call, launched in 2024 to support organizations working to improve women’s mental and physical health around the world. WCRC received a grant of $2.5 million. For nearly 40 years, WCRC has provided free counseling, patient navigation, support groups, wellness classes, and practical assistance for women and caregivers
impacted by cancer. Each year, the organization supports about 1,500 clients in Alameda and Contra Costa counties through programs that combine emotional support, reliable information, and help in navigating complex health systems. “This transformational grant will help us meet the rising needs of women with cancer,” said Amy Alanes, executive director of WCRC. “No woman should have to choose between her health, her well-being, and providing for her family. This support will help us strengthen our capacity and move forward with our strategic priorities, including expanding into areas where women are historically underserved.” An estimated 34,021 women are living with cancer in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Although the two counties make up only 36% of the Bay Area’s popula-
tion, they account for 41% of the region’s women living with cancer, and Contra Costa County has the highest women’s cancer mortality rate in the Bay Area. Alameda and Contra Costa are also among the most diverse counties in California, which means effective cancer care must reflect many cultures, languages, and lived experiences. With this new capacity-building award, WCRC plans to expand programs in Contra Costa County and Alameda County, deepen navigation services for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, and broaden wellness offerings that support clients at every stage of care. The organization will also work to embed services within hospitals and community sites to reduce access barriers for clients who live farther from its Berkeley office.
Mayor Lee, Councilmembers Ramachandran and Unger Introduce Ballot Measure to Provide Tax Relief to Small and New Businesses New Measure Would Amend Oakland’s Tax Ordinance to Provide Tax Exemptions for Small and New Businesses
By Jared Savas Special to The Post District 4 Councilmember Janani Ramachandran along with District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger and Mayor Barbara Lee introduced a ballot measure to provide tax relief to small and new businesses throughout the City. This innovative measure will appear on the June 2026 ballot and will accelerate Oakland’s ongoing efforts to support new and existing small businesses communitywide. “Oakland’s vibrant business community is an invaluable contributor to our unique cultural diversity and economic resilience. It is high time that the City does more to ensure that our small businesses have the financial support they deserve,” said Ramachandran. “This legislation will prove that Oakland is ‘open for business’ by providing financial relief to existing small businesses while also meaningfully incentivizing new businesses of all sizes to set up in Oakland. Doing so will create and sustain jobs, yield new tax revenue, and revitalize business corridors all across the City.” “I have lived in Oakland my whole life and have seen how crucial our business community is for our City,” said Unger. “We have seen San Francisco and other municipalities successfully implement tax relief programs and
(Left to rightt:) District 4 Oakland City Councilmember Janani Ramachandran and District 1 Oakland City Councilmember Zac Unger. File photos. we can use those best practices to make sure Oakland remains a competitive place to establish and operate a business.” “Small businesses and new businesses bring the energy and opportunity that keep our city moving forward,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “This measure is a smart, targeted step that will reduce barriers, encourage new businesses to open their doors in Oakland, and reaffirm our commitment to a vibrant, inclusive economy. I’m proud to stand with Councilmembers Unger and Ramachandran to support the businesses that power Oakland’s future.” “The post-pandemic period has been an especially difficult time for small businesses, which are the fabric of Oakland’s diverse
economy. This measure is part of a series of efforts to incentivize vibrant new businesses to fill our empty storefronts, while changing the narrative that Oakland has not always been an easy partner to do business with by reaffirming the City’s values of welcoming small businesses and entrepreneurs as essential community partners.” Program details include: • Small Business Incentive: eliminate gross receipts tax for small business classes A, B, E, G, and I, which do not gross more than $1 million in sales for the tax certificate year beginning Jan 1, 2027 and ending Dec. 31, 2027. These are the kinds of ground-level businesses that drive foot trafContinued on page 8