DisLovely Place of Refuge’: Interfaith Justice Forum ‘A Tackles Hate in California ... see page 2
California Bill Requires Schools to Alert Families of Immigration Agents, Backed by Tony Thurmond ... see page 2
Richmond Community Seeks Equity from Chevron’s $500 Million Settlement ... see page 8 California Payroll Report Highlights Top-Earning Public Workers as Controller Malia Cohen Publishes New Data.. see page 6
Oakland Post “Where there is no vision, the people perish...” Proverbs 29:18
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Farwest Region Deltas Celebrate Centennial With ‘Sept. Breakfast’ Honoring Vivian Osborne Marsh
Farwest Regional Director Kimberly Usher, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, U.S. Representative Lateefah Simon, and Farwest Regional Representative Radiya Ajibade. Photo courtesy of Farwest Regional Photographer Vicki P. Love. By Antoinette Porter Hundreds of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and their guests gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union at UC Berkeley, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sorority’s Farwest Region. The region was established in
1925 under the leadership of Vivian Osborne Marsh, who became its first Regional Director. Marsh was a pioneering scholar and civic leader, earning recognition as the first Black woman to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in anthropology from UC Berkeley. Marsh went on to serve as Delta
Sigma Theta’s 7th National President, where she launched the sorority’s National Library Project to expand access to books in underserved Black communities in the South. During her presidency, the organization also became a prominent voice in the civil rights moveContinued on page 8
healthier lifestyles, and encourage lasting improvements in community well-being. The gathering addressed the reality that breast cancer disproportionately impacts Black women in the United States, who are often diagnosed younger, at later stages, and with more aggressive forms of the disease. Focusing on culturally relevant, high-quality, and timely cancer information, organizers say, the SCI BCAA Conference bridged critical awareness gaps and offered resouces and support for African American communities across the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding counties. The event welcomed African American women ages 18 and older that were newly diagnosed, in treatment, survivors, or simply seeking knowledge and connection. Family members, caregivers, community advocates, faith-based leaders, healthcare professionals, researchers, and clinicians also participated. Highlights of the day included presentations by distinguished local and national experts on breast cancer, women’s health, and wellness. The panel of speakers included Brenda Knight, founder of the La-
dies In Red; Dr. Ryland Gore, owner of the Dream Breast Care Center; Dr. Cheryl Ewing of the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center, and Breast Cancer Champions Lynda Haliburton, and Chandra Collins. Former WNBA player and breast cancer survivor, Edna Campbell, owner of Breathe and Stretch and Geneva Clay, founder of Fit-4 Living Health & Wellness Services was also a speaker at the event. Brenda Knight, founder of the “Ladies in Red” social network, said she entered the stage with the music of James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing” and Lessss’ “Dance Until You Feel Better.” “One lady thanked me for getting her up and moving around,” said Knight, realizing that a diagnosis or disease can leave people without energy and sedentary. Knight, as a motivational speaker, leans on her life experience as a mother, wife, community advocate, and professional leader to encourage people. Knight has a track record of supporting the BCAA conference for over 10 years and has volunteered with hundreds of cancer patients through programs Continued on page 8
and Morgan Spector, Mahmoud Khalil, Dr. Adil Husain, other Members of Congress and advocates to call for the passage of H.R. 3565, the Block the Bombs Act, to save lives. The Block the Bombs Act withholds the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel and demands Israel’s compliance with U.S. and international law. Representative Simon said: “I come to Congress from a lineage of folks who know that war does not make us stronger, from a lineage of Ron Dellums and Barbara Lee, who were very clear that we as a nation cannot kill and slaughter our way to peace, that we cannot fund the machinery of death, and that safety is found in care – and not conquest. “I am proud to stand with my colleagues today and say clearly that the genocide against the Pales-
tinian people must end. I am proud to co-sponsor, along with my colleagues, the Block the Bombs act. It’s clear, let us stop the murder and the slaughter of innocent civilians in Gaza.” Continuing, she said, “We grieve deeply and profoundly the children of Gaza, whose bodies, as we speak, are being torn by shrapnel. We grieve them, and we can, in the same moment, deeply grieve the families in Israel who lost loved ones and who were killed. We can grieve them.” “Simultaneously, we can refuse the trap that tells us that we must choose whose pain is real. There are no two sides when we’re talking about tens of thousands of children, slaughtered. We must demand and insist that the genocide that is happening in this moment not be committed in the name of anyone who Continued on page 8
Newark: Brenda Knight Inspires and Educates at Breast Cancer Conference
Brenda Knight at the SCI Breast Cancer and African Americans Conference 2025. Photo courtesy of Brenda Knight. By Carla Thomas The Stanford Cancer Institute (SCI) Office of Community Outreach and Engagement on Aug. 23 hosted the Breast Cancer and African Americans (BCAA) Conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Newark, California. The event, themed “Helping Communities Better Help Themselves,” provided culturally tailored education, aiming to promote
Tee Jay Jetson: The Voice Behind Beebe’s Announcements Steps into the Spotlight
Assemblymember Mia Bonta represents California’s 18th Assembly District, which covers Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville. Photo courtesy office of Asm. Bonta.
By Post staff Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) on Wednesday joined Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), other members of Congress, actors Cynthia Nixon
Tee Jay Jetson. Photo courtesy of Scott Hester of StudioJPhotos. com.
Asm. Mia Bonta’s By Antoinette Porter Bill Cracking Recently, Beebe Memorial Down on Private Cathedral began broadcasting Equity Healthcare its Sunday announcements to streamline the flow of SunDeals Heads to help day service. What most members didn’t realize is that the Gov’s Desk
By Post Staff
California is one step closer this week to tightening oversight of private equity and hedge fund spending in the healthcare sector as lawmakers sent Assembly Bill (AB)1415, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. The measure, if signed into law, would expand the authority of the state’s Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA), requiring private equity groups, hedge funds, and Management Services Organizations (MSOs) to notify the office of major transactions, including mergers or acquisitions involving hospitals, physician organizations, skilled nursing facilities, or other MSOs. “AB 1415 ensures that Cali-
The Greenlining Institute Appoints Max Vargas as the New CEO and President
warm, dynamic voice welcoming them was one of their own, Tee Jay Jetson, a professional voice actor. A longtime storyteller with a background in writing, Jetson was captivated when she first stood at the mic to tell stories
about Oakland for the Mills College public radio program while she was in graduate school. “The mic allowed me to blend storytelling with service,” she recalls. Since 2023, Jetson has trained and coached with leading voiceover professionals in commercial, political, corporate narration, explainers, e-learning, automotive, and more. The results are captured in her demos. In March 2025, she signed with her first talent agent, Shortlist. One month later, she signed with New York talent agency CESD. Jetson auditions daily from her home studio, because “I am an entrepreneur and voiceover is my business.” Currently, Jetson is doing the live-announce opening segment for Best in Gospel Bay Area, a music competition produced by Gregory Cole, and she says, “I am having a blast!” To learn how you can work with Tee Jay, go to TeeJayJetsonVO.com.
Photo courtesy City of Berkeley.
Prayer Service and Walk to Save Community Church
By Post Staff
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Oakland will hold a special prayer service followed by a fundraising walk on Sept. 14 at 11:30 a.m., as parishioners work to raise awareness about the uncertain future of their historic parish. Following the 10 a.m. mass, participants plan to circle the block
along Lakeshore Avenue several times in a show of unity, concern, and faith. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year in response to several hundred claims of past sexual abuse by church members, may sell a number of parish properties to help satisfy settlements. Our Lady of Lourdes, locatContinued on page 8
HBCUC to Host Annual Elegant All White Scholarship Gala in Oakland
Rep. Lateefah Simon Backs ‘Block the Bombs Act,’ to Withhold Weapons to Israel: ‘We as a nation cannot kill and slaughter our way to peace’
Congresswoman Lateefah Simon speaks at press conference in Washington D.C., Sept. 10.
62nd Year, No. 37
Weekly Edition Sept. 10 - 16, 2025
Greenlining Institute’s new President and CEO Max Vargas. Photo courtesy of The Greenlining Institute.
By Carla Thomas
The Greenlining Institute’s Board of Directors has appointed Max Vargas as its new President and CEO, effective September 15. He succeeds Olga Talamante, who has served as Interim President and CEO since February and will now return to her role on the Board. Vargas most recently served as Vice President of Economic Justice at the Latino Community Foundation, where he built a portfolio focused on unlocking Latino economic power through entrepreneurship, worker advancement, cooperatives, and climate justice. His career also includes leadership roles as Deputy Director Continued on page 8
HBCUC - Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Coalition of Northern California. Photo courtesy of HBCUC. By Carla Thomas The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Coalition of Northern California (HBCUC) will present its annual “Elegant All White Scholarship Gala” on Saturday, September 27, at Scott’s Chandelier Pavilion in Oakland’s Jack London Square. The HBCUC supports Bay Area students who aspire to attend historic institutions such as Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Spelman College in Atlanta, among others. Proceeds from the gala will
fund scholarships for local students who have been accepted into one of the 107 HBCUs across the United States, while also sustaining the association’s ongoing community work. Guests will include government officials, community leaders, corporate sponsors, and members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. The gala reflects the coalition’s guiding theme and slogan: “The Village – Coming Together for a Common Purpose Through Advancing
Continued on page 8