Oakland

Mary Cobb-Hill, 72 Impresario of the Negro Spiritual

Published

7 years ago

December 15, 2017

Mary Alice Cobb-Hill was born in Oakland, March 16, 1945. She passed away on December 9, 2017 at Kaiser Hospital, Richmond after suffering a stroke. Mary was known throughout the Bay Area as an impresario of the Negro Spiritual. She performed as a soloist, arranger, teacher, choir director, poet, pianist and playwright.

The “Celebration of Life” memorial services will be held at 11am, Friday December 22, at the First Presbyterian Church of Oakland, 2619 Broadway, Oakland, CA. 94612.

She became acquainted with Negro spirituals at an early age and she sang with and was “trained up” by the youth choir at the Market Street Seventh Day Adventist Church in Oakland, CA. Where the spirituals were mainstay of hymnal music.

Her first Introduction to the spirituals was through her parents Mary Magdalene Bland Cobb and Roosevelt Vernon Cobb by singing as part of their evening family worship service at home, and also in church choirs. Mary’s mother, a teacher who had graduated from Langston University, shared the backstories of the Black stories of freedom from slavery as told through the Negro Spirituals.

Mary, who sang with Mahalia Jackson at the Oakland Auditorium, made the preservation of the spirituals her life-long passion — extending over 50 years. She also sang with Nina Simone with Mary Ann Pollard Productions, and other performances, lectures and through her professional training of many youth and adults.

She attended Golden Gate Academy in Oakland, Merritt and Laney Colleges in Oakland and the Pacific Union College in Angwin, CA.
Focused on music and voice, Mary took private lessons in classical opera singing from Esther Hughes, Janet Perlova, Edna Garabedian and Bernice Sprague.

As her contribution to the preservation of the Negro Spiritual, Mary wrote three musicals using exclusively the spirituals and related dialogue. They are titled Flowers from Heaven, Dis Train (which was recorded live and an album produced), and The Seven Exaltations of Simeon of Cyrene.

Mary is also the Founder and Creative Director of The Voices of Legacy, an outstanding community choir that has spanned more than 20 years. The group has performed for churches, schools, colleges, libraries, senior centers, community centers, and Black history programs of all types. The Voices of Legacy sang for the inauguration of then-Mayor Diane Feinstein at S.F. City Hall. The choir also performed in the Bahamas as an invited guest of the government.

Mary has trained dozens of singers, choosing as her medium of instruction the songs of our ancestors, the Black enslaved people of the United States. Through her tutelage, many others were introduced to the music of our African American heritage and learned the meanings of the songs and Bible verses from which they were taken.

Mary encouraged her students to read books on the subject and listen to master artists such as Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Paul Robeson, Jesse Norman, Kathleen Battle and many others who keep this music alive and perform them proudly in concerts and recitals.

She leaves to cherish her memory her husband Carl, daughters Maranatha and Gabrielle, grandchildren Duane, Josiah and Nicole, brothers Paul (Gay Plair) and Michael, sisters Gloria Jean Cobb and Sharon Cobb-Gray, brothers-in law James (Corita), Thomas (Jean), Ronnell (Earlene), sisters-in-law Halcyone (Paul), Linda and Joanne, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and many other relatives and friends.https://mail.yahoo.com/neo/b/launch?fid=Inbox&fidx=1&ac=XzHCYm4HJl90sA4WQW2xcQJoXM0-&mailboxId=VjJ-Nk1CrWGg5i9Aj8Z11n_hXiw3zFFg6gBDbDaaDLZYVu2LOU95KlO4Qytvfl7qC-F5&.rand=2030238640

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BWOPA Honors Black Leadership and Legacy at 2024 Ella Hill Hutch Awards Dinner

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills. At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

Published

2 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

L-R: BWOPA State Executive Director LaNiece Jones; State Asm. Mia Bonta; BWOPA 2024 Man of The Year/Urban League SFBA CEO Ken Maxey; BWOPA State President Hon. Dezie Woods-Jones; State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas; Rowena Brown, Oakland Councilmember At-Large, Elect; BWOPA State Regional Director Vashone Huff. Courtesy photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA) is a statewide non-profit advocacy and membership organization committed to solving problems affecting Black Californians.

On Dec. 5, BWOPA held its Annual Ella Hill Hutch Awards Ceremony, at the Fairmont Claremont Hotel in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

At the event, the group comprised of Black women from various professional backgrounds, honored distinguished local and state leaders whose contributions have shaped civic engagement and advanced critical social issues impacting Black communities.

The evening was hosted by Dr. Shawna Charles, founder of The Charles Communications Group (CCG) headquartered in Los Angeles. Charles served as mistress of ceremonies.

With a track record of elevating voices and empowering communities, Charles’ leadership and insight brought a certain dynamism to the celebration.

“Each year, this event not only celebrates the enduring legacy of our beloved BWOPA founding member, Ella Hill Hutch, but also reaffirms and amplifies our unwavering commitment to building and sustaining Black political power across California,” said Dezie Woods-Jones, BWOPA founding member and State president.

“Ella Hill Hutch’s trailblazing leadership continues to inspire us as we forge ahead, empowering Black women to lead, advocate, and shape a more equitable future for all,” added Woods-Jones.

This year’s event introduced the DWJ Rising Star Award, honoring young leaders like Solano County Board Supervisors-elect Cassandra James, Danielle Motley-Lewis, Naomi Waters and newly elected State Assemblymember elect Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

According to organizers, the awardees all exemplify “the next generation of changemakers.”

Other awardees included:

Lifetime Achievement Awardees: Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
Man of the Year: Kenneth Maxey, CEO of the Greater SF Bay Area Urban League
President’s Corporate Award: Yvette Radford, Kaiser Permanente
In the Spirit of Ella State and Chapter Awards: Dr. Carolyn Greene, Dr. Marcella K. Smith, Dr. Carolyn Drake, Tinisch Hollins, Jackie Jones, Gloria Burgess Johnson, Tamika L’Ecluse, Ellen Nash, Betty Reid Soskin, and Ay’Anna Moody.

BWOPA also celebrated local champions across its chapters, including leaders in voter education, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and community advocacy.

In a statement, BWOPA said, “Honoring Ella Hill Hutch’s legacy, BWOPA recognizes her pioneering efforts as the first Black woman elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Her tireless work amplifying underrepresented voices continues to inspire BWOPA’s mission to build Black political power across California.”

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to our members, partners and allies who believe in BWOPA’s vision to invest in building power for Black women’s leadership,” said LaNiece Jones, BWOPA State executive director. “Your support ensures that Black women have a voice at decision-making tables locally, regionally, statewide, and nationally, advancing diversity and equity in leadership spaces.”

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Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 11 – 17, 2024

Published

5 days ago

December 13, 2024

Oakland Post

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Post News Group to Host Second Town Hall on Racism, Hate Crimes

The mission of CRD is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations (businesses) and from hate violence and human trafficking in accordance with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Unruh Civil Rights Act, Disabled Persons Act, and Ralph Civil Rights Act. The employment anti-discrimination provisions of the FEHA apply to public and private employers, labor organizations and employment agencies. “Housing providers” includes public and private owners, real estate agents and brokers, banks, mortgage companies, and financial institutions.

Published

1 week ago

December 10, 2024

Oakland Post

By Oakland Post Staff

On Tuesday, Dec. 10, from 5-6:30 p.m. PT, Post News Group Global Features Journalist Carla Thomas will host a second Virtual Town Hall on Racism.

Guests will include community builders Trevor Parham of Oakstop and Shawn Granberry of Hip Hop TV.

“There’s been an uptick of blatant racist acts going on in the community and it’s important for communities to have a forum, an outlet, and to be educated on the California Vs. Hate initiative that has resources available for victims and witnesses,” said Thomas. People like Trevor Parham and Shawn Granberry have found a multitude of ways to strengthen, heal, and protect the community through their entrepreneurial networks, special events, and mentoring.”

While community leaders step up, the state has added extra support with the CA vs. Hate, initiative, a non-emergency hate incident and hate crime reporting system to support individuals and communities targeted for hate.

“We are committed to making California a safer and inclusive place for all,” said James Williams, Jr. of the California Civil Rights Department.

In partnership with organizations across the state, the network is designed to support and protect diverse and underserved communities.

“Through CA vs. Hate, we support individuals and communities targeted for hate, identify options for next steps after an act of hate, and connect people with culturally competent resources and care coordination services,” said Williams.

“It’s important to report these incidents in order for us to use the data to enhance prevention and response services,” said Williams.

Funded by the California State Legislature, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) received funding and authorization from the State Legislature to establish the non-emergency, CA vs. Hate Resource Line and Network to support individuals and communities targeted for hate.

CRD began in 1959 with the creation of the Fair Employment Practices Commission to implement California’s first state-wide protections against discrimination in the workplace. In 1980, the 1959 Fair Employment Practices Act, and the 1963 Rumford Fair Housing Act were combined and rebranded FEHA. The Fair Employment Practices Commission became a department-level agency named the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) to enforce that law.

In July 2022, DFEH’s name changed to CRD to more accurately reflect the Department’s powers and duties, which include enforcement of laws prohibiting hate violence, human trafficking, discrimination in business establishments, and discrimination in government-funded programs and activities, among others.

For more information visit the PostNewsGroup.com and CAvsHATE.ORG.