Berkeley

Race for Alameda District Attorney Enters Final Stretch

Published

7 years ago

June 1, 2018

Incumbent District Attorney Nancy O’Malley (right) answers a question from Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) along with her opponent, Pamela Price (left), at a townhall forum at St. Columba Catholic Church in Oakland on May 23. Photo by Sarah Carpenter.

The June 5 election for Alameda County district attorney is heating up in the final week before ballots are due.

At a forum for the candidates last week, current DA Nancy O’Malley accused Pamela Price of running a dishonest campaign, while Price emphasized that as district attorney she would bring justice to communities that are desperate for police accountability.

Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) hosted the forum at St. Columba Catholic Church in Oakland on Wednesday, May 23.

Hundreds of Oaklanders attended, filling the seats provided on the ground floor and the small balcony above the entrance. The candidates answered questions from local organizations, then from the audience.

The first audience question asked each candidate to say a quality or characteristic that they appreciate about their opponent. O’Malley said she respected Price’s work as a civil rights lawyer.

Price responded, “I don’t know Miss O’Malley personally, so it’s hard for me to say that there’s a quality or a characteristic about her as a person that I appreciate. What I have heard is that she is a nice person.”

O’Malley focused on her track record as a DA, emphasizing her experience in running a large organization. She has become well known for fighting against the sex trafficking of minors.

O’Malley has been the district attorney since her appointment in 2009. She recently dismissed over 6,000 cannabis convictions, clearing the records of those targeted by the “War on Drugs.”

Price had criticized O’Malley for allotting the public defender a significantly smaller budget than the district attorney’s office. O’Malley explained that the DA has 250 more employees than the public defender, and that she had raised $17 million of her office’s budget herself.

Price pointed out that this is the first time in decades that an Alameda County DA has faced an opponent. “For the first time in 50 years, we have a choice,” she said.

Price grew up in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. She went on to graduate from Yale University and U.C. Berkeley School of Law. Her campaign is focused on protecting immigrant and minority populations from abuses within the criminal justice system.

“This community is desperate for police accountability,” Price said. She has criticized O’Malley for not prosecuting any officer involved in the sexual exploitation of Jasmine Abuslin, an underage sex worker better known as “Celeste Guap,” for obstruction of justice.

O’Malley also accepted large campaign donations from police unions. Price’s campaign has criticized O’Malley for accepting a $10,000 donation from Fremont cops while her office was investigating three officers’ actions in the fatal separate shootings of two people last year.

Price’s message resonated with Demetrius McCray, 21, who reached out to volunteer in her campaign. “It’s really easy to get discouraged by what’s happening in the world, and it’s a rare opportunity that you see someone like her running,” he said. “What she values, what she stands for, it’s all extremely good and genuine.”

In her closing statement, O’Malley quoted New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s commencement speech in which he said the country is plagued with an epidemic of dishonesty. “And I’m sorry to stand here to tell you that’s what’s happening in this campaign, not by me but by my opponent,” O’Malley said.

She is endorsed by a long list of politicians, including Governor Jerry Brown, Mayor Libby Schaaf, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Kamala Harris.

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Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

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1 day ago

April 28, 2025

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Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

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Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

Published

1 month ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.

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Lawsuit Accuses UC Schools of Giving Preference to Black and Hispanic Students

The lawsuit also alleges UC is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars racial discrimination by federally funded institutions. In response, UC stated that race is not a factor in admissions, as per state law, and that student demographic data is collected only for statistical purposes.

Published

2 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

A lawsuit filed in federal court accuses the University of California (UC) of racial discrimination in undergraduate admissions, alleging that Black and Latino students are favored over Asian American and white applicants. The lawsuit, filed by the group Students Against Racial Discrimination, claims UC’s admissions policies violate Proposition 209, a state law passed in 1996 that prohibits the consideration of race in public education.

In response, UC stated that race is not a factor in admissions, as per state law, and that student demographic data is collected only for statistical purposes.

Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the UC system, said the entity had not been served with the lawsuit.

“If served, we will vigorously defend our admission practices,” said Holbrook.

“We believe this to be a meritless suit that seeks to distract us from our mission to provide California students with a world-class education,” he said.

The complaint criticizes UC’s use of a “holistic” admissions process, arguing it replaces objective academic criteria with subjective considerations that disadvantage certain racial groups. It cites admission rate disparities at UC Berkeley, noting a decrease in Black student admissions from 13% in 2010 to 10% in 2023, compared to an overall drop from 21% to 12%.

The lawsuit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions, which has prompted challenges to race-conscious policies nationwide. The plaintiffs seek a court order preventing UC from collecting racial data in applications and request a federal monitor to oversee admissions decisions.