Activism

Training Youth on How-2 End Hostilities

We believe the solution rests with past proven results; not merely wishful thinking that has proven to be quite ineffective in addressing the violence that is happening almost daily.

Published

3 years ago

September 29, 2022

Oakland Post

Minister King X, founder of K.A.G.E. Universal/Executive Director of California Prison Focus, and Richard Johnson responding to the upsurge in street violence are seeking to involve the community in solutions to end hostilities. Photo by Jonathanfitnessjones.

By Richard Johnson

The idea of How-2 end violence has its origin in the bowels of prison.

The idea was the result of the principled thinking of those who have spent years and decades behind prison walls seeking ways to end the senseless wars and violence that amounted to the loss of life with seemingly no end in sight.

Thus, together these principled thinkers began a dialogue among themselves that led to a historical document implemented in 2012 called “The Agreement to End Hostilities” aka “AEH.”

Collectively, this document created a bridge between the ethnicities and gang-related groups to end hostilities within the prison population. For the most part, it worked within the penal system. Violence was tempered to such a degree that the administration got behind this document.

Since the success was so apparent, we, the Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIBG) and other non-returning citizens have established a parallel society called “Artivist” ending hostilities in the communities we came from. It is called the agreement to come home, AEH Street Strategic Team © Youth Resource Center.

We believe the solution rests with past proven results; not merely wishful thinking that has proven to be quite ineffective in addressing the violence that is happening almost daily.

The California Prison Focus K.A.G.E. Universal and FIBG are working in concert to halt this violence by using a plan of action with proven positive results. All resources go to address and cease this destruction that confronts the very society that we live in.

Will solutions manifest when you apply proven programs that create a pathway for truly addressing the problems, not sugar-coating them? The FIGB, African American Sports and Entertainment Group, and the Oakland Post News Group are intersecting in solidarity to bring change instead of reshuffling the problem.

We have a plan for this change to stop the violence and restore justice. In the coming weeks, we will respond positively to the Oakland Post’s challenge to those seeking to get elected in our community to offer solutions to end the violence, find jobs and develop affordable housing our communities and provide health and mental services to there will be more information on AEH solutions reported in this column.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

Published

4 days ago

March 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.