Activism

OPINION: We Must Go to the Polls and Vote

Thanks to Gay and Paul Cobb, the owners of the Post News Group (who once marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to reinstate our constitutional voting rights that led to the 1965 Voting Rights Bill signed by President Lyndon Johnson), I am able to use this media to remind us that we are living in such terrible times and that our choices are crucial to our very existence in every manner conceivable.

Published

3 years ago

October 22, 2022

Oakland Post

We must be accountable, if not for the present, then for the future that our families will inherit.

By Richard Johnson

The need to exercise the right to vote was and still is a long battle that has cost precious lives at every turn throughout the struggles. Personally, I get it with those who don’t see the need to go and vote, however I came to the realization that when I and other formerly incarcerated persons refuse to utilize the power of the ballot, we basically surrender our rights, which then allows the powers that be to dictate the terms of our existence without hearing our voices.

If we don’t voice our wishes through exercising our right to vote, then how can we complain? Granted, too often our choices aren’t the winners. Nonetheless, by voting, it is made clear that we’re paying attention and our votes will count at some point.

Between the time of the publishing of this column and Election Day on Nov. 8, The Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back organization will be out in full force registering people to vote, because we do recognize the need for everyone to have a say in matters that concern our very lives.

It can become quite discouraging to watch all the national moves that are being made and the games that are being played to suppress the votes of minorities and to scare the re-entry populations from going to the polls.

This can be quite discouraging, especially when we have very little hope, faith and trust in the process from the start. But we can’t be deterred and surrender to the forces that be; instead, we must marshal the tools that are at our disposal in hopes of making changes toward our interests.

I ask all of you to take a look at the violence that happens routinely, look at the homelessness, look at those who appear to be mentally challenged who are forced to get by without the help needed, look at the children being bounced around due to unregulated school policies — not to mention those of us living from paycheck to paycheck.

When you count up the costs of cleaning up and addressing the miseries you see around us, you will agree that a stand must be taken, and it starts at the polls. Voting allows us to put in office those who we deem as truly qualified to address the most pressing issues confronting Oakland and the surrounding communities.

The process of change isn’t always as automatic and swift as an ATM transaction. Rather, change can only happen by doing everything that is necessary to make it happen, and voting is a necessity for change.

By doing nothing, stagnation remains. FIGB will work diligently for everyone regardless of district, race, culture, religion, and any beliefs.

It will take a concerted effort by all to get people to register, then to the polls, particularly in the more depressed sectors of city. I pray that we get off the sidelines and get into the fray to make a difference.

We must be accountable, if not for the present, then for the future that our families will inherit.

Not long ago in Florida about 20 formerly incarcerated individuals were arrested and locked up for allegedly voting illegally prior to the passage of a law allowing them to vote. Authorities waited more than five years to charge them with a crime.

This clearly proves the power of permitting the formerly incarcerated vote. There’s real power in the voting process especially if and when the formerly incarcerated and their families exercise their right to vote.

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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

2 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.