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COMMENTARY: African American Culture Under Attack

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is joining Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign of hate. Eliminating college credit for African American studies is a blatant attempt to rewrite history and roll back the civil rights gains of the past 60 years. This censorship of American history is happening, in part, because these governors feel the truth, quote, “will make some people uncomfortable.”

Published

2 years ago

October 1, 2023

Oakland Post

Honorable Sandré R. Swanson

Defending The Historic Truth

By Honorable Sandré R. Swanson

In the state of Arkansas, high school students will no longer be offered college credit for courses in African American studies.

This appalling decision is supported by legislation signed by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the actions of the Arkansas Department of Education.

Sanders is joining Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign of hate. Eliminating college credit for African American studies is a blatant attempt to rewrite history and roll back the civil rights gains of the past 60 years. This censorship of American history is happening, in part, because these governors feel the truth, quote, “will make some people uncomfortable.”

Their embrace of a white supremacy doctrine is manifesting itself by book banning, and prohibitions on the teaching of African American history in classrooms. The recent denial by the Supreme Court of the need for diversity in our educational institutions supports and spawns these seeds of hate.

The purging of many Black writers, poets, and scholars should help us understand how far this hate movement will go to challenge African American culture.

Removing topics of the historic gains in civil rights and the Black Lives Matter movement from high school and college curriculum is part of this attack and campaign of hate.

This attempt at “Cultural Cleansing,” and campaign to rewrite American history, must be challenged now.

Each generation of like-minded people of all backgrounds has a moral obligation to fight for social justice and challenge this cultural war of hatred. We have a proud legacy of social justice and cultural pride and will defend it.

Note: Former Assemblymember Sandré Swanson served as chief of staff for Congresswoman Barbara Lee, district director for Congressman Ron Dellums, and is a current candidate for the California State Senate. www.sandreswanson.net

If elected Sandré Swanson would be the only African American in the California State Senate from Northern California.

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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.