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Advancing Health Education and Equity: Six Questions for The California Black Health Network

The California Black Health Network (CBHN) is the only organization committed to advancing health equity for African Americans and Black immigrants in the Golden State. CBHN’s mission is to ensure that all Black Californians, irrespective of their educational background, socio-economic class, zip code, sexual orientation, gender identity, living conditions or immigration status have access to high-quality and equitable primary and behavioral healthcare.

Published

2 years ago

January 8, 2024

Oakland Post

CBHN’s Health4Life series brings together health professionals from diverse disciplines to share information about family health history. The organization’s #carrythevoice campaign provides the Black community with a platform to share experiences with the healthcare system.

By Edward Henderson

California Black Media

The California Black Health Network (CBHN) is the only organization committed to advancing health equity for African Americans and Black immigrants in the Golden State.

CBHN’s mission is to ensure that all Black Californians, irrespective of their educational background, socio-economic class, zip code, sexual orientation, gender identity, living conditions or immigration status have access to high-quality and equitable primary and behavioral healthcare. This mission aims to prevent people from unnecessarily succumbing to disease-related fatalities and is supported by CBHN’s many events, informational sessions, fundraisers, and training sessions.

One recurring event that CBHN hosts is the online Health Equity Forum. At the forum, various stakeholders convene to discuss the most pressing health issues affecting Black communities.

CBHN’s Health4Life series brings together health professionals from diverse disciplines to share information about family health history. The organization’s #carrythevoice campaign provides the Black community with a platform to share experiences with the healthcare system.

California Black Media spoke with Rhonda M. Smith, Executive Director of CA Black Health Network, about the organization’s impact, achievements and challenges over the year.

What does your organization do to improve the lives of Black people in California?

The California Black Health Network conducts outreach, education, and advocacy to achieve health equity for Black Californians through the lens of understanding critical issues that lie at the intersection of racial justice, social justice, and environmental justice.

What was your greatest success over the course of the last year?

Over the past year, we were recognized for our work and impact. CBHN was chosen as Nonprofit of the Year by the Sacramento Black Chamber, and as a DEI Award Honoree by the Sacramento Business Journal. In addition, we enrolled over 1,000 people in healthcare coverage and provided health education to over 2,000 Black Californians to improve health literacy and self-empowerment.

In your view, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

I think that our health is our greatest asset. Unfortunately, Black Californians don’t all have the same opportunity, ability, and resources to live long healthy lives like other racial or ethnic groups. So, access to quality, equitable, culturally competent, and affordable healthcare is our biggest challenge.

What was your organization’s biggest challenge?

Like all nonprofit organizations, we’re in the business of fundraising, and like many Black-led organizations there’s the challenge of the philanthropy giving gap. The unrestricted net assets of Black-led organizations are 76% smaller than their White-led counterparts, and their average percentage of revenue was less than half. It’s a major challenge.

Does your organization support or plan to get involved in the push for reparations in California?

Yes, and we support the activities of the reparations task force and will do our part to address the issues identified in chapter 12 related to physical and mental health.

How can more Californians of all backgrounds get involved in the work you’re doing?

They can start by becoming a member of the Black Health Network, attend our webinars and events, and volunteer their time, talent, and treasure in support of the organization’s mission and work, and join the Campaign for Black Health Equity.

For more information, visit CaBlackHealthNetwork.org.

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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.