Community

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Sisters Help Beautify West Oakland

Published

8 years ago

May 3, 2017

Sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.’s Alpha Nu Omega Chapter (ANO) partnered with the City of Oakland, Bottoms Up Farmers, and City Slickers to volunteer more than 30 hours of service to the Bay Community Fellowship Church in West Oakland.

This service effort supports Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Environmental Ownership and Family Strengthening initiatives.

For the past 88 years, sorors of ANO have served the Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond communities to support residents with improvements and progressive initiatives. The “Acts of Green Service” environmental effort continues that tradition.

Due to the rainy season, a lot near the church, located on the corner of 10th and Campbell, had become overgrown with weeds and filled with trash and debris. Members of ANO spent two consecutive weekends pruning, weeding and restoring the beauty of the lot.

The culminating Acts of Green Service fell on Earth Day where members of ANO invited the community to join a fun-filled afternoon of laboring and tending to the land that will potentially supply food to the local residents.

In addition to cleaning the lot, the ANO sorors helped Bay Community Church members feed more than 120 people each of the two weekends. The number of families touched was overwhelming for one member of ANO.

Photo courtesy of Marcie Hodge

Donna Ziegler said, “Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in my daily routine, but it’s these acts of service where I can make a difference in someone’s life that let me know we are doing a great service for mankind”.

Kathryn Keep, a West Oakland resident with a bright smile and cheerful laugh, commented, “This is wonderful what you all are doing for the community. It makes the area look 10 times better.”

Mrs. Keep, who came out to support ANO members and also helps the church with its food program, explained how the rain had caused the weeds and grass to grow almost five-feet tall in some areas.

She was excited that a group of women came out to lend the community a hand to an area that’s seen its share of ups and downs.

ANO Environmental Ownership and Family Strengthening Chair Betty Morning said, “ANO is taking off and making a difference in the community. Approximately 31 volunteers gave up their day to come out and produce real change”.

As part of the joint effort, the City of Oakland supplied snacks, tools and offered debris-prick-up. The City Slickers farmers provided vegetable starter plants, and Bottoms Up Farms provided tomato starter plants and hands-on gardening tutorials.

For more information, visit www.alphanuomega.org

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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#NNPA BlackPress

OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me

NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.

A Familiar Disappointment

I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.

In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.

The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough

On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?

Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.

One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.

A Call for Action Beyond Words

White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.

If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.