Activism

A’s Give Back to the Community

Published

5 years ago

December 26, 2019

Even though we are amid the season of giving, the Oakland A’s have perennially given back to the Bay Area as a year-round corporate policy and activity. The Oakland Post reviewed the A’s community relations team’s 2019 season of giving by looking at some of their notable community events.

In April the A’s hosted 3,000 kids from elementary and middle schools for their STEM Day. With an emphasis on science, math, geometry and some principles of physics kids made connections through the A’s “Science of Baseball” program which enabled them to learn to how to calculate how far a baseball can travel. By using math and science to aid in researching the metrics was exciting for all. Especially pitcher Sean Manaea, who participated in the event.

“I’m interested in math and science and seeing the physics of how far a baseball can go through the eyes of the kids,” said Manaea. “I’m here to learn as much as the kids and I’m really having a good time.”

During the month of May, Pitcher Aaron Brooks and “Stomper” the A’s mascot paid a visit to Kaiser Permanente and helped celebrate “Nurses Week” to appreciate the selfless acts of people who continuously care for those in need. The nurses, along with all those in the children’s ward were pleased with the visit from Brooks and Stomper’. They brought bobbleheads, toys and autographed baseballs.

Brooks and Liam Hendriks also gave back to the Alameda Food Bank and were honored to have their team assist in preparing food to be delivered to families in need. The food bank serves over 5,000 individuals throughout Alameda county. Up to 200 or more volunteers assist daily in making sure food is properly prepped and stored for delivery.

On Dec. 9th Outfielder Stephen Piscotty surprised first responders at the local Fire Department. To express his sincere thanks for the lifesaving work they do across the Bay Area, a sincere “thank you” for all the hard work they continue to do across the Bay Area, Piscotty signed autographs, took photos, and brought Round Table Pizza for lunch. Surprised firefighters were very pleased to be recognized by the Oakland A’s.

Piscotty also joined First Baseman Matt Olson, Stomper and the A’s front office during the “Week of Giving” as they visited the Mobile Food Pantry to distribute pre-packed boxes to the Mobile Food Pantry Program’s clients. They also stopped by the emergency shelter of the Salvation Army Garden Street Center.

The A’s couldn’t complete their week of giving without stopping by Kaiser Permanente Hospital to spread holiday cheer to patients. The entire A’s front office, along with A’s players, joined with CityTeam Oakland’s projects and their residents at the main location in downtown Oakland to get prepared for the holidays and winter months.

The A’s volunteers helped with painting rooms, building dressers, constructing garden beds, decorating for the holidays, sorting and wrapping donated holiday presents, and more. The second group of A’s volunteers supported CityTeam Oakland’s new Women’s Bridge Housing Program by beautifying the yard space, constructing garden beds, cleaning the kitchen and common areas, and sorting and wrapping donated holiday presents. Materials for the beautification events were donated by Ashby Lumber.

On Dec. 23, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to sell their fifty percent ownership share of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex to the Oakland Athletics.

“We are deeply appreciative to Alameda County Board of Supervisors and Alameda County staff for their work on this transaction. We are committed to the long-term success of East Oakland and the Coliseum site, and as a result of this transaction, millions of dollars that were being spent on the Coliseum site can now be repurposed to meet important health and safety needs in Alameda County. We now look forward to creating a mutually beneficial partnership with the City of Oakland.”

Post Publisher Paul Cobb, who met with Dave Kaval, A’s President, weeks before the announcement was told of his plans to purchase the coliseum.

“Hopefully, when the stadium purchase deal is finally approved, the local governments will have some optional funds to assist the homeless and others in need”, said Cobb.

Malaika Bobino

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Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

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Activism

The Best Advice for Raising Children: Discipline That Makes Sense

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Published

4 days ago

May 13, 2025

Oakland Post

Headshot of Dr. William A. Thomas. Photo courtesy of Dr. William A. Thomas.

By William A. Thomas, Ph.D.

In many African societies, the primary aim of socialization is to raise children to be socially responsible and eventually provide economic support to their parents and extended families. Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Gyekye taught that children are raised to be respectful of the wishes of their parents and extended adult family members.

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Effective disciplinary strategies appropriate to a child’s age and development teach them to regulate their behavior; keep them from harm; enhance their cognitive, social, and emotional executive functioning skills; and reinforce the behavioral patterns taught by their parents and caregivers.

Below are some specific guidelines for disciplining children.

Listen to what children are talking about with interest and show them you understand their feelings. Remember, children mirror and learn about their emotional selves by hearing their feelings reflected back to them. Staying on target also means avoiding labels. When children fail to do what is expected, discussing it is helpful rather than saying how stubborn, lazy, dumb, or bad they are. By the same token, more positive labels can be helpful.

Dependability is another essential component of the discipline process. When parents are dependable, their children learn what to expect and are helped to feel secure. When parents are consistent, children learn to trust, that is, predict their parents’ behaviors with certainty. A child thinks, “When I spill something, I will always be asked to wipe it up.” A child thinks, “If I use foul language, I will always be corrected.” A child thinks, “If I take something that doesn’t belong to me, I will always have to give it back.” The ability to predict with certainty leads children to rely on their parents and the village/community in which they live. Children feel safe when they know what to expect.

Conclusions

It takes a village/community to raise the divine gift that is the Black child. Parents look to therapists for guidance concerning a variety of parenting issues, including discipline. Keep in mind that evidence suggests that corporal punishment is both ineffective in the long term and associated with cognitive and mental health disorders. When parents want guidance about the use of spanking, a child therapist can explore parental feelings, help them better define the goals of discipline, and offer specific behavior management strategies. In addition to providing appropriate education to families, the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists (Bay ABPsi) can refer them to community resources, like parenting groups and classes.

About the Author

Dr. Thomas is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in the SF/Oakland Bay Area and Beaumont. He is a member of Bay ABPsi, a healing resource committed to providing the Post Newspaper readership with monthly discussions about critical issues in Black Mental Health. Readers are welcome to join us at our monthly chapter meetings every 3^rd Saturday via Zoom and contact us at bayareaabpsi@gmail.com.