Activism

Barbara Lee Left Congress with Extensive Record of Bringing Jobs, Opportunities and Funds to Oakland

“The hallmark of Congresswoman Lee’s career has been courage,” said Schaaf. “Our conversations have given me confidence that she will exercise that famous courage for Oakland for the issues we all care about: prioritizing holistic, evidence-based public safety by working with the Police Department and violence prevention organizations to continue to implement Ceasefire; recruiting and retaining police staffing; improving 911 police response and reopening closed fire stations.”

Published

1 year ago

January 15, 2025

Ken Epstein

Former Rep. Barbara Lee helped secure almost $50 million in 2024 to create and protect jobs and ensure the Port’s competitive advantage in the global economy. Photo courtesy Port of Oakland.

Recent endorsements include former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Buffy Wicks

Part II

By Ken Epstein

While many Oakland residents are not yet up to speed on the track record of the candidates in the running for mayor of Oakland in the April 15 special election, supporters of Barbara Lee say the public should be aware that Lee, who until recently represented Oakland and nearby East Bay cities in Congress, has made an indelible impact on the city, creating jobs, building infrastructure, and improving the environmental quality of life of local residents.

Many people may mostly know about her as an outspoken opponent of war and defender of civil and human rights for women, African Americans, Latinos, other people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Recent endorsers include former Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Assemblymembers Mia Bonta and Buffy Wicks, who gave her their sole endorsements.

Other prominent endorsements include State Senator Jesse Arreguín, former Oakland City Councilmembers Annie Campbell Washington, Ignacio De La Fuente, former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon, and the Oakland Firefighters Union.

Her supporters can point, not only to Lee’s program and promises but also her major accomplishments during the 26 years she served in the House of Representatives

Briefly, between 2022 and 2024 she brought over half a billion dollars in federal funds to Oakland in 2024; $15.8 million in 2024 for safer communities; $4.3 million in 2024 for Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention; $2.5 million for clean drinking water to Oakland; $1 million to upgrade Oakland’s Children’s Fairyland; $372 million for clean, breathable air in West Oakland; and $83.7 million for small businesses and economic development.

A major recent accomplishment was the nearly $50 billion she brought into the Port of Oakland to create and protect jobs and ensure the Port’s competitive advantage in the global economy.

The $49.5 million allocation, which was awarded in November 2024 through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program, supports the modernization of the port’s Outer Harbor Terminal, according to a report on CBS News.

“These investments will strengthen our communities, strengthen supply chain reliability, create workforce development opportunities, enhance freight efficiency, lower costs, reduce emissions, and improve the safety, reliability, and resilience of our ports,” Lee said.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg highlighted the significance of the funding.

With these investments, “made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re … funding more projects that will expand capacity, improve efficiency, and facilitate the quicker movement of goods at ports in (Oakland and) more than a dozen states,” Buttigieg said.

The upgrades will “include wharf strengthening, crane rail replacement, and structural repairs to accommodate larger vessels and improve efficiency, according to the CBS report.

Lee also secured federal funding to improve air quality in Oakland and West Oakland in particular.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded the Port of Oakland $322 million in October 2024 to fast track the Oakland Seaport’s conversion to nearly 100% zero-emissions cargo handling operations.

The Port’s proposal is called “Community Led, Business Supported, Proven and Ready to Go! Transforming the Port of Oakland to Zero Emissions.” The historic federal funding announcement, when matched with Port and local partner contributions, will unlock approximately half a billion dollars in total investment for green initiatives at the Oakland seaport, according to the Port of Oakland.

This is the largest-ever amount of federal funding for a Bay Area program aimed at cutting emissions from seaport cargo operations. The grant will finance 663 pieces of zero-emissions equipment which includes 475 drayage trucks and 188 pieces of cargo handling equipment.

“The climate crisis demands that we act urgently and boldly to protect our communities,” said Lee in a Port of Oakland media statement.

“This investment will protect Oakland from the damaging effects of fossil fuels and will move us faster toward a zero-emissions future… It is critical that we continue to invest in zero-emissions operations, and I’m proud the Port of Oakland is leading the way,” she said.

Lee championed the building at the Ed Roberts Campus (ERC), a transit-oriented development serving people with disabilities, which opened its doors at 3075 Adeline St. in Berkeley in 2010.

ERC is widely hailed as “the world’s foremost disability rights service, advocacy, education, training, and policy center,” serving people in the Greater Bay Area, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), which credited Lee for her leadership in raising funds for the ERC.

The Campus was built as a $47.5 million public-private partnership with approximately 45% of its funds coming from the private sector and a mortgage paid by the partner organizations and other tenants, and 55% from government sources.

In an interview recently with the Oakland Post, Lee talked about her experience with successful public-private partnerships such as the Ed Roberts Center.

“Right now, public-private partnerships are going to be key,” Lee said. “You hear people talk about it, but not really know what it means. Well, it means that if I win, I’m going to go directly to the source in terms of the foundations.

“In terms of the private sector, (I’ll) talk to them about the beauty of Oakland, its challenges, (and) how, with minimal investment, they can help us move forward. I think that’s the job. It’s going to be a heavy lift, but I’m going to do that.”

Ken Epstein

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Activism

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

1 week 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.