Activism

Black Men Awarded for Their Inspiration to Youth

Felecia Gaston and the Phoenix Project held the Black Men Working Award Ceremony to honor men in Marin City who have inspired young Black men to pursue greatness. The event was held at the 200 lot in Marin City on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Along with the free haircuts, a BBQ dinner was given to the several hundred people who gathered to enjoy and celebrate the award ceremony.

Published

1 year ago

December 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Awards for the Black Men Working Awards Ceremony. Photo by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Felecia Gaston and the Phoenix Project held the Black Men Working Award Ceremony to honor men in Marin City who have inspired young Black men to pursue greatness.

The event was held at the 200 lot in Marin City on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Along with the free haircuts, a BBQ dinner was given to the several hundred people who gathered to enjoy and celebrate the award ceremony.

Marion Washington, chief of the Marin County Probation Department, was Master of Ceremonies. Rev. Marcus Small of Peoples Inter-Cities Fellowship opened the ceremony with prayer. Bishop Johnathan Logan Sr., Cornerstone COGIC, welcomed everyone to the event.

Stephanie Moulton Peters, Marin County Board of Supervisors, gave a brief history of the Phoenix Project. Harold Wallace, MCHWC, also spoke briefly on Black Men and Health.

Also recognized were Larry Adams, Darnell Roary, Homer Hall, Cheryl Fisher, and Jose Varela as co-founders of the Phoenix Project 2009. In addition, David Sutton, chief of the Marin County Public Defender’s Office and Phoenix Case Managers, Wayne Price, Kevin Smith, and Homer Hall were recognized.

The retirees, and the years they served, are: Donnie Roary (30 yrs.), Carl Dedrick (31 yrs.), Lawrence Dora (10 yrs.), Michael Page (22 yrs.), Ralph Wilson Sr. (35 yrs.), Honor Jackson (35 yrs.), Jesse Washington (27 yrs.), Paul Austin Sr. (28 yrs.), Warren Alexander (28 yrs.), David Johnson (39 yrs.), Tim Grayson (25+ yrs.), Mark Paige (16+ yrs.), Harvey Red Tucker (30 yrs.), Bernard Hastings (15 yrs.), Ray Foster (27 yrs.), Ralph Wilson (30+ yrs.), Mark Lewis (25 yrs.), Angeille Johnson (20 yrs.), Nathaniel Coleman Jr. (10 yrs.), Edward Marcus (40+ yrs.), and Phillip Scott (35 yrs.).

The “Marin City Legends” and the years they served: are Jesse Polk (30+ yrs.), Ramon Polk (30+ yrs.), Larry Striplin (45 yrs.), Robert Hill (12 yrs.), Donald Morgan (29 yrs.), Clarence Striplin (35 yrs.), and Donald Miggins (37 yrs.).

The “Clean and Sober” Awards went to Owen Snell (32 yrs.), Jessie Broomfield (16 yrs.), Julian Maunder (2 yrs.), James Tyrone Roary (10 yrs.), Michael Harris, Jr. (3 yrs.), Shannon Bynum Sr. (23 yrs.), Markelle Taylor (22 yrs.), Orlando Wiggins (15 yrs.), and Ramon Polk (15 years).

Emmanuel McLemore was awarded the Fresh Start/Expungement award.

The “Successfully Completed Parole” Award went to Shamron Mitchell, Levester Williams, Jr., Tiare Berkeley, Emmanuel McLemore, Kenny Carter, Chas Langley, and Ricky Hill.

The “Golden Gate Village – Groundsman Not Wasting Time and Hard Work” Award went to Emmanuel McLemore, Kenny Carter, Claude Burton Jr., and Stevie Dean Jr.

Donnie Roary was recognized and awarded again for serving as the Community Chef for Marin City.

Those who went Above and Beyond in their service are Jesse Polk for more than 50 years of community service, Clarence Page for steadily working for over 65 years, and Charles Earl Dent for serving the community for over 30 years.

The “Above and Beyond Academic Excellence” award went to Professor Walter Turner.

Allen Talley, the first and only Black man to win the Marin Master Bowling Tournament in 2004, was recognized.

Editor’s Note: If I have missed any men who were awarded, or who has inspired a young man or woman to pursue greatness, and may like to share their story in the paper, please contact Godfrey Lee at godfreylee2@yahoo.com , and I will be happy to write your story for the paper.

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Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

Published

1 day ago

June 7, 2025

Oakland Post

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Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

7 days ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.