Activism
Blair Underwood and Black Pearl Investments Support the ‘New Oakland’
Esteemed actor and philanthropist Blair Underwood said he is joining the “New Oakland” initiative to lend his celebrity and business acumen to assist the forthcoming Oakland leadership in building a healthier and safer community.
By Paul Cobb
Post Publisher
After last week’s column announcing how some entertainers and current or former athletes are following the example of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and his wife, Ayesha, others are responding to Oakland’s needy by investing their hard-earned wealth in projects that serve and build community, more are stepping up to the plate.
The help of these wealthy people is also significant during these challenging times when many community leaders are scrambling to address the potential shortfalls of DEI (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) measures and other means of community subsidies being eliminated by the current political establishment.
Esteemed actor and philanthropist Blair Underwood said he is joining the “New Oakland” initiative to lend his celebrity and business acumen to assist the forthcoming Oakland leadership in building a healthier and safer community.
Underwood has been quietly very active and supportive of Bay Area non-profits and small businesses. He is also a big advocate for under-resourced students in the public school system.
Last September he was honored in Houston on World AIDS Day for his work with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Janet Jackson performed a special concert in his honor coordinated by AHF and Gary Reeves, Underwood’s business partner and social impact strategist.
(Reeves is an Emmy Award-winning television producer and a former Golden State Warriors spiritual advisor.)
Underwood feels Oakland is a city worthy of resources and leadership that can emotionally impact the overall community. So, he wants to continue to meet with “trust agents” and thought leaders from the community to understand the needs of its residents.
Reeves received a letter from Black Pearl Investments (BPI) indicating that their company, which was additionally inspired by the Post News Group’s New Oakland Series, would like to partner and expand the AASEG Coliseum development plan.
Reeves said the BPI impact funds could be used to partner with the Oakland Private Industry Council for social enterprise, generational wealth-building, family entertainment and socio-economic inclusion for local residents that includes workforce housing and economic development.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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Activism
IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
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