Activism

CA/Hawaii NAACP Conference: “Dismantling Racism and Disrupting Inequality”

: Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931), a Black investigative journalist, women’s rights activist, and civil rights advocate, is renowned for her campaign against lynching. Wells-Barnett was instrumental in shaping public opinion against lynching through her newspaper editorials, pamphlets, clubs, and lecture tours across the northern United States.

Published

2 years ago

December 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Rick L. Callender, Esq. Photo courtesy CBM.

By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media

Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931), a Black investigative journalist, women’s rights activist, and civil rights advocate, is renowned for her campaign against lynching.

Wells-Barnett was instrumental in shaping public opinion against lynching through her newspaper editorials, pamphlets, clubs, and lecture tours across the northern United States. Wells held the position of secretary in the Afro-American Council, where she led its anti-lynching bureau. Her efforts paved the way for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) anti-lynching campaign.

Following the racial violence of the 1908 Springfield massacre in Illinois, the NAACP was founded on Feb. 12, 1909. The organization was established by over 60 founding members, including Wells- Barnett, W. E. B. Du Bois, Mary McLeod Bethune, William Bulkley, the Rev. Francis Grimke, and Mary Church Terrell, among others.

The NAACP’s principal objective is to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality for minority groups in the United States and eradicate racial prejudice. As a service organization, it aims to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes.

The NAACP is America’s oldest and largest civil rights organization and today comprises a network of over 2,200 affiliates spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and Germany. Headquartered in Baltimore, its membership exceeds 500,000.

The NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference, with its 72 branches and youth units, is actively engaged across both states to promote racial justice and equality.

Rick L. Callender, who serves as president of the NAACP’s California/Hawaii State Conference and is a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors, spoke with California Black Media about the work the state conference is doing.

What does your organization do to improve the lives of Black people in California?

We’re committed to dismantling racism and disrupting inequality to create a society where all people can truly be free. Our efforts encompass active civic engagement, systematically fostering racial equity, and championing policies and institutions that urgently address the specific needs of Black communities, who bear the brunt of race- based discrimination.

What was your greatest success over the course of the last year?

(We) have been sticking to our long-lived goal of fighting for justice and prioritizing our community’s needs. In the past year, we notched up some significant victories with Gov. Newsom signing three of our priority bills into law, namely Assembly Bill (AB) 1327, Senate Bill (SB) 673, and Assembly Bill 1165.

AB 1327 addresses a standing problem that many California high school student-athletes of color have dealt with: racism during high school sporting contests. The bill mandates … (the creation of) a standardized form for recording hate violence and hazing incidents at high school sporting events.

SB 673, authored by Sen. Steve Bradford (D-Inglewood), guarantees that Black children and young Black women will receive the attention and protection they need when they are reported missing.

AB 1165, authored by Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D- Sacramento), addresses racism on school campuses by encouraging schools to implement a restorative justice practice when a student has perpetrated racist bullying, harassment, or intimidation.

In your view, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?

The (Conference) is on a mission for total racial equity, delving into realms like health, housing, education, economic development, criminal justice, and environmental wellbeing.

What was your organization’s biggest challenge?

Just like all nonprofits, funding the efforts are always at the forefront. Secondly, generating a base of trained and engaged volunteers also creates a challenge.

Does your organization support or plan to get involved in the push for reparations in California?

We are and have been at the forefront in the battle for reparations at the national, state and local levels. NAACP San Francisco President, Rev. Amos Brown, is also at the forefront of the reparations’ movement in California, not just as a participant but as a key player.

How can more Californians of all backgrounds get involved in the work you’re doing?

Join the NAACP to get involved with activists and organizers in your local NAACP branch and stand tall against injustice, dismantle systemic racism.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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.