Activism

California-Hawaii NAACP Legacy Awards Honors U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) is the first woman and first African American chair of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, said Roderick Wright, former California state senator, as he introduced Waters. Wright represented the 25th and 35th districts in the Los Angeles County area.

Published

4 years ago

July 11, 2022

Oakland Post

U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters. (Photo: George Skidmore / Wikipedia Commons)

By Charlene Muhammad, California Black Media

The NAACP California/Hawaii Conference inducted Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA-43) into its Legacy Hall of Fame.

The award recognizes the congresswoman’s community leadership and tireless advancement of civil rights, according to state leaders of the country’s oldest civil rights organization.

Waters received the honor at the California African American Museum (CAAM) in South Los Angeles on June 25.

In Congress, Waters has made history.

She is the first woman and first African American chair of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, said Roderick Wright, former California state senator, as he introduced Waters. Wright represented the 25^th and 35th districts in the Los Angeles County area.

Waters also serves as a member of the Steering Committee and is co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s a member of the Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Wright pointed out, before California/Hawaii NAACP President Rick Callender, escorted Waters to the stage.

“Our democracy is at stake,” said Waters, who highlighted problems like inflation, threats to the U.S. Constitution, and the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack.

She also thanked all involved in presenting her the award and participating in the program.

An outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, Waters’ adversarial relationship with the former president was widely reported in the media.

“Lock him up,” she chimed, blasting the former POTUS. “We have people talking about: Come up with something so he can’t run for president. Well, that’s not strong enough,” said Waters. “What’s strong enough is to say he should be held accountable.”

At points in Waters’ speech, the audience affirmed her remarks with nods, ‘yesses,’ ‘hmm mms’ and applause.

Waters highlighted her history of fighting for people often considered “the least of these,” making a biblical reference — such as people living in public housing, she said.

She lifted up her 97-year-old friend and author of “To Protect and Serve: The Volunteer World of Ozie Bell Gonzaque,” who has lived in Watts for most of her life. Citing Gonzaque’s life example, she encouraged others to fight for things they believe in.

“She’s been doing it and still doing it,” said Waters.

The congresswoman then turned her remarks to politics and policymaking, as she outlined programs and legislation she is working on in Wash., D.C., to make life better for her constituents in Los Angeles and people around the country.

One of those is the Build Back Better Act, she said.

It is a continuation of the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan, she said, appealing to the audience to make calls and use their social media platforms to push the legislation through.

That will help get families a decent quality of life, the homeless off the street, and repair of broken-down housing projects, Waters told guests.

Part of the effort with Build Back Better is to put more money into affordable housing, she explained. “Are you with me? … Can we do this?” she asked listeners.

“Yes!” the audience rang out.

Rep. Waters concluded her thank you message by noting she and her colleagues accomplish so much because of the support and backing of the NAACP.

“Walking the halls of Congress, the NAACP is with us, writing, answering what is going on with the right-wing conservatives on the radio, in the newspapers. We could not begin to deal with all of the difficulties that we deal with, without the civil rights movement standing behind us, and there is none more effective than the NAACP,” she said.

The event featured a welcome reception for sponsors, dinner, and NAACP’s ACT-SO Performances.

“It was a wonderful event. I enjoyed Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She is such a ball of fire. She is on fire! I was inspired. I am just ready to take the streets, take off running and do all that needs to be done,” said Wendy Reed, community liaison for the Carson/Torrance branch of the NAACP.

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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.