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California to Mark 60th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act with Public Event in Sacramento

The program will feature a panel discussion examining both the historic passage of the act and its modern-day impact on elections, with particular attention to California’s role in advancing voting rights. The event will also include a special exhibit curated by the California State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State’s office.

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Secretary of State Shirley Weber speaks with CBM media partners about voting rights, May 19, 2025, in Sacramento, CA. CBM photo by LC Photography.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber speaks with CBM media partners about voting rights, May 19, 2025, in Sacramento, CA. CBM photo by LC Photography.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber will host an event on Aug. 25 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 – landmark federal legislation that outlawed discriminatory voting practices and expanded ballot access nationwide.

The program will feature a panel discussion examining both the historic passage of the act and its modern-day impact on elections, with particular attention to California’s role in advancing voting rights. The event will also include a special exhibit curated by the California State Archives, a division of the Secretary of State’s office.

Organizers said the commemoration will provide an opportunity to reflect on how far the nation has come since 1965 while acknowledging that the work of ensuring equal access to the ballot continues.

Civic leaders, scholars, and community advocates are expected to attend.

The in-person gathering will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the California Secretary of State Auditorium, 1500 11th St. in Sacramento.

Registration is open to the public at http://bit.ly/3IICCGh.

The Voting Rights Act, signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, prohibited literacy tests, poll taxes, and other measures that suppressed voter participation, particularly among Black Americans in the South. Its enforcement provisions reshaped voting protections in states such as California, which later expanded access through reforms like early voting, same-day registration, and automatic voter registration.

This anniversary comes as several states have enacted new voting laws that critics say disenfranchise voters.

California officials, however, have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining broad access to the polls, emphasizing that the principles of the 1965 law remain vital to democracy.

For additional information or to request assistance, email SOSOutreach@sos.ca.gov

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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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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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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.

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William "Bill" Patterson, 94. Photo courtesy of the Patterson family.

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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