Economics
New Restaurants: Does Their Workforce Look Like Oakland?
Like a lot of Oaklanders, Professor Kitty Kelly Epstein, likes to check out some of the new restaurants that are opening up in our city She noticed that many of them had no Black employees.
She brought this up last week on her KPFA radio show, Education Today, and on her Facebook page. The response was overwhelming.
People sent her emails and messages promising to bring the issue up with the restaurant managers and suggesting tactics to campaign for more Black employment.
When she checked back at the new places on Grand and Lakeshore this week, she found that the complaining seems to be having an effect. Each of the restaurants she had contacted seemed to have one Black employee during the shift when she stopped by.
“That’s progress compared to a few weeks ago,” said Epstein. “However, a third of the residents of Oakland are African-American. Fairness means that a restaurant shift of 15 people would include at least 5 Black employees. “
This is not a small issue. Black unemployment rates are twice as high as white unemployment in the U.S.
According to Epstein, “We should let restaurants, stores, colleges, developers, and construction contractors know that our personal dollars and our tax dollars won’t go to places that don’t hire Black people in significant numbers for all types of jobs”
Business
Harris Promises 1 Million Forgivable Loans for Black Businesses
As she continues to try to connect with Black male voters, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday promised to offer 1 million business loans to Black entrepreneurs. The Harris campaign announced the plan via its website, which notes “Donald Trump is a serious threat to the lives of Black men.” These forgivable loans could reach as high as $20,000 in value, the site reads. “Vice President Harris is laying out an agenda to give Black men the tools to build wealth and achieve financial freedom, lower costs for themselves and their families, and protect their rights—addressing the issues that Black men across the country have told her are their top concerns,” the campaign wrote.
By Jackson Walker
CBS News Austin
As she continues to try to connect with Black male voters, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday promised to offer 1 million business loans to Black entrepreneurs.
The Harris campaign announced the plan via its website, which notes “Donald Trump is a serious threat to the lives of Black men.” These forgivable loans could reach as high as $20,000 in value, the site reads.
“Vice President Harris is laying out an agenda to give Black men the tools to build wealth and achieve financial freedom, lower costs for themselves and their families, and protect their rights—addressing the issues that Black men across the country have told her are their top concerns,” the campaign wrote.
Harris’s economic plan centers on wealth-building and supporting Black entrepreneurship. Her administration would provide 1 million forgivable loans, each up to $20,000, to help Black men and others who have faced significant barriers to starting a business.
By partnering with community banks and mission-driven lenders, Harris aims to make capital accessible to Black entrepreneurs looking to launch or expand businesses in fields ranging from technology to landscaping and beyond.
Additionally, Harris has proposed a significant expansion of the Small Business Startup Tax Deduction, increasing it from $5,000 to $50,000, which would allow Black entrepreneurs to offset startup costs.
She also plans to boost access to venture capital, low-interest loans, and incubators specifically for Black-owned businesses.
Recognizing that Black entrepreneurs are frequently denied credit, Harris’s plan includes reforms to expand affordable banking services and crack down on hidden fees that inhibit wealth accumulation in Black communities.
Other initiatives laid out in the release include launching a “National Health Equity Initiative” specifically targeting Black men. The campaign also touted its support of legalizing marijuana and lowering rent prices.
“Trump’s Project 2025 Agenda doubles down on his mistreatment of Black men and their families,” the campaign wrote of its political opposition. “He will erase four years of financial gains and job growth for Black men and leave their communities worse off for it.”
The proposal is just one of several initiatives Harris has proposed to court those frustrated by the state of the economy. The vice president also suggested in September she would offer $25,000 in federal down payment assistance to all first-time homebuyers.
“I grew up a middle-class kid,” Harris said during a conversation with the National Association of Black Journalists. “It was only by the time I was a teenager that [my mother] could afford to buy her first home.”
NNPA Newswire contributed to this report.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of October 16 – 22, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 16 – 22, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of October 9 – 15, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 9 – 15, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
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Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of September 25 – October 1, 2024
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Activism3 weeks ago
‘Respect Our Vote’ Mass Meeting Rejects Oakland, Alameda County Recalls
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California Black Media3 weeks ago
Study: UC 4-Year Grad Rate Doubles That of CSU
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Mayor Sheng Thao Issues Executive Order to Shut Down Homeless Encampments
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