Activism

City Blocks Development Saying it Does Not Fit Oakland’s General Zoning Plan

The community-wide demand to save HNU is growing stronger and more organized. A new coalition, “Reclaim Holy Names,” was scheduled to hold an online town hall meeting “to hear from HNU students, faculty alumni, as well as elected leaders about the impact of the school’s closure – and what needs to happen to stop the HNU Board or Trustees from doing more harm to the HNU community.”

Published

2 years ago

April 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Aerial shot of Holy Names University campus. File photo.

By Ken Epstein

Prospects are looking better for saving the Holy Names University campus as a center for higher education in Oakland.

At one point, it seemed highly likely that HNU’s leaders would sell the nearly 60-acre campus to a developer of high-end residential housing when the university closes in May. They clearly stated their goal was to earn top dollar for the property.

The HNU Board of Trustees told the public they had reached out to other post-secondary institutions but found no interest in coming to Oakland. They also said that they were saddled with $50 million debt, and their creditor was aggressively forcing them into the sale.

Now, however, several educational institutions have come forward with proposals to establish programs at the site; HNU’s creditor says it is committed to work with Oakland to help save the property as a home for higher education; and students, faculty, community, and city leaders are mobilizing to save the campus.

Additionally, HNU’s plan for exclusive housing in the Oakland Hills has hit a roadblock with the City of Oakland, when city staff recently told the university that the city’s general plan allowed for educational institutions, not residential development at the site, especially considering the fire danger in the hills, the Oakland Post learned this week.

According to a letter from the city, the HNU property is not zoned for residential development.

“Given the ‘Institutional’ General Plan designation, single-family and multifamily housing projects would not be allowed at the Campus Property unless the City Council approved a General Plan Amendment for the Campus Property to remove the ‘Institutional’ designation in favor of a General Plan designation permitting a housing project,” the letter said.

There also appears to be significant interest in developing institutional uses for the site. Several educational institutions have expressed interest in creating “a comprehensive education campus,” at HNU, including:

Undergraduate programs run by Lincoln University in partnership with HBCUs;
Graduate and credential programs for teachers run by Alder GSE in partnership with HBCUs;
Raskob School for neurodiverse students operated by Alameda County Office of Education;
Yu Ming Charter School, which operates a PK-8, Mandarin bilingual immersion school;
•East Bay Innovation Academy, a project-based middle and secondary charter school.

Creating opportunities for those who want to retain educational opportunities in Oakland, HNU’s creditor, Preston Hollow Community Capital (PHCC), says it is strongly committed to exploring ways to preserve the campus rather than foreclosing on the property.

In a letter, dated April 18, 2023, to Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, PHCC, wrote:

“From the outset of HNU’s announcement that it would cease operations at the end of the Spring 2023 semester, PHCC has consistently maintained its position that transferring the campus to an educational user represented the ‘highest and best’ recovery scenario for HNU, that PHCC was willing to help facilitate a successful marketing and sales process targeted exclusively at educational users (colleges, universities, charter schools, etc.), and that it is not PHCC’s goal to take title to the property through foreclosure unless forced to do so.”

“PHCC has always been willing to temporarily postpone and/or forbear from enforcing its contractual foreclosure remedies with respect to the HNU campus to the extent HNU was able to produce a contract with one or more financially viable educational institutions interested in acquiring the subject property,” the letter said.

Further, the community-wide demand to save HNU is growing stronger and more organized.

A new coalition, “Reclaim Holy Names,” was scheduled to hold an online town hall meeting Thursday evening “to hear from HNU students, faculty alumni, as well as elected leaders about the impact of the school’s closure – and what needs to happen to stop the HNU Board or Trustees from doing more harm to the HNU community.”

Those involved in the “reclaim” town hall included SEIU 1021, Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan, City Councilmember Carroll Fife, and members of the HNU community.

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Activism

California Holds the Line on DEI as Trump Administration Threatens School Funding

The conflict began on Feb. 14, when Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that DEI-related programs in public schools could violate federal civil rights law. The letter, which cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended race-conscious admissions, ordered schools to eliminate race-based considerations in areas such as admissions, scholarships, hiring, discipline, and student programming.

Published

54 seconds ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Shutterstock

By Joe W. Bowers Jr
California Black Media

California education leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s directive to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in its K-12 public schools — despite threats to take away billions in federal funding.

The conflict began on Feb. 14, when Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that DEI-related programs in public schools could violate federal civil rights law. The letter, which cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended race-conscious admissions, ordered schools to eliminate race-based considerations in areas such as admissions, scholarships, hiring, discipline, and student programming.

According to Trainor, “DEI programs discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.”

On April 3, the DOE escalated the pressure, sending a follow-up letter to states demanding that every local educational agency (LEA) certify — within 10 business days — that they were not using federal funds to support “illegal DEI.” The certification requirement, tied to continued federal aid, raised the stakes for California, which receives more than $16 billion annually in federal education funding.

So far, California has refused to comply with the DOE order.

“There is nothing in state or federal law that outlaws the broad concepts of ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ or ‘inclusion,’” wrote David Schapira, California’s Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, in an April 4 letter to superintendents and charter school administrators. Schapira noted that all of California’s more than 1,000 traditional public school districts submit Title VI compliance assurances annually and are subject to regular oversight by the state and the federal government.

In a formal response to the DOE on April 11, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond collectively rejected the certification demand, calling it vague, legally unsupported, and procedurally improper.

“California and its nearly 2,000 LEAs (including traditional public schools and charter schools) have already provided the requisite guarantee that its programs and services are, and will be, in compliance with Title VI and its implementing regulation,” the letter says.

Thurmond added in a statement, “Today, California affirmed existing and continued compliance with federal laws while we stay the course to move the needle for all students. As our responses to the United States Department of Education state and as the plain text of state and federal laws affirm, there is nothing unlawful about broad core values such as diversity, equity and inclusion. I am proud of our students, educators and school communities who continue to focus on teaching and learning, despite federal actions intended to distract and disrupt.”

California officials say that the federal government cannot change existing civil rights enforcement standards without going through formal rule-making procedures, which require public notice and comment.

Other states are taking a similar approach. In a letter to the DOE, Daniel Morton-Bentley, deputy commissioner and counsel for the New York State Education Department, wrote, “We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion.’ But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”

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Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

Published

18 minutes ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Corey Jackson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.

“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.

The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.

Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.

However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.

“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

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Newsom Fights Back as AmeriCorps Shutdown Threatens Vital Services in Black Communities

“When wildfires devastated L.A. earlier this year, it was AmeriCorps members out there helping families recover,” Gov. Newsom said when he announced the lawsuit on April 17. “And now the federal government wants to pull the plug? We’re not having it.”

Published

2 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

California for All College Corps.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing the federal government over its decision to dismantle AmeriCorps, a move that puts essential frontline services in Black and Brown communities across California at risk, the Governor’s office said.

From tutoring students and mentoring foster youth to disaster recovery and community rebuilding, AmeriCorps has been a backbone of support for many communities across California.

“When wildfires devastated L.A. earlier this year, it was AmeriCorps members out there helping families recover,” Newsom said when he announced the lawsuit on April 17. “And now the federal government wants to pull the plug? We’re not having it.”

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration is behind the rollback, which Newsom calls “a middle finger to volunteers.”

Meanwhile, Newsom’s office announced that the state is expanding the California Service Corps, the nation’s largest state-run service program.

AmeriCorps has provided pathways for thousands of young people to gain job experience, give back, and uplift underserved neighborhoods. Last year alone, over 6,000 members across the state logged 4.4 million hours, tutoring more than 73,000 students, planting trees, supporting foster youth, and helping fire-impacted families.

The California Service Corps includes four paid branches: the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps, Youth Service Corps, California Climate Action Corps, and AmeriCorps California. Together, they’re larger than the Peace Corps and are working on everything from academic recovery to climate justice.

“DOGE’s actions aren’t about making government work better. They are about making communities weaker,” said GO-Serve Director Josh Fryday.

“These actions will dismantle vital lifelines in communities across California. AmeriCorps members are out in the field teaching children to read, supporting seniors and helping families recover after disasters. AmeriCorps is not bureaucracy; it’s boots on the ground,” he said.