City Government

City Meets with African American Chamber After Threat of SF Tourism Boycott

Published

11 years ago

January 16, 2014

Members of San Francisco’s African American Chamber of Commerce met Wednesday with city administrators, and S.F. Travel officials on how to revitalize Black neighborhoods and businesses – in the wake of the chamber’s threat of a Black boycott of tourism in the city.

The boycott was threatened because many in the chamber feel the African American community is not being given equal access to business opportunities in the tourism industry.

The chamber also invited the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners and the Association of African American Meeting Professionals to attend the meeting.

Questions also were raised by those in attendance about why the African American population was decreasing in the city coupled with high unemployment rates.

“There is no reason why there African Americans can’t be included in several of the lucrative construction contracts that are in the city,” said Frederick Jordan, president of the African American chamber. “We’ve seen the service industries like hotel businesses that at one time primarily consisted of African American workers drop steadily with no sign of recovery.”

Jordan said there needs to be more emphasis on promoting, financing, and maintaining Black owned-businesses in San Francisco if the city wants to stop the reverse migration of African Americans.

Dr. Rev. Amos Brown hosted the meeting, making sure council members voices were heard and presenting items on the agenda.

“This is a good start, but we need to emphasize community outreach and come up with tangible solutions,” said Rev. Brown. “We need to be exposed to opportunities to new contracts and avenues for economic growth.”

Other speakers suggested African American committees should provide oversight for contracts to make sure there are equal opportunities.

During the meeting, the chamber called for S.F. Travel to better direct visitors and their dollars to Black neighborhoods and businesses.

“We want to work with everyone here to increase our diversity platform and African American business development,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president of S.F. Travel. “I’m glad I got a chance to hear what the concerns are from the council so that we can brainstorm ideas and come up with viable solutions.”

Among the concerns were that Black workers are largely left out of serving, cooking, and maintenance jobs in the hotel industry and S.F. Travel not include any African American businesses.

“We need to get to the root of why this lack of inclusion is taking place in the city,” said LaVonda Atkinson, a Cost Engineer at the Central Subway Project. “We shouldn’t be talking about diversity for the sake of diversity. Studies have shown that profitability increases for everyone when there is a diverse workplace.”

The council agreed to meet again in April with progress reports from the participating organizations.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Fewer Foreclosed Homes in San Joaquin County

Don't Miss

Concerns Ignored by Council and City Manager, Say Friends of Crown Beach

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.