Events

Commemorate Black Lives Lost to AIDS

Published

10 years ago

February 5, 2015

Black History Month is a time when we can reflect on the lives of the loved ones we have lost to AIDS.

In Black America, HIV continues to be a crisis. Feb. 7 marks the 15^th annual observance of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD).

In San Francisco on Friday, Feb. 6, there will be a town hall meeting, “Our Health Matters,” at Glide Memorial in the Freedom Hall, starting at 6 p.m., 330 Ellis St. The event is free and refreshments will be provided.

In Oakland on Saturday, Feb. 7, a free luncheon and town hall meeting will be held on the state of HIV/AIDS in the Black community from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Preservation Park’s Ginn House, 660 13^th St. The event is free but requires pre-registration at eventbrite.com.

The overall theme, “We are Our Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper,” emphasizes that – regardless of sexual orientation, economic class or educational levels – we each can play an important role in solving the HIV epidemic in Black communities. No one is coming to save us – we must save ourselves.

To end the epidemic, we have to address the spread of HIV in Black America. In 2000, the CDC marked a U.S. AIDS milestone. Seventeen years after the beginning of the epidemic, cases among Black Americans exceeded those among whites.

Black AIDS Awareness Day was established in 1999 to encourage more Blacks to get tested, to get educated on the importance of HIV prevention, and how crucial early detection and treatment is.

Today, Black Americans account for half of the more than 1 million Americans living with HIV. African Americans continue to constitute nearly half of the new HIV infections in the country, and half of those who die from AIDS each year.

Young Black men, particularly our gay and bisexual youth, continue to be the hardest hit with continuing diagnoses of new infections occurring more often in this group than any other in this country.

However, there is some good news. Infections among Black women started declining in 2013 for the first time in over a decade. We can continue to reduce these numbers of infections among Black women and begin to do so for Black men.

We know that HIV is preventable and there are things we can do to protect ourselves and our partners. The journey starts with educating ourselves, our friends, and neighbors in the community about HIV.

With new advances in HIV treatment and prevention, an AIDS-free generation is possible. Everyone knowing their status is a crucial step. African Americans are more likely to get tested for HIV than others, yet two out of five Black people living in the U.S. still have not been tested.

New infections are happening through people unaware of their status. When one knows their status, they are more likely to protect their partners. If infected with HIV, early treatment can lower the level of virus in the body, help people with HIV live longer, healthier lives and lower the chance of passing HIV to sexual partners.

Stigma and homophobia continues to prevent too many African-Americans from seeking treatment, testing and support. We must begin to talk openly about HIV, speaking to our children, our peers, and our partners about it, pushing through discomfort or denial.

For further information, contact mrjessebrooksii@gmail.com or (510) 575-8245.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Candidates Barbara Lee and Loren Taylor Raise Nearly $550,000 Combined for April 15 Mayor’s Race

According to their campaign filings, Lee has raised $293,000 and Taylor $253,000. Under campaign laws, individual contributions to candidate-controlled committees are capped at $650 per person and $1,300 for committees representing groups of people. Both candidates are receiving support from an independent expenditure committee, which can spend money to oppose or support a candidate but is not allowed to coordinate with them. These committees have no cap on what they can raise and spend.

Published

26 minutes ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Barbara Lee. and Loren Taylor. File photos.

By Post Staff

Since January, the two highest profile mayoral candidates – former Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor – have raised nearly $550,000 combined for the April 15 special election.

According to their campaign filings, Lee has raised $293,000 and Taylor $253,000.

Under campaign laws, individual contributions to candidate-controlled committees are capped at $650 per person and $1,300 for committees representing groups of people.

Both candidates are receiving support from an independent expenditure committee, which can spend money to oppose or support a candidate but is not allowed to coordinate with them. These committees have no cap on what they can raise and spend.

Among Lee’s more well-known backers are:

Seth Olyer, president of Oakland’s fire union
The Alameda Labor Council PAC
IFPTE Local 21
IBEW Local 595
Oakland Education Association PAC
SEIU Local 1021
Civil rights lawyer John Burris
William Crotinger, president of Argent Materials
Former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris
Acts Full Gospel Church Bishop Bob Jackson
Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown

Two independent expenditure committees are backing Lee. “Citizens For A Brighter Oakland Future” has raised $25,225, mostly from Raymond Gallagher, founder of Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar.

The other committee, “Supporters of Barbara Lee for Oakland Mayor 2025, A Coalition Of Business, Labor and Public Safety Organizations for a Better Oakland,” has raised over $168,000. Contributors mostly include unions, such as SEIU Local 1021 and IFPTE Local 21, which represent city workers. Other funds come from the billboard company Foster Interstate Media and PG&E.

Taylor’s prominent backers:

Former Alameda County judge Brenda Harbin-Forte, who led the campaign to recall Mayor Sheng Thao last year and lost her race to become city attorney
Former Alameda County DA Nancy O’Malley
Alexandria Medina, executive director of the Oakland Public Education Fund
Landlord and activist Chris Moore, who ran unsuccessfully last year for a position on the county board of supervisors
Jackie Ray, director of government affairs at Clorox
Former state senator Joe Simitian
John Wayland, developer with Holland Partner Group
Sachin Agarwal, the director of GrowSF.
Ryan Graciano, co-founder of Credit Karma

Two independent expenditure committees are supporting Taylor. “Oakland Neighbors, Businesses & Public Safety Advocates for Loren Taylor for Mayor and against Barbara Lee.” Though this this committee has not filed a list of contributions and expenditures for 2025, it has reported three big contributions, $25,000 from real estate developer Ronald Nahas; $10,000 from Charles Freiburg, co-founder of the Life Insurance Consumer Advocacy Center; and $1,000 from Derek Benham, owner of a wine company.

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Activism

District Delegates to State Democratic Party Central Committee Meeting Celebrate Election Victory

Delegates and elected officials were excited for the future of the Democratic Party and making its focus on 1) creating more affordable housing, 2) supporting education, 3) helping working families, and 4) protecting the environment and addressing climate change, with a focus on practical and realistic policy efforts that could have a meaningful impact.

Published

42 minutes ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front row: Megan Imperial, Genice Jacobs, Bobbi Lopez, Courtney Welch, Janani Ramachandran, Hercules Councilmember Dilli Bhattarai, Sarah Bell, Laura Babitt, Ashlee Jemmott, and Shawn Danino. Rear row: Ben Gould, Sam Davis, Victor Flores, Zac Bowling, Nate Hanson, Teddy Gray King, Cathy Adams, Neil Tsutsui, Sam Gould, Lauren Wilson, and Nick Pilch. Courtesy photo.

By Ben Gould
Special to The Post

Winners of the February 2025 Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEM) for Assembly Districts 14 and 18 met on Sunday, March 16 to discuss priorities for the California Democratic Party convention in Anaheim coming up in May.

The winners for Assembly District 18 are Genice Jacobs, Bobbi Lopez, Shawn Danino, Ben Gould, Zac Bowling, Nate Hanson, Cathy Adams, Sam Gould, Lauren Wilson, Ashlee Jemmott, and former Oakland School Board Director Sam Davis.

The winners for Assembly District 14 are: Sarah Bell, Neil Tsutsui, Hercules Councilmember Dilli Bhattarai, former Berkeley School Board Director Laura Babitt, former Piedmont Mayor Teddy Gray King, and former Albany Mayor Nick Pilch.

They were joined by Oakland Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, Emeryville Councilmember Courtney Welch, and BART Director Victor Flores to help celebrate their victory.