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COMMENTARY: Oakland’s Black Churches Offering Free COVID Tests

Dozens of faith leaders across our state have worked together to open the doors of our churches for free, convenient COVID-19 testing. Some sites also offer vaccinations. This effort to keep our congregations and our neighborhoods safe has been made possible with the support of our testing partner Color and the California Department of Public Health.

Published

4 years ago

February 10, 2022

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons is pastor of the Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Oakland.

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Special to California Black Media Partners

We are nearly two years into this pandemic. Many of us will remember where we were two years ago when we first heard of COVID-19, when we first realized that our lives were going to change.

Things in Oakland have improved since those tumultuous days of March 2020. Our children came back into schools, crowds gathered again, and at some of our churches, congregations have returned to in-person worship services.

But it’s a fragile normality. The virus is still with us, and now the Omicron variant poses a new danger. We cannot afford to become complacent. The virus won’t take a break, even if we might want to.

Of late, we’ve seen record cases here in Oakland and around the country. With a disease spreading, we can never be too careful when it comes to keeping our loved ones safe and healthy. The death rate resulting from COVID-19 is 15% higher for Black Californians than the statewide average, according to numbers from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Black pastors across California recognize the urgency of this threat. We have accepted the responsibility of this fight, and we understand as faith leaders in our communities that we must combine faith with action. Prayers for healing and health must be backed up by a plan for protection and prevention.

That is why dozens of faith leaders across our state have worked together to open the doors of our churches for free, convenient COVID-19 testing. Some sites also offer vaccinations. This effort to keep our congregations and our neighborhoods safe has been made possible with the support of our testing partner Color and the California Department of Public Health.

The pastors in our network, their congregations, staff, and volunteers at our churches and in our community have done an excellent job. Their effort has contributed in no small way to the high COVID-19 vaccination rate and low positivity rate we now have in California. We are truly proud and grateful.

As we enter this second year of the pandemic, we can be thankful that Oaklanders can now safely get together with people we love to reflect, celebrate, give thanks, and to ask God for grace and wisdom. We can do that because of the community’s hard work, and because free testing and vaccination allow us to prioritize safety, especially for those among us who are aging or otherwise vulnerable.

As our campaign slogan goes, “Don’t guess, get the test.” That applies when visiting the vulnerable or congregating in public spaces. Look up one of our centers in your community to get vaccinated and tested in Oakland. It is the surest way that we can stem the spread of this virus while doing the things we love.

The Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church has worked hand in hand with our congregation and community in Oakland since 1954. This pandemic is a crisis like no other we’ve faced in that history – and we have the tools to end it right here. Join us today.

Bishop Joseph Simmons is pastor of the Greater St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Oakland.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.