Community

County Learns Respond to Top Court’s

OAKLAND POST — Over 120 local community and elected leaders rallied June 27 to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to block the citizenship question on Census 2020, which was proposed by the Trump Administration. Participants included labor leaders, teachers, librarians, affordable housing leaders, immigrant rights advocates, health care providers, the Alameda County Community Foodbank, Urban Strategies Council, Greenlining Institute, and representatives from the Public Defender’s office.

Published

6 years ago

July 19, 2019

Oakland Post

By Oakland Post

Over 120 local community and elected leaders rallied June 27 to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to block the citizenship question on Census 2020, which was proposed by the Trump Administration.

Participants included labor leaders, teachers, librarians, affordable housing leaders, immigrant rights advocates, health care providers, the Alameda County Community Foodbank, Urban Strategies Council, Greenlining Institute, and representatives from the Public Defender’s office.

The census coalition pledges to remain vigilant if the Census Bureau and Trump Administration choose to continue their pursuit of including the question, to inform Alameda County residents about the Census process. The Alameda County Complete Count Committee will spend the remaining 251 days until the Census begins educating and empowering everyone about the importance of getting counted

The Supreme Court, acting Thursday, found that the Census Bureau’s rationale to add a citizenship question (“for the purposes of enforcing the Voting Rights Act”) was “contrived” and in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.

The Supreme Court sent the case back to the lower court so the Census Bureau can present its justification at a future hearing. However, the Bureau claims to have a print deadline of July 1, 2019, so it is unclear whether the Census Bureau will wait until the fall to or will commence in printing next week without the question.

Standing on the steps of the Alameda County Superior Courthouse, dozens of people chanted “Our Community Counts! Our Community Belongs!” followed by speeches from immigrant advocates, elected officials, and allies.

The County of Alameda has established a Complete Count Committee to ensure an accurate count of its residents. The Committee will work with trusted messengers of immigrant communities to convey the importance of the Census and specifically to dispel the myths and fear caused by the proposed citizenship question.

Outreach efforts will include workshops in multiple languages, Questionnaire Assistance Centers throughout Alameda County, Census Weeks at schools and colleges, and more. The 2020 Census can be completed online, via mobile device, by phone, and on paper.

A number of leaders in the county weighed in on the Supreme Court decision.

“This was an unnecessary question designed to threaten and intimidate our immigrant communities who rightfully feel that the federal government would use this data against them,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

“I will continue to fight to ensure that we have a census that meets the constitutional requirement for an accounting of all individuals regardless of citizenship – and to ensure that our immigrant neighbors are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.”

Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan said, “The citizenship question was a direct attack on immigrant communities intended solely to ignite fear and deter immigrant communities from participating in the Census.”

Added County Supervisor Nate Miley, “We have approximately 247,000 immigrants in Alameda County and we need the Census to be accessible to every single one of them. Next spring, we’ll open Questionnaire Assistance Centers in many neighborhoods and our partners will host workshops in multiple languages.”

Said Emma Paulino, senior organizer of Faith in Action East Bay, “The Census is used to distribute billions of dollars to Alameda County. For every single person not counted, we lose nearly $10,000 over a decade for our community. That means billions of dollars are at stake. An undercount will reduce housing units for low-income working families.”

This article originally appeared in the Oakland Post.

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Oakland Post: Week of November 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 5 – 11, 2025

Published

4 days ago

November 7, 2025

Oakland Post

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Michael: The King of Pop’s Story Returns to the Big Screen

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making.

Published

5 days ago

November 6, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The curtain has finally lifted on one of Hollywood’s most anticipated films. Lionsgate has unveiled the official trailer and release date for “Michael,” the sweeping biopic about Michael Jackson that has been years in the making. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film will arrive in theaters on April 24, 2026, with the singer’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, stepping into the spotlight to portray his legendary uncle.

The trailer wastes no time rekindling the aura of Jackson’s genius. Opening with a studio scene between Jackson and his longtime producer Quincy Jones, played by Kendrick Sampson, the clip builds from a quiet, familiar rhythm to the electrifying pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” Viewers catch glimpses of the singer’s childhood, flashes of “Thriller,” and the silhouette that redefined pop culture. Each frame reminds fans of why Jackson remains unmatched in artistry and influence. The cast surrounding the late pop king’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, reads like a who’s who of Black entertainment and music history. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson, and Larenz Tate takes on the role of Motown founder Berry Gordy. Laura Harrier portrays music executive Suzanne de Passe, while Kat Graham embodies Diana Ross. Miles Teller plays attorney John Branca, a towering entertainment lawyer and longtime Jackson confidant who later became co-executor of his estate. The film’s journey to release has been as complicated as the icon it portrays. Production wrapped in 2024, but legal hurdles over depictions of past controversies forced extensive reshoots and editing delays. Even so, Fuqua’s film now appears ready to reclaim the narrative, focusing on Jackson’s creative ambition and humanity beyond tabloid noise. IndieWire reported that the film had faced “a massive legal snafu” over a disputed storyline but was retooled to center the music and legacy that defined generations.

Maven. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson

“Michael” promises more than a chronological retelling. It aims to explore how a child star from Gary, Indiana, became the world’s most influential entertainer. The script, written by Oscar-nominated John Logan, traces Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 through the triumphs and isolation of global superstardom. With Fuqua’s cinematic eye and producer Graham King—who brought “Bohemian Rhapsody” to life—joining forces with estate executors Branca and John McClain, the film is positioned as both a tribute and a restoration of Jackson’s cultural truth. Branca’s work behind the scenes has long shaped Jackson’s posthumous success. After the singer died in 2009, Branca and McClain took control of the estate burdened by debt and turned it into a global powerhouse worth billions. Under their stewardship, Jackson’s projects have generated more than $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales and landmark deals, including a $600 million joint venture with Sony earlier this year. At its heart, though, “Michael” is a story about artistry that transcends scandal. It offers a reminder that, despite the noise surrounding his life, Jackson’s music still bridges continents and generations. The trailer’s closing moments capture that spirit. As the beat of “Billie Jean” swells and Jaafar Jackson moonwalks into a spotlight, audiences are left with a familiar feeling—the awe of witnessing something timeless return home.

“Michael” opens worldwide in theaters April 24, 2026. See the official trailer here.

Stacy M. Brown

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Donald Trump Is the Biggest Loser

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Published

5 days ago

November 5, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

The Trump Brand took a significant hit as it was swept up in the Democratic blue wave of the election last night.

Chris Jones, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives (AR-02), says, “Last night was electric, and it was unquestionably a wave.” Democrats won big in what is widely considered a repudiation of Trump’s 9 months at the White House in his second term.

In the state of Virginia, which produced the first big election night win and saw the election of the first woman governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, 56% of Virginia’s residents disapprove of President Trump. In New Jersey, 55% of state residents disapprove of the president; in New York, 69% disapprove; and in California, 63% disapprove of the president. The Trump brand or his support for any candidates did nothing to benefit those he endorsed in this election. They actually lost in each race he publicly put his name behind. Trump endorsed former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, who lost the New York mayor’s race in his run as an independent. And New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who ran for governor with the presidential endorsement, also lost his prospective race.

The next question is, will the democratic momentum be sustainable? Jones further explained, “This can become a 2026 tsunami, but turning a wave into a tsunami takes energy. A lot of energy. It doesn’t just happen. The conditions are there. Now we have to work!”

Some Democrats would argue that the work is already underway. The pushback against Trump’s national redistricting efforts received a thumb in the eye from California voters. Prop 50, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s counterbalance to President Trump’s redistricting efforts, passed in California last night. Although Trump’s name was not on the ballot last night, his Republican policies were. The United States has now entered the longest government shutdown in its history. Forty-two million Americans are not getting SNAP benefits. Economists are acknowledging that the government shutdown is contributing to the rise in delinquent debt in the student loan, automotive, and credit card industries. These items are among the negatives Americans are protesting against.

Compounding Trump’s political problems is a tariff battle that’s directly impacting pocketbooks. The day after the elections, the Trump administration was arguing before the US Supreme Court in favor of the president’s tariff powers. Meanwhile, President Trump‘s poll numbers are underwater, standing at a 37% national disapproval rate