Activism

Douglass Likeness Used for COVID-19 Awareness

Published

6 years ago

May 6, 2020

The Frederick Douglass Family Initiative (FDFI), an organization the social reformer and writer’s descendants founded to keep his legacy alive, commissioned the award-winning African American concept artist Nikkolas Smith to sketch a rendering depicting Frederick Douglass in a medical mask.

“Disease is cured by the right use of remedies,” Douglass’ quote beneath the image reads.
According to Kenneth B. Morris Jr., the co-founder and president of FDFI, the image is more than a fun image depicting a Black icon in a contemporary setting. To the FDFI, it is a powerful image about Black people’s position in America and the lurking threat of the coronavirus crisis.

FDFI commissioned social justice artist Nikkolas Smith, the artist who worked on the Frederick Douglas artwork, has designed posters and other artwork for companies like BET, Disney, Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios and many others.
He emphasized the impact of this piece in relation to the racial divide in infections during this pandemic.

“The image – perhaps seen as cute, clever or even amusing – a simple juxtaposition of a historical figure and a contemporary challenge,” wrote Morris, who lives in Orange County, in a letter.

“While the message is open to interpretation,” he added. “FDFI looks at this very differently. The image and message are about how communities of color are affected and treated unequally, not surprisingly but predictably, during this pandemic.”
FDFI will allow organizations to use the image free-of-charge to raise awareness about COVID-19.

Despite being about 13% of the total United States population, nearly 20% of confirmed COVID-19 related deaths have been African Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Morris directly addressed his personal connection to this pandemic in a YouTube video posted April 14 addressed to FDFI supporters.

“Our daughter Nicole contracted COVID-19 several weeks ago. We’re thankful that she has recovered, and we feel more compassionate than ever about helping those going through similar experiences,” Morris said.

Morris himself is a descendant of both Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington and FDFI serves to further some of the ideals of both of those famous Americans.
Founded by Morris, his mother Nettie Washington Douglass and Robert J. Benz, the FDFI focuses on education as a means to combat human trafficking, one form of modern-day slavery.

“When we work with students,” Douglass said on the FDFI website, “We can accomplish several things at once: provide an interesting narrative about an important period in our history that is often overlooked; inspire modern abolitionists; provide timely information that may prevent young people themselves from becoming victims and help create better world citizens.”

Morris spoke about how important this image is in the scope of Black struggles during a crisis.

“FDFI commissioned social justice artist Nikkolas Smith to create a COVID-19 portrait of Frederick Douglass to protest racial discrimination,” Morris said. “We will disseminate this image all over the country and draw attention to health disparities in Black and Brown communities. During this health and financial crisis, these disparities will become increasingly exposed.”

While Morris says that art is up for interpretation, he looks at this image with the lens of one who has witnessed a long history of oppression and inequality.

“Black people still struggle mightily under poverty, mass incarceration, disparities in health care, education and economic opportunity, racial profiling and police brutality,” Morris said.

Smith, the artist who worked on this piece, has designed posters and other artwork for companies like BET, Disney, Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios and many others.

He emphasized the impact of this piece in relation to the racial divide in infections during this pandemic.

“I was honored to take on this project. I really felt the weight of it,” Smith said. “This art piece is really a piece that symbolizes the combination of one very current and topical struggle joined with this ongoing struggle with racial justice that we are still fighting today.”

As for what Morris hopes this image will accomplish, he said, “I pray that Nikkolas Smith’s artwork inspires and motivates our people to heed my great ancestor’s call to ‘agitate, agitate, agitate.’”

Aldon Thomas Stiles

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Activism

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

4 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

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

2 weeks 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.