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Dr. Joy DeGruy Visits Oakland as Guest of Dept. of Race and Equity

Published

6 years ago

September 26, 2019

On her most recent visit to Oakland, “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome” author Joy De Gruy expounded on two areas of American history that impact the way Black – and other people- think about the original and lingering impact of the institution that shaped the U.S.

The First Congregational Church of Oakland was packed to capacity on Fri., Sept. 13, 2019, as guests heard from DeGruy, now an internationally renowned speaker and researcher.
Hosted by the City of Oakland Department of Race and Equity, and entitled ‘The Town Talks About Racial Equity’ series, DeGruy shared her compilation of 20 years of research in a slide presentation.

She calls the result of generations of abuse in America and Africa PTSS (Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome), while illuminating the conditions that led to the Atlantic Slave Trade and allowed racism and repression to continue through to the present day.

From the Statue of Liberty in New York to the Middle Passage starting on the Cape Coast, she unearthed truths and the great lengths the establishment exercises to hide facts.
“Most people are totally unaware that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States to celebrate the freedom of African slaves in America,” said DeGruy. “Can you imagine how this information, if taught in schools, would impact our Black youth?”

DeGruy explained that the statue (Liberty Enlightening the World), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty, was originally sculpted with broken chains on the wrists and ankles of the statue but the artist was pressured to modify it. DeGruy says as a result of her putting the truth out, the Department of the Interior reached out to her and asked that she train the guides on that truth about the statue.
“So, as of 2016, the chains and the truth are a part of the tour,” she said.

DeGruy also shared some details about the prisons in Africa where millions of captured Africans were held prior to being placed on ships as cargo headed to the Americas, stacked 18 inches apart on voyages that lasted months, a journey known as the Middle Passage.
DeGruy said when the slave dungeons in Ghana were transformed into a museum; builders were unable to level the floor. “Leveling the floors was a challenge because it was two feet of human feces and excrement. Since it was never removed, our ancestors were literally wading in two feet of human excrement 18 inches apart, awaiting their fate packed on a ship before being enslaved in America.”

Some audience members gasped, while others wiped tears from their eyes, no longer able to hide outrage and shock of facts hidden throughout history.
“Many intellectuals like to debate me and want to minimize slave brutality in America.” Disputing the critics, DeGruy shared quotes from slaves and medical data of a condition only found in slaves – proof that slaves had been worked so hard that the muscle detached from the bone.”

For DeGruy, the cognitive dissonance (the act of behaving contrary to factual evidence) in the United States must cease.
“That’s like breaking a person’s leg and then getting mad at them for limping,” she said. “White supremacy has brain-washed people into seeing Black and Brown people as ‘other.’ And when you relabel a person as an ‘other.’ you can justify your mistreatment of them.”
According to DeGruy, most Americans aren’t truly protected by the Constitution. “It was “created for wealthy white landowners.” “In order for us to even begin to work toward racial justice and equity; we have to have an honest conversation about the past.”
Darlene Flynn, director of the Department of Race and Equity with the City of Oakland said the series is intended to bring communities together to bring about social change. “Dr. DeGruy offers great insight into our history and when you understand the past you can change the future.”

Carla Thomas

Posts by Carla Thomas

Related Topics:Department of Race and Equity First Congregational Church of Oakland Joy DeGruy

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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4 days ago

March 7, 2026

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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

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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

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.