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Dr. King and the ‘Spirit of Selma’ Inspired Post Publisher Cobb

Cobb said the “Spirit of Selma” and the philosophies of applied Christian activism, service and voluntarism espoused by King will be the themes of his MLK speech Saturday at the Genesis Society of the Temple Hill Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Published

1 year ago

January 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Cobb marched for Black voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Ralph David Abernathy, and U.N. Ambassador Ralph Bunche, along with Oakland residents Milton Hare (a white gentleman at Cobb’s left and William Battles behind Cobb).

By Post Staff

Part 1

Post Publisher Paul Cobb is pictured above in 1965, with a pencil in his glasses, when he was a Post reporter and correspondent for the Afro-American Association’s weekly broadcast on radio station KDIA in 1965.

“The Post has partnered with Genesis to help educate African Americans and faith-based groups about the value of the discovery of family heritage roots.

“We will work with the family search organization, JustServe and prominent leaders like actor Blair Underwood to spread these messages about the potential bounties of the Freedman’s Bureau’s bank records to help repair our nation’s wealth gap,” said Cobb.

Cobb said his Civil Rights/Black activism began when he was a young member of the Afro-American Association at the same time as the parents of Vice President Kamala Harris attended the weekly meetings.

After forming the Oakland Black Caucus in 1968, Cobb and Gay Plair helped to protest Kaiser Permanente Hospital’s practice of performing unnecessary hysterectomies on Black women.

Noting that discriminatory health practices needed to be addressed, Cobb challenged presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy during his visit to Taylor Memorial Methodist Church that since he (RFK), Dr. King and his brother President John Kennedy (JFK) were pictured together on posters and tapestries that he should support the proliferation of community health centers.

RFK was killed in Los Angeles on June 6, 1968, the day after his Oakland visit, and two months after King’s assassination on April 4, 1968.

Cobb was selected to be a fellow at the RFK Memorial Foundation where he had an opportunity to help organize in communities nationally.

Next week in Part 2 -Cobb motivated by King moved to Atlanta in 2003.

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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.