Activism

HBCUC to Host Annual Elegant All White Scholarship Gala in Oakland

This year’s gala will feature a special tribute to 15 women being recognized as trailblazers for their outstanding achievements and community impact. The Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening will be Celebrity Chef Nikki Shaw, wife of Oakland native Brian Shaw, NBA coach for the Los Angeles Clippers. Entertainment will include a live performance by Lionel Burns and the We R1 Band, offering a musical tribute to the late Frankie Beverly.

Published

6 months ago

September 10, 2025

Oakland Post

HBCUC - Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Coalition of Northern California Photo courtesy of HBCUC

By Carla Thomas

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Alumni Coalition of Northern California (HBCUC) will present its annual “Elegant All White Scholarship Gala” on Saturday, September 27, at Scott’s Chandelier Pavilion in Oakland’s Jack London Square.

The HBCUC supports Bay Area students who aspire to attend historic institutions such as Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Spelman College in Atlanta, among others. Proceeds from the gala will fund scholarships for local students who have been accepted into one of the 107 HBCUs across the United States, while also sustaining the association’s ongoing community work.

Guests will include government officials, community leaders, corporate sponsors, and members of the Divine Nine fraternities and sororities. The gala reflects the coalition’s guiding theme and slogan: “The Village – Coming Together for a Common Purpose Through Advancing the Cause of Education.” True to this vision, HBCUC continues to provide hope, college readiness resources, and scholarship opportunities to Bay Area students.

Event producer, Paula Welsh says the gala promises to be “a powerful evening of celebration, unity, and commitment to advancing educational opportunities for future generations.”

What is now the Northern California Historically Black College & University Alumni Associations Coalition (HBCUC) began as a discussion at a series of annual summer barbecues between HBCU alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the 1990s, gatherings of HBCU alumni living in the San Francisco Bay Area became spaces for reconnecting, sharing traditions, and envisioning community action. These informal events laid the foundation for what would soon grow into a structured coalition advancing the legacy and presence of HBCUs in Northern California.

The first official HBCUC meeting was held in 1998 at Skyline College by the following founding HBCU alumni members:

Aner Ruth Young (Alabama State University)
Edwyna Elzie (Alabama A&M University)
Faye Carr (Jackson State University)
Freddy Burke (Alcorn State University)
Gaynell Johnson (Southern University)
Jean Finklin (Jackson State University)
Lynwood Barr (Central State University)
Mel Cozwell (Central State University)
Pat Deamer (Southern University)
Wanda Scott (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)
The late Ethel Daniels (Prairie View A &M University)
The late Harold Logwood (Howard University)
The late Joseph Shields (Alcorn State University)
The late Ken Coleman (Alcorn State University)
The late Nathaniel H. Brooks (University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff)
The late Vernon Clark (Prairie View A & M University)

On March 9, 1998, the second meeting was held, the constitution was created, and executive officers were installed including President, Lynwood Barr (Central State University), an Educator

Vice President, Joseph Shields, (Alcorn State University) an Educator
Secretary, Ethel Daniels (Prairie View A &M University) an Educator
Correspondence Secretary, Edwyna Elzie (Alabama A & M University) an Educator
Treasurer, Vernon Clarke (Prairie View A &M University) an JROTC Instructor
Parliamentarian, Harold Logwood (Howard University) a Lawyer.

On January 14, 2000 the HBCUC became incorporated with officers;

President, Patricia Deamer (Southern University)
Vice President, Joseph Shields (Alcorn State University)
Secretary, Ethel Daniels (Prairie View A&M University)
Treasurer, Vernon Clark (Prairie View A&M University).

Two honorary members included jazz legend John Handy and Governor Emeritus Jerry Brown who was the Mayor of Oakland at that time.

The Northern California Historically Black College and University Alumni Associations Coalition (HBCUC), composed of alumni from HBCU and UNCF institutions, actively recruits and engages students at church centers, schools, community colleges, and expos throughout Northern and Central California. By informing parents, guardians, and students, ranging from middle school to community college, the next generation becomes fully empowered in understanding that four-year college admission is achievable. By providing resources, scholarship information, and essential guidance, HBCUC inspires hope and fosters pathways to higher education.

For more information visit: www.northerncaliforniahbcuc.org/gala

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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.