Activism

Hundreds Come to Marin Rally to Stop Asian Hate

“We are here to stand against race-hate and crime against Asian Americans, and against official policies that do not recognize Asian Americans as equal members of society.” Asian Americans need to stick together to fight the many biases, violence, and hate that is directed toward them, Phan said.

Published

5 years ago

April 9, 2021

Mia Lane

Left: Jean Chan, Nhan Phan. Right from top: Sage Shih Kushner, Mary Jane Burke, Rev. Floyd Thompkins (Photos by Godfrey Lee)

Several hundred people gathered at the Rally to Stop Anti-Asian Hate to protest against the hatred and violence against Asians. They gathered on March 26 next to the Arizmendi Bakery in the San Rafael Courthouse Plaza.

The Asian American Alliance of Marin (AAAM), along with 17 other community organizations, organized and sponsored the rally.

The demonstrators shared a moment of silence to mourn and honor the eight victims, many of Asian heritage, who were slain at the spa massacres in Atlanta, Ga., on March 16. They are Soon Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng.

Jean Chan, the founder of the Asian American Alliance of Marin, said “We stand with all communities for justice because any violence against a fellow human being is an act of violence against all of us.”

Nhan Phan, co-president of AAAM, said that “We are here to stand against race-hate and crime against Asian Americans, and against official policies that do not recognize Asian Americans as equal members of society.” Asian Americans need to stick together to fight the many biases, violence, and hate that is directed toward them, Phan said.

Sage Shih Kushner, a San Marin High School student, said “We need to contact and educate others about the culture of Asian Americans, what they have gone through, and what people have achieved to stop racial hate.”

Kushner is trying to create a community where Bay Area youth can learn what is harmful and hate is not OK. She is reaching out on social media to bring awareness.

Marin County Supervisor of Schools Mary Jane Burke said that Marin schools and teachers will put forward an ethnic studies requirement. Students will be required to take a course in order to graduate from high school.

“It is time that unless we stand up (for) democracy, we will lose it,” said Rev. Floyd Thompkins, the new pastor of St. Andrew Church in Marin City. “Unless we stand up (for) right, wrong will win.”

Thompkins said that Asians have experienced hatred in the past. Wrong things have been said about them, such as the myth of the Chinese being the ‘Model Minority.’ The reality is that the Chinese are just people trying to love and care for one another, like those eight people killed in Atlanta who were worked hard to support their families, Thompkins said.

Everyone has the right to live, be whole, and have liberty. We need to stand up and say ‘no’ when we hear negative mean spirited small ugly, violent things said toward others, he said.

“We need to create community, be politically proactive, and be a voice to the local legislator, or the school board, to stop Anti-Asian hate where it exists,” Thompkins said, “We must also stop the fetishism of Asian American women (who are often stereotyped and sexualized as being subservient, passive, and quiet).”

“This rally is a beginning point because in San Rafael, Marin County, we will not allow and accept hate as a way of life, as a rhetoric, or accept hate against any community, and that includes the Asian American community,” concluded Thompkins.

For more information on the rally, go to aaamarin.org/2021/03/26/official-press-release-rally-to-stop-anti-asian-hate/

Mia Lane

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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

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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.