Activism

In Dr. King’s Honor, California Black Health Leaders Call for Urgent Action During COVID-19 Crisis

Right now, an estimated 1.1 million Californians don’t have health insurance and are eligible for more financial health than ever before through Covered California, or they qualify for low-cost or no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal. Most Californians can now qualify to get brand-name health plans with companies like Anthem, Blue Shield, Kaiser, and Health Net for less than $10 monthly and many for $0 per month.

Published

4 years ago

January 26, 2022

Oakland Post

Working tirelessly on the ground to enroll Black Californians and other people of color in affordable and quality health care is the mission of the California Black Health Network (CBHN).

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

African American health leaders joined Covered California to reflect on the life and legacy of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and with the final deadline in the current open enrollment period coming up, to urge Black Californians to sign up for comprehensive coverage through Covered California or Medi-Cal.

Doctors David Carlisle and Kim Rhoads, along with Rhonda Smith of the California Black Health Network, say Dr. King’s words on the injustice in healthcare are still profound today. Health inequities abound for Black Californians.

A recent report from the California Health Care Foundation highlighted that Black Californians have the shortest life expectancy – as well as the highest death rates among all racial and ethnic groups from breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer. According to the report, Black Californians also experienced the highest rates of infant mortality, maternal mortality, first-birth cesareans, preterm births, and low-birthweight births.

Carlisle, Rhoads, and Smith joined Covered California to encourage Black Californians to get COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters and to sign up for affordable, quality health insurance coverage before open enrollment closes at the end of the month. The health leaders stressed that having access to quality health care is a means to help ensure health equity for Blacks Californians.

“Achieving health equity for African Americans is an important goal now more than ever,” said Carlisle, CEO and president of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. “It is essential that all populations have access to healthcare and the tools needed to face down this historic public health crisis. The only way to get through this is together. Widely available and affordable health coverage coupled with quality health care can help level the field for everyone, putting California in the best position to get on top of COVID-19 and be prepared for future challenges.”

The latest state data shows that COVID-19 vaccination rates among African Americans currently at 52 percent. Increasing COVID-19 vaccination and booster rates and gaining access to quality health care is key to battling health care inequities, says Rhoads, associate professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and the director of the Office of Community Engagement at UC San Francisco.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has pulled the curtain back on the longstanding inequities in the health and health care for Black and African American people nationwide,” said Rhoads. “These disparities whether in high blood pressure, cancer, or COVID-19, are often related to challenges in finding and receiving high quality care. Getting and having insurance coverage is a powerful intervention that will help us address the negative effects of unequal access to prevention and treatment for Black and African American people in California.”

Working tirelessly on the ground to enroll Black Californians and other people of color in affordable and quality health care is the mission of the California Black Health Network (CBHN), says Executive Director Rhonda Smith. As a statewide Navigator for Covered California, CBHN has enrolled thousands of Black Californians into health plans through the years.

“We are proud to partner with Covered California to ensure that healthcare coverage is available, affordable, and accessible to all,” Smith said. “We believe that healthcare is a right and not a privilege, and thanks to Covered California, we can provide a pathway to get more people insured and enroll them in the right plan that works for them.”

Covered California’s current open-enrollment period runs through January 31. Enrollment in Medi-Cal is open year-round. Consumers interested in learning more about their health coverage options can:

Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
Get free and confidential assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
Call Covered California at 800-300-1506.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Oakland A’s Star Tony Kemp Tells Us Why He’s Planting Trees, Messaging with Fans

Don't Miss

Voting Rights Takes Center Stage at Black Caucus MLK Breakfast

Oakland Post

Click to comment

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

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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.