Bay Area

IN MEMORIAM: Harvey Knight, 82

You are invited to attend the funeral services on Friday, Dec. 27, at Evergreen Baptist Church, Bishop L. Lawrence Brandon, senior pastor, 408 W. MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA at 11 a.m. Rev. Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson, pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church will bring the eulogy.

Published

1 year ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Harvey Knight. Photo provided by his family.

Special to the Post

Harvey Knight, Jr., “Pops” to so many young men from Oakland, passed away at 82 on Dec. 5. Harvey was married to Brenda Knight, founder of Ladies In Red, for 51 years.

He was born on April 6, 1942, in Laurel, Mississippi.

After completing high school, Harvey moved to Oakland, California, to live with his father’s sister. He knew this would become his home. He loved the Bay Area for the sports it offered him as a basketball, baseball, and football fan.

He worked for UC Berkeley for over 43 years and part-time for the Oakland Coliseum for approximately 15 years as a security guard, where he could be close to his favorite pastime.

After establishing himself with jobs and his place to live, he knew something was missing. He found the love of his life, married her, and knew his life was complete.

Three sons were born to their union: Leonard, Harvey III, and Michael. He and his sons enjoyed the life of sports by going to the games and later supporting them in baseball at school and through Babe Ruth Baseball. His love of sports was passed on to his sons. All three played baseball while attending college.

Harvey was a soft-spoken man who provided life gems to many young boys playing baseball with his sons. Many of them would end up at the Knight family table for dinner or to listen to the man they all called ‘Pops.’

Harvey loved to travel and take in the history he experienced on his many trips with his wife, Brenda, and the organization she founded, Ladies In Red. Although Harvey did not like the color red, he enjoyed the travel provided throughout the United States. He often researched to provide his wife with information to assist her in planning the trips.

His favorite trip was to Selma, Alabama, where he learned so much about Selma’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in the name of Harvey Knight, to Foot Soldiers Park in Selma, Alabama. Go online to: footsoldierspark.org or mail to: Foot Soldiers Park INC, 1018 Water Avenue, Selma. AL 36701.

He leaves to mourn his passing, his wife Brenda; sons; Leonard, Harvey III and Michael; eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a host of relatives and friends.

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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

5 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

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.