Activism

Interfaith Council, No Coal in Oakland to Hold Rally July 22 to Block Shipments from Utah

Organized by the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) and No Coal in Oakland, the rally will feature music, food, and speakers including residents, activists, and officials.

Published

3 years ago

July 11, 2023

Oakland Post

By Dr. Ken Chambers and Margaret Gordon

A community rally to keep coal out of Oakland will be held on Saturday, July 22, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 732 Willow St.

Organized by the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) and No Coal in Oakland, the rally will feature music, food, and speakers including residents, activists, and officials.

A state court trial beginning July 10 may determine whether coal is going to be transported from Utah to Oakland — spewing toxic particles along the way — and then shipped overseas to be burned, contributing to the climate crisis.

At stake in the trial is a proposed terminal on the Oakland waterfront that pits the City of Oakland against companies owned by Oakland-born developer Phil Tagami who wants to build and operate a marine terminal in West Oakland on land leased from the City.

In 2018, the developers failed to meet construction deadlines set forth in their 66-year lease. Oakland terminated the lease, as the contract stipulates, and sued to evict them.

The city wants the developers to leave, freeing the property for other uses. The developers want to stay and to substantially lower their rent and receive hundreds of millions of dollars for alleged lost income.

Settlement negotiations have not resolved these differences. Although the developers claim that they are willing to agree not to use the terminal for coal, they haven’t been willing to agree to language that locks in a no-coal stipulation for the life of the lease.

They periodically threaten that “coal is back on the table.” And they won’t commit to building infrastructure for shipping commodities other than coal.

A 2018 federal trial reversed the City Council’s unanimous ban on coal at the site. The judge claimed that the City of Oakland had not provided sufficient evidence that coal dust due to the terminal would pose a substantial danger to residents and workers.

At the same time, the judge explicitly acknowledged that the City is free to pass a new ban on coal at the property once more scientific support is available. We now have this new evidence: a recent study of coal storage and transport in Richmond documents significant pollution from trains, holding yards, and a terminal handling coal from Utah.

This new research complements overwhelming scientific evidence that increased exposure to such air pollutants causes serious medical problems. It is linked to decreased lung capacity and increased bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, emphysema, cancer, and heart disease.

Coal dust would increase the existing health disparities in West Oakland, which is surrounded by three freeways, with heavy industry, diesel trucks, and port traffic. West Oakland starkly illustrates environmental injustice.

The City has been steadfast in opposing coal. If you appreciate their fight for residents’ health and safety, you can show your support at the community rally on Saturday, July 22, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at 732 Willow St., West Side Missionary Baptist Church-ICAC Hub

Supported by Care 4 Community Organization.

This Advetorial was sponsored by:

No Coal in Oakland
Interfaith Council of Alameda County
Care 4 Community Action

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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

4 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.