Activism

Lesson on Tuskegee Airmen to Air Force Trainees Survives Trump’s Order Dismantling DEI Offices

By Jan. 22, the U.S. Air Force had started shutting down its DEI offices and put those employees on paid administrative leave before their employment ends on Jan. 31. But a misunderstanding on the executive order’s implementation on the education of U.S. Air Force trainees set off a backlash that reached the Pentagon.

Published

1 year ago

January 2, 2025

Oakland Post

The Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum photo.

By Post Staff

In his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued dozens of executive orders, among them one to turn back the clock on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

By Jan. 22, the U.S. Air Force had started shutting down its DEI offices and put those employees on paid administrative leave before their employment ends on Jan. 31.

But a misunderstanding on the executive order’s implementation on the education of U.S. Air Force trainees set off a backlash that reached the Pentagon.

At Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, a memo circulated among personnel had reportedly determined that certain parts of training curriculum were to be excised immediately.

But, by Monday, as was reported in Air& Space Forces Magazine, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said that “…the service is ‘faithfully executing’ the president’s orders and will continue to teach new trainees about the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Air Force Service Pilots, or WASPs, whose contributions to the war effort helped win World War II.

“While we are currently reviewing all training courses to ensure compliance with the Executive Orders, no curriculum or content highlighting the honor and valor of the Tuskegee Airmen or Women Air Force Service Pilots has been removed from Basic Military Training,” Allvin said in a Jan. 27 statement reported in Air&Space.

The blowback began on Jan. 23 after on a memo posted on Facebook was leaked.

It was alleged that the memo said a video on the Tuskegee Airmen had been excised from a course on “airmindedness.”
The video described the exploits of the groundbreaking African American airmen, whose combat service during World War II became the stuff of legend.

Known by the ‘red tails’ marking their aircraft, the valor of the airmen escorting bombers gave those pilots a sense of safety.

The nonprofit Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., swiftly issued a statement criticizing the act. Republican Senator Katie Britt of Alabama took to social media charging the Air Force with “malicious compliance,” suggesting someone obeyed the directive in a way intended to undermine the order’s intent.

While the video presentations on the Tuskegee Airmen and WASPs were delayed for one group of Airmen, Air&Space revealed, both Allvin and Air Education and Training Command boss Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson said no videos were ever removed from the curriculum.

Air&Space Magazine, the Associated Press, The San Antonio Express News and Wikipedia are sources for this report.

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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

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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.