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Mister Phillips for West Contra Costa USD School Board

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Mister Phillips’ father, retired Richmond police Lieutenant Tommie Phillips, inspired him to public service at a young age.

Phillips, now aged 36, is running for the governing board of the West Contra Costa Unified School District.

Phillips’ vision is that every student will attend a safe school where they are engaged and able to achieve academically. He pledges that he “will strive to achieve this vision for the sake of all children, regardless of where they live or attend school.”

Phillips’ plan to get us there is simple. He believes the school district should focus on school safety, student engagement, academic achievement and employee morale.

This newspaper agrees. Our children have been underserved for too long. It is time for the school district to get back to the basics.

Phillips’ professional background will serve him well on the school board. He has worked as a labor relations representative in K-12 public schools, substitute teacher in the West Contra Costa and San Francisco Unified School Districts, GED instructor in Washington, DC, and instructional assistant in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.

In addition, Phillips has represented West County on the First 5 Contra Costa Children and Families Commission since 2012. The commission funds health and education programs for children aged zero to five, countywide.

The West County programs are based in the First 5 Centers in Richmond and San Pablo.

Phillips s also a delegate to the Democratic Party of Contra Costa County, vice president of the El Cerrito Democratic Club, deacon of Providence Missionary Baptist Church of San Pablo and past president of the Rotary Club of Pinole.

Phillips’ family has lived in West County for six generations. He resides in Richmond with his wife, Angela. They have two children, aged three and one month.

 

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Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025

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IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94

Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

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William "Bill" Patterson, 94. Photo courtesy of the Patterson family.

William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.

Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.

He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.

He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.

Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.

Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.

Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.

He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.

A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.

His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.

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