Activism

Montgomery Bus Boycott at 68; Event Revisits Black-Jewish Collaboration

Scholar, minister and activist Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. was the guest speaker at L.A.’s Skirball Cultural Center’s “Perspectives on Black-Jewish Relations in The Fight for Civil Rights” discussion held Dec. 6, on the 68th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. He talked about historic collaboration between African Americans and Jews and he participated in a conversation that focused on the ongoing struggle for civil liberties and the civil rights era of the 1960s.

Published

2 years ago

December 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. shares stories of his time in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s with an eager crowd. Lafayette described his fellow Jewish activists as his "brothers and sisters" at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, Calif. Photo by Solomon O. Smith.

By Solomon O. Smith
California Black Media

Scholar, minister and activist Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. was the guest speaker at L.A.’s Skirball Cultural Center’s “Perspectives on Black-Jewish Relations in The Fight for Civil Rights” discussion held Dec. 6, on the 68th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

He talked about historic collaboration between African Americans and Jews and he participated in a conversation that focused on the ongoing struggle for civil liberties and the civil rights era of the 1960s.

The evening began with the viewing of “This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement,” an exhibition that showcased the work of nine photojournalists who were embedded in the civil rights movement, providing an intimate look at the organizations that created leaders like Lafayette.

Los Angeles’ District 5 city councilmember Katie Yaroslavsky hosted the evening’s conversation with LaFayette.

Lafayette described seeing Jewish men and women side by side with Black protesters, enduring the same violence.

“We found a strong bond that existed, and that developed,” said LaFayette, describing the relationship between Black and Jewish leaders, intellectuals, and activists during the civil rights movement.

“If it wasn’t for the Jewish people, we’d have a different attitude towards White folks. Because we could relate to the Jewish people, therefore all White people weren’t the same,” he added.

The conversation between LaFayette and Yaroslavsky presented an alternate picture to the widespread portrayal of the history between African Americans and Jewish Americans as one that is ridden by conflict with tensions with Black Muslims and other religious groups, antisemitic scholarship, accusations of exploitation in the entertainment industry, and numerous other examples.

Lafayette was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), a Freedom Rider and a scholar on nonviolent resistance.

Lafayette spoke about his upbringing, explaining how the guidance of strong Black female figures led him to a life dedicated to Christianity and activism, starting with his grandmother.

Lafayette credited her with his ordination as a minister. He said he originally wanted to become a journalist, but his grandmother had other plans.

“My grandmother insisted that I was not going to be anything but a preacher,” Lafayette said. “She said ‘you have the mark of a preacher.’” The college she found for him was the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee where he met his roommate, John Robert Lewis, the Georgia congressman and civil rights legend who passed away in 2020.

Lewis, who was already active in the movement, was instrumental in LaFayette meeting one of his heroes and philosophical mentors, James Morris Lawson Jr.

Yaroslavsky asked Lafayette about the connection between Jews and the Black community, mentioning activists like Rabbi Joachim Prinz, theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and the many Jewish men and women who participated as Freedom Riders.

After the discussion, a reception was held for Lafayette’s book, “In Peace and Freedom, My Journey in Selma,” which provides an insider perspective on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and Lafayette’s time in Selma, Alabama with Martin Luther King Jr. Lafayette was with King only hours before he was assassinated.

Lafayette left the audience with what he calls a key to being a nonviolent activist and the way he lives his life.

“The main thing is not how much you can gain for yourself, but how much can you give to others, because you’re not going to be here that long,” he said.

This resource is supported by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and
the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program.

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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

6 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.

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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.