Bay Area

‘Ms. Martha’ Humphrey is Oakland’s 2024 Mother of the Year

Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) honored Martha Humphrey as Oakland’s 2024 Mother of the Year. Affectionately known as “Ms. Martha,” Humphrey was recognized during the 71st Oakland Mother of the Year Award Ceremony held at Morcom Rose Garden, May 11. Nestled in an Oakland hillside above Lake Merritt, the garden event was hosted beneath a white tent beside a reflection pool surrounded by fragrant flowers and greenery. Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas, District 2, provided the welcome and 2005 Mother of the Year Naomi Schiff served as mistress of ceremonies.

Published

2 years ago

May 18, 2024

Oakland Post

The Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) honored Martha Humphrey "Ms. Martha" (seated in royal blue suit) as Oakland’s 2024 Mother of the Year at the 71st Oakland Mother of the Year Award Ceremony held at Morcom Rose Garden. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) honored Martha Humphrey as Oakland’s 2024 Mother of the Year.

Affectionately known as “Ms. Martha,” Humphrey was recognized during the 71st Oakland Mother of the Year Award Ceremony held at Morcom Rose Garden, May 11. Nestled in an Oakland hillside above Lake Merritt, the garden event was hosted beneath a white tent beside a reflection pool surrounded by fragrant flowers and greenery.

Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas, District 2, provided the welcome and 2005 Mother of the Year Naomi Schiff served as mistress of ceremonies.

Oakland Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield-Lynch and Councilperson Carroll Fife, District 3, commended Humphrey for her impact on the community and her various accomplishments.

“So often the sacrifices that our elders make go unacknowledged and I think that it is so fitting to be at the Rose Garden to give roses to Ms. Martha while she is still here,” said Fife.

Humphrey is an inspiration who provided family and structure to so many foster youths, Fife added.

“Ms. Martha giving that to so many children is like planting seeds that will last forever. We are so grateful for you. We love you and we appreciate you. Happy Mother’s Day,” said Councilmember Dan Kalb, District 1, who presented Humphrey with roses.

Marilyn Reynolds of the City of Oakland Head Start program said, “It’s wonderful to see her recognized.”

OPRYD Special Events Coordinator and organizer Zermaine Thomas ensured the program ran smoothly and was excited to congratulate Humphrey and provide closing remarks.

Dressed in a royal blue satin suit with a matching hat accented with rhinestones, Humphrey was elated to be the lady of honor flanked by family members, foster children, government officials, and members of the community.

“I’m grateful to God,” she said as attendees took photographs with her.

Humphrey began caring for children at 8 years old, starting with her youngest sibling. At an early age, Humphrey decided that caring for children delighted her. When she reached adulthood, she began housekeeping, which would often include caring for her employer’s children. She accepted a job as a nanny caring for the four children of a lawyer and his wife at their home in Houston, Texas. When the family relocated to San Francisco in March of 1950, Humphrey came with them to assist in the caring of their four young daughters. When the last daughter had completed high school and went to college, Humphrey moved out of their home and moved to the Fillmore Center.

In the early 1970s, Humphrey acquired a home with two large bedrooms and decided to start a foster home. She contacted a foster care agency, became certified to work with foster children, and began her ministry.

Humphrey put two cribs in one bedroom and set it up as a nursery. It was not long before she got a call about parenting and began caring for her first foster child.

Over time, she received more and more calls from foster agencies and hospital social workers who begged her to take infants in fragile health because of her excellent reputation. For over 50 years, Humphrey has fostered over 300 children and continues to this day.

“Ms. Martha has been known throughout her community as the person that wants to ‘just serve’ by being a caretaker and a guide for vulnerable children and youth over the past 50 years,” said Post News Group Publisher Paul L. Cobb, who initiated the nomination.

Oakland’s Mother of the Year Award was created by the OPRYD in 1954 to publicly honor an Oakland resident whose contributions to the community symbolize the finest traditions of motherhood.

Past honorees have included hard-working, dedicated community servants whose volunteerism has been exemplary.

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Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

3 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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Activism

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.