Featured
New Positive Energy Feeds Oakland Renewal
Spring is here, and Oakland is alive with signs of change.
The Oakland Visitor and Convention Bureau is no more, having been replaced by Visit Oakland, a new nonprofit group formed to encourage tourism and promote Oakland.
Led by a new Board of Directors and CEO Alison Best, the group kicked off a new campaign at the Paramount Theater dedicated to show the bright side of Oakland. Visit the new website http://visitoakland.org/
The Oak to 9th housing development is going strong. Rechristened as the Brooklyn Basin project led by developer Signature Properties, work has begun to build the infrastructure, including toxic cleanup, roads, sewers, and electrical lighting in the area.
The 64-acre project will create 3,100-units of housing, 200,000-square-feet of commercial space and 30-acres of parks. The goal is to transform what has been an abandoned industrial site into a vibrant, dense community larger than Jack London Square.
Kudos to Signature Property for toughing through 13 years of planning, public hearings, lawsuits, real estate meltdowns, opposition, and just plain NIMBY attitudes to get this project built.
Former mayor and current Gov. Jerry Brown is riding an unprecedented 70 percent approval rating. With the new open primary system, he is just waiting to face whatever losing Republican finishes second. We will have to wait to see whether ill it be another exclusionary rightwing Republican, or if there be an attempt to redefine the party with a more moderate candidate.
The Oakland mayor’s race is heating up with crime and the police at the forefront. Mayor Jean Quan was caught in another “misspoken” moment by claiming there were more police than actually existed.
Candidate Joe Tuman immediately pounced on her exaggerated statement and pointed out the truth.
Only candidate Libby Schaaf has addressed the real elephant in the room, police reform. Whether you increase the number police by 20, 30 or 100, it will not solve our crime problem. More money alone is not the solution.
Reform of police management and spending is what is needed. It is mind stunning to think that in the $250 million plus spent yearly for Oakland police cannot be managed better and cost savings found.
The Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, dominated by “labor,” is under investigation by the Fair Political Practices Commission for its incomplete election expenditures reports. The normally talkative committee chair has declined comment.
Once again, the party that claims to promote transparency is hiding behind a veil of silence and avoidance. Maybe those “labor” Democrats should hire a “business” Democrat lawyer and CPA to help them play by the political rules.
Lost in the political shuffle are all the important council races, with open seats in District 2 and District 4. Only District 6 has an incumbent running. Like a repeat of the 2012 election, council races will be open and competitive.
District 2 has 6 current candidates: Kevin S Blackburn, Michael Colbruno, Dana King, Sokhom Mao, Andrew Y. Park and Abel Guillen.
District 4: Jill Broadhurst, Nicolas Heidorn, Craig Sinclair and Anne Campbell Washington.
District 6 incumbent Deslie Brooks faces 2 challengers Michael V. Johnson and Shereda, F. Nosakhare.
Clinton Killian is an attorney at downtown Oakland law firm Fried & Williams LLP and is a former public official. He can be reached at ckillian@postnewsgroup.com.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 9 – 15, 2025

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#NNPA BlackPress
Black Americans Still Face Deep Retirement Gaps Despite Higher Incomes
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
A report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute shows that Black Americans continue to face serious challenges in saving for retirement, even as their incomes grow.
The 2025 Retirement Confidence Survey, which included a special oversample of Black workers and retirees, found that the wealth gap remains wide at every income level. Among households earning $75,000 or more, only 33% of Black Americans reported having $250,000 or more in savings and investments, compared with 63% of non-Black Americans. Debt remains a significant barrier. 63% of higher-income Black households said debt is a problem, while just 45% of non-Black households at the same income level said the same. Nearly half of upper-income Black respondents said debt affects their ability to save or live comfortably in retirement.
While many Black Americans expressed confidence managing day-to-day budgets, fewer felt prepared to invest or plan for the long term. The study showed that Black Americans with higher incomes were less likely to have personally saved for retirement, 77%, compared with 87% of non-Black Americans. Retirement experiences also differed sharply. Forty-four percent of Black retirees said they retired earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability, compared with 32% of non-Black retirees. After leaving their main jobs, Black retirees were more likely to work for pay to make ends meet, and more often said their retirement lifestyle was worse than expected. Access to financial advice and planning remains uneven. Just 31% of Black respondents reported currently working with a financial advisor, although nearly half expect to do so in the future. Black Americans were more likely to seek help with reducing debt, creating wills or estate plans, and arranging life insurance than simply determining if they had saved enough to retire.
Researchers Craig Copeland and Lisa Greenwald wrote, “Black Americans reported disproportionately lower financial resources, and how they feel about retirement and financial security is clearly impacted by having less resources.” They continued, “In particular, Black retirees are struggling with higher likelihoods of their retirement lifestyle being worse than expected and having to retire earlier than planned because of a health problem or disability.” “Still,” the researchers concluded, “there are some modifications in the financial system that could help improve their prospects, such as increased assistance in balancing competing financial priorities like debt reduction, supporting family, and building long-term savings.”
#NNPA BlackPress
Scorching Heat Sparks Bipartisan Climate Alarm
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
As record-breaking heat waves sweep across the country this summer, a new national poll reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans are linking the punishing temperatures to climate change — and voicing deep concern about the government’s ability to respond.
The American Climate Perspectives Survey 2025, conducted by ecoAmerica, found that 86% of Americans say rising temperatures have increased their concern about climate change, with more than half reporting they are “a lot” more concerned. The sentiment cuts across demographic and political lines, with 97% of Democrats, 83% of Independents, and 79% of Republicans expressing heightened worry about the climate crisis. “Americans are connecting extreme heat to climate change, their health, and government inaction,” said Meighen Speiser, Executive Director of ecoAmerica.
Nearly nine in ten respondents recognize the toll heat is taking on public health, with 58% saying extreme heat affects health “a lot.” This awareness is remarkably consistent across racial, age, and income groups. Among Black Americans, 91% said rising temperatures have intensified their concern about climate change, reflecting some of the highest concern levels among any group surveyed. Those concerns are not abstract. Decades of research by the Brookings Institution, NOAA, and others show Black communities often face the greatest exposure to extreme heat and the fewest resources to adapt. Studies have documented that historically redlined neighborhoods, where many Black Americans live, are routinely up to 10 degrees hotter than wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods nearby.
In cities such as Atlanta and Baltimore, Black homeowners are significantly more likely to face heat risks and energy insecurity, limiting their ability to cool their homes as temperatures rise. Nationally, Black renters experience higher rates of energy insecurity, with over half struggling to afford adequate cooling during heat waves. Meanwhile, the latest study also points to a notable shift in how Americans perceive the link between climate change and extreme weather. Eighty-two percent now believe that climate change is making extreme events, such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, more frequent and severe, up six points since 2021. The most dramatic change is among Republicans: the share who recognize that climate change is fueling extreme weather surged 17 points over four years, from 58% in 2021 to 75% in 2025.
These findings arrive as proposals to slash funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) advance in Washington. The agencies are widely seen as the nation’s front-line defense against disasters and a critical source of weather forecasting and emergency relief. The risks are particularly acute for Black communities already facing disproportionate impacts from hurricanes and flooding, as seen in the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and more recent storms that have repeatedly displaced predominantly Black neighborhoods in the Gulf Coast and Southeast.
The survey shows Americans are not just worried about rising temperatures — they’re anxious about the government’s readiness to protect communities. Seventy-nine percent said cuts to FEMA and NOAA make them more concerned about the federal government’s ability to respond to climate impacts. That includes 92% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 69% of Republicans, underscoring that the anxiety is bipartisan.
Generational divides are also apparent. While 95% of young adults reported that extreme heat has boosted their concern about climate change, the figure was lower — but still significant — among adults over 65, at 70%. However, across all age groups, majorities agree that the crisis is escalating and requires immediate action. “These findings show it’s time to drop partisan politics and rather meet this moment with urgency, leadership, and protection,” Speiser said.
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