City Government
Oakland Declares May 6 “Father Jay Mathews Day”
The Oakland City Council this week honored beloved local priest Father Jay Mathews, who is celebrating his 40th anniversary in the priesthood and 25 years of service at Saint Benedict’s Church in East Oakland.
A City Council resolution proclaiming Tuesday, May 6 as Father Jay Mathews Day, introduced by Councilmembers Libby Schaaf and Larry Reid, passed unanimously at the Tuesday evening meeting. Father Mathews has traveled widely in the world, meeting the famous and the not so famous, said Councilmember Desley Brooks, speaking at the meeting.
< p>“He has treated each of them with kindness and love,” she said. “And he has made no distinction between the two.”
Born James Vernon Matthews II in 1948 in Berkeley, Father Mathews was ordained on May 3, 1974, as the first African-American Catholic priest in Northern California. He spent his early school years in Albany and in Oakland, graduating from Skyline High in 1966. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and Philosophy from St. Patrick’s College, Mountain View.
He received a Master of Divinity degree from St. Patrick’s Seminary, Menlo Park, and, in 1973, he was a candidate for the Doctorate of Ministry at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley and completed his sabbatical studies in Church History at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2000.
Besides serving at St. Benedict’s Church since 1989, he has worked as administrator at St. Cornelius Church in Richmond, administrator and Associate Pastor at St. Cyril Church in Oakland and All Saints Church in Hayward; Associate Pastor at St. Louis Bertrand Church, Oakland, Vicar for Black Catholics and In-Residence at St. Anthony Church in Oakland.
Father Mathews has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Outstanding Community Service, the Marcus Foster Educational Institute’s Distinguished Alumni Award19 and the Rose Casanave Service Award of the Black Catholic Vicariate.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
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.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
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.
Activism
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.
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.
WORK FROM HOME
Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540
Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors
LIHEAP Funds Released After Weeks of Delay as States and the District Rush to Protect Households from the Cold
Seven Steps to Help Your Child Build Meaningful Connections
Seven Steps to Help Your Child Build Meaningful Connections
Teens Reject Today’s News as Trump Intensifies His Assault on the Press
Thanksgiving Celebrated Across the Tri-State
Breaking the Silence: Black Veterans Speak Out on PTSD and the Path to Recovery
Trinidad and Tobago – Prime Minister Confirms U.S. Marines Working on Tobago Radar System
‘Tis the Season: Festive Holiday Pop-ups Happening Around Atlanta
IN MEMORIAM: Mardelle Walker, 101
Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
‘Targeted’ Shooting of Two National Guardsmen Blocks From the White House
Meet Roxanne Brown, The First African American And The First Woman President Of The United Steelworkers
Tax Refunds Expected to Rise by About $1,000 Next Year
CFP Rankings: Top Five Remains Unchanged; Major Decision Looms for Lane Kiffin
Oakland Post: Week of October 29 – November 4, 2025
Oakland Post: Week of November 12 – 18, 2025
Oakland Post: Week of November 5 – 11, 2025
IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
How Charles R. Drew University Navigated More Than $20 Million in Fed Cuts – Still Prioritizing Students and Community Health
No Justice in the Justice System
Lewis Hamilton set to start LAST in Saturday Night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix
Beyoncé and Jay-Z make rare public appearance with Lewis Hamilton at Las Vegas Grand Prix
Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
Protecting Pedophiles: The GOP’s Warped Crusade Against Its Own Lies
The Perfumed Hand of Hypocrisy: Trump Hosted Former Terror Suspect While America Condemns a Muslim Mayor
Trump’s Death Threat Rhetoric Sends Nation into Crisis
Seth Curry Makes Impressive Debut with the Golden State Warriors
In Major Win for Rep. Al Green, Texas Maps Blocked by Federal Judge
LIHEAP Funds Released After Weeks of Delay as States and the District Rush to Protect Households from the Cold
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Parking, Safety, and 360 View #shorts
2025 Ioniq 5 New Wiper & Powerful Performance! #shorts
Electric SUV Range: Is 259 Miles Enough? #shorts
EV Charging: How Fast Can You Charge an Electric Vehicle? #shorts
Biometric Cooling… Messaging Seats…Come on! 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph 4WD
Charged Up: Witness the Magic of a Fully Electric Car! #shorts
Range Rover Sport PHEV Included…: See What’s Inside This Luxury SUV! #shorts
Invisible Hood View: Perfect Parking with X-Ray Vision! #shorts
AI Is Reshaping Black Healthcare: Promise, Peril, and the Push for Improved Results in California
ESSAY: Technology and Medicine, a Primary Care Point of View
Sanctuary Cities
The RESISTANCE – FREEDOM NOW
STATE OF THE PEOPLE: Freddie
ECONOMIC BOYCOTT DAY!!!!!
I told You So
-
Activism4 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of November 12 – 18, 2025
-
Activism3 weeks agoIN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
-
Activism4 weeks agoHow Charles R. Drew University Navigated More Than $20 Million in Fed Cuts – Still Prioritizing Students and Community Health
-
Bay Area4 weeks agoNo Justice in the Justice System
-
#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks agoLewis Hamilton set to start LAST in Saturday Night’s Las Vegas Grand Prix
-
#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks agoBeyoncé and Jay-Z make rare public appearance with Lewis Hamilton at Las Vegas Grand Prix
-
Activism3 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks agoThe Perfumed Hand of Hypocrisy: Trump Hosted Former Terror Suspect While America Condemns a Muslim Mayor
