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Oakland’s COVID Data Show Racial Disparities in 2021 Deaths

Of the 314 total Oakland residents the coroner’s bureau recorded as dying of COVID-19 in 2021, they listed 106 of them, or about 33.8%, as Black. This is a disproportionately high rate of deaths when compared to data from the 2020 census, which counted Black people as representing 23.8% of Oakland’s population.

Published

4 years ago

February 10, 2022

Oakland Post

The coroner’s data show Black people of all ages, along with Latinx people under 65, died at a rate disproportionately high when compared to their percentage of the population.

By Zack Haber

Data from a recent records request show that the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau attributed 314 deaths in Oakland to the COVID-19 virus in 2021.

Some studies and reporting have suggested that available information on total COVID-19 deaths, especially when it relies on coroners, tend to be undercounts. Still, unlike data listed by the Alameda County Public Health Department, the coroner’s bureau recorded the race, gender, and age of Oaklanders who died of the virus, as well as the dates on which these deaths occurred.

The coroner’s data show Black people of all ages, along with Latinx people under 65, died at a rate disproportionately high when compared to their percentage of the population.

Using the same two data sets, Latinx people accounted for 88, or about 28% of these deaths, while representing 27% of the population. White people accounted for 57, or about 18.2% of these deaths, while white people not also listed as Latinx represented about 28.3% of the population.

Asian people made up 42, or about 13.3% of these deaths while representing 15.5% of the population. One Native American, along with three Pacific Islanders were listed as having died of COVID-19. Two people were listed as mixed race, while about 6.5% of the deaths had no race listed.

Like elsewhere in the country and around the world, older people died of COVID-19 in Oakland at a higher rate than younger people in 2021. Oakland residents younger than 40 made up eight, or about 2.5% of the total deaths recorded. Residents older than 90 made up 36, or about 11.5% of the total deaths. People 65 and older made up 213, or about 67.8% of the total deaths.

People under 65 represented a total of 101, or about 32.2%, of COVID deaths last year in Oakland. Latinx people accounted for about 45 of these deaths, a figure that is disproportionately high compared to their share of the population. Black people accounted for about 31 of these deaths, which is also disproportionately high. White people accounted for about eight of these deaths. Asian people accounted for about five of these deaths.

By the middle of April, everyone in California who was 16 and older was eligible to book an appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

After this point, COVID deaths in Oakland declined dramatically. From May through December 2021, the coroner recorded 125 COVID deaths in Oakland. In comparison, January and February alone saw 157 deaths.

While deaths of all races declined, the proportion of COVID deaths of Black people compared to the rest of the population rose. Black people made up 57, or about 45.2% of the COVID deaths in 2021 from May through December. Latinx people made up 24, or 19.2% of these deaths. White people made up 20, or 16% of these deaths. Asian people made up 12, or 9.6% of these deaths.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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5 days ago

March 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

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2 weeks ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

3 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.