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OP-ED: Why I Support Brooks’ Race & Equity Proposal

Published

10 years ago

June 26, 2015

The City of Oakland has many reasons to be a leader on racial justice and social equity.

In order to ensure that Oakland makes improvements that are lasting and comprehensive for its diverse populations, we should create a structure for durable change.

Oakland has been designated the most diverse city in America according to Priceonomics and has been historically the epicenter of movements for justice.

Yet, the continuing disparities — in unemployment, city contracting, criminal justice enforcement, health, and more, create substantial gaps between the lives of people in Oakland based on race.

The gap in household income is real; white household income is more than double that of African Americans.

White household income in 2012 was $81,159. African American household income in 2012 was $35,050. Asian American household income was $45,238. Latino household income was $44,455.

These disparities in Oakland need attention and cannot be resolved through the work of short-term consultants, but require ongoing leadership roles within city government to serve as a central hub for the establishment of problem-solving, and ensuring solutions are implemented.

There are important reasons for developing a Department of Race & Equity, including the following:

First, in the past City Council has authorized actions that have not been implemented. Authorizations made by City Council should not be ignored. We need to make sure that the administration follows through to ensure that the city is actively moving towards justice.

Years ago, we fought for a disparity study to examine the contracting practices of the City of Oakland, and the City Council authorized and funded this action. Still, it has not been completed.

The last disparity study that was conducted was 7 years ago. It discovered that Oakland’s contracts were almost entirely going to businesses owned by white men, and in fact, were going to only a hand-full of businesses.

A follow-up study was supposed to be conducted but none have been done.

Secondly, the disparity in unemployment throughout the City of Oakland continues to be incredibly wide. In fact, if we look at the national data the gap between white unemployment and Black unemployment is similar to that of 1950.

Third, the issues regarding contract advertisement, contract-bidding, and contract awards, further indicate inequity. We’ve had jobs and contract opportunities for which we got very few applicants and when I inquired, we discovered that the ads were run in only one paper, a predominantly white audience based newspaper.

Furthermore, we need to take action in reducing the mass-incarceration of people of color. Locally, it impacts family households, criminalizes and destroys human lives, uses billions of taxpayer dollars ineffectively to profit the prison-industrial-complex.

Leadership is needed to help advance the goals of racial justice and equity, for all Oaklanders of every race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, and gender so that all people are fully respected in our city.

We need to continue the effort to work actively for progress. One step towards this goal is by authorizing and hiring staff so it’s handled in an on-going manner.

We can make a change to become a more equitable Oakland. Therefore, I support Councilmember Brook’s proposal for a Department of Race and Equity.

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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

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Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

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More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”