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Practitioners of African Traditional Religion Offer 4th Annual Ancestral Reverence Ritual Oct. 31

The Council for Global Ancestral Reverence, a group of elders who practice African Traditional Religion, will lead a nine-day offering of prayer appealing to their blessed ancestors from Oct. 31-Nov. 8, 2023.

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2023

Oakland Post

Now in its fourth year, the ritual responds to the multi-layered crises inflicting the world – Middle East conflict and war in Sudan -- inner-city crime and violence, homelessness and ongoing pervasive threats to human and civil rights, particularly the right to vote.

Special to The Post

Now in its fourth year, the ritual responds to the multi-layered crises inflicting the world – Middle East conflict and war in Sudan — inner-city crime and violence, homelessness and ongoing pervasive threats to human and civil rights, particularly the right to vote.

Called ‘Ancestral Souls Rising,’ the prayers will be led by the council members and 21 priests in many parts of the African diaspora: Brazil, Nigeria, France, Haiti and the U.S.

Through the ritual, modeled on one created by the elder priests of Oyotunji Village in South Carolina who composed a view of the of the Nine Layers of the Soul, the trauma and grief experienced by people of African descent can be identified and healed.

Held virtually, the first day of the ritual, practitioners will share images from their altars, pour libations and pray in the languages of their forbears – Yoruba, Edo, Fon and Haitian Kryole– as well as English. On the remaining days of the ritual, prayers will address various themes.

“Our elders have, for many generations, known the power of prayer, ritual and breath.”

In 2020, as thousands gasped for air and died of the ravaging effects of COVID-19, and martyr George Floyd died under the knee of a Minnesota police, the elders saw the painful parallel between current and historic restraint on even the freedom to breathe.

It was and is their intention, then, to use the cultural wisdom, the gift of prayer “and the most sacred thing we have, our breath, to send energy into the world that invokes and honors our Ancestors,” the council said in a statement.

“Doing this creates a vibration that protects us and employs Their ancient wisdom for the well-being of our communities,” the elders.

The council members, all over the age of 60, recognize that what is now history for so many was once their lived experience. And that history, those joys, and sorrows, are now in their bodies.

To them, the uttered prayer and the sacred breath are oaths to an unfolding future that people still have some ability to shape.

The members of the council are: Dr. Iyabeji Cathy Royal (Maryland), Yeye Luisah Teish, Ohen Nedra T. William and Iyalocha Wanda Ravernell-Stewart (Oakland), Chief Barbara Eaton and Chief Elizabeth Coleman, (South Carolina).

This year, they also encourage everyone within their reach to vote because it is not only a secular and political act, but a sacred one because our ancestors who were denied and died for that right.

For more information, see brochure at

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12D2mYnH3mjUiVYumh1qes-G9xghz8BGL/view

To register, go to https://www.eventcreate.com/e/c4gar-asr

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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.