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Proclamation Recognizing February 2023 as Black History Month

WHEREAS, through courage, perseverance, faith, and resolve against incredible prejudice and hardships, Black Americans have positively influenced, enriched, and advanced every aspect of American life; and the continuing fight for civil rights, equality, and respect motivates every American to strive for a more promising, peaceful, and just future.

Published

3 years ago

February 27, 2023

Oakland Post

During Black History Month, we honor the extraordinary contributions made by Blacks throughout the history of our Nation including the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and the current Vice-President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

From Vallejo Weekly
By cityofvallejo

WHEREAS, during Black History Month, we honor the extraordinary contributions made by Blacks throughout the history of our Nation including the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, and the current Vice-President of the United States, Kamala Harris, and we renew our commitment to liberty and justice for all by supporting freedom, diversity, equity, and inclusion; and

WHEREAS, the 2023 theme is Black Resistance.

Since arriving on these shores, Blacks have resisted historic and ongoing oppression in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings. The resistance has been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond. The 1950s and 1970s in the United States were defined by actions such as sit-ins, boycotts, walk outs, strikes by Black people and white allies in the fight for justice against discrimination in all segments of society from employment to education to housing. Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Systematic oppression has sought to negate much of the dreams of the griots, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston and the freedom fighters, like Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Huey P. Newton, and Fannie Lou Hamer fought to realize. Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, politics, and legislation*; and

WHEREAS, the City of Vallejo has benefited from the contributions of African Americans who settled in Vallejo from the early 1800’s to present including Alfred Coffey, Johnnie M. Thomas, Alonzo Gholikely, James Owens, Alvin Logan, Sam Brown, Charles A. Toney, James Williams, Charles McGree, Collia Scruggs, Reverend C.H. Toney, Ellsworth Courtney,

Haskell Forte, Bernice McGriff, Sargent Johnson, Walter Freeman, Ernest Gains, B.W. Williams, Dick Bass, Grace Logan Patterson, Jesse M. Bethel, Philmore Graham, Lewis Brown Sr. , Bernard Tyson, Jimmie Jackson, Foster Hicks, Osby Davis, Earl Stevens, C.C. Sabathia, H.E.R. (Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson), and numerous others; and

WHEREAS, This month, we celebrate the cultural heritage, diverse contributions, and resilient spirit of African Americans; and we commend the heroes, pioneers, and common Americans who tirelessly fought for and firmly believed in the promise of racial equality granted by our Creator, enshrined in our Constitution, and enacted into our laws, so let us pledge to continue to stand against the evils of bigotry, intolerance, and hatred so that we may continue in our pursuit of a more perfect America.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED that I, Robert H. McConnell, Mayor of the City of Vallejo, and the Vallejo City Council, hereby proclaim February 2023 as Black History Month, and we call upon public officials, educators, and everyone to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities; and we urge all organizations to embrace the spirit of Black History Month yearround by supporting and practicing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

* https://asalh.org/black-history-themes/

Dated: February 14, 2023

ROBERT H. McCONNELL, MAYOR

Vice Mayor Rozzana Verder-Aliga

EdD, District 1

Councilmember Tina Arriola District 6

Councilmember Peter Bregenzer District 5

Councilmember Mina Loera- Diaz District 3

Councilmember Diosdado “JR” Matulac District 2

Councilmember Charles Palmares District 4

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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

Published

2 days 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

1 week 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.