Activism

“We Mean Business”: Reparations Supporters Return to State Capitol for Day of Advocacy

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2025

Chris Lodgson, an organizer for CJEC, addresses supporters in front of the California State Capitol, reaffirming their commitment to pursuing reparative justice. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

More than 100 reparations advocates and supporters from nearly 20 grassroots organizations across California gathered at the State Capitol on Jan. 7 for the first-ever Reparations Education and Advocacy Day (R.E.A.D.) event.

Led by the Coalition for A Just and Equitable California (CJEC), the event took place in the same location where, just a few months ago, advocates protested after two reparations bills where denied a floor vote on the Assembly floor.

“The last time we were here was Aug. 31 and it was a shame (those bills did not get a floor vote),” said Los Angeles-based attorney Kamilah Moore, who served as chairperson of the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans, established by Assembly Bill (AB) 3121, from May 2021 to June 2023.

Moore told California Black Media (CBM), “This day speaks to the resiliency of descendants of American slaves. We are not taking no for an answer. We came right back once the doors opened to the capitol. We came back and we mean business.”

This time, the advocates say, they returned to Sacramento with a message and a mission to educate others that they will not be deterred in their efforts to reintroduce the reparations bills in the Legislature this year.

CJEC is California’s statewide leading grassroots of advocates, organizers, and mobilizers for reparations and reparative Justice. They have been meeting privately after two bills Authored by former Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood) — Senate Bill (SB) 1403 and SB 1330 — stalled in the Assembly.

SB 1403 proposed the creation of a new state agency called the California American Freedmen Affairs Agency (CAFAA). It would’ve been accountable for determining eligibility for reparations and administering government processes related to compensation.

SB 1331 was designed to build an account for reparations in the State Treasury for the purpose of funding reparations policies approved by the Legislature and the Governor.

Chris Lodgson, leader of CJEC, and other advocates visited the offices of almost the entire body of 120 State Senators and Assemblymembers, urging them to introduce or support 2025 Reparations bills. The group spent the day knocking on the doors of the lawmakers housed in the State Capitol Annex Swing Space.

During the last legislative session, leaders of the CLBC cited that they had “structural” concerns about the reparation bills. Therefore, they voted against advancing the legislation for a floor vote by their colleagues.

The advocates say they expect to bring the bills back under a new leadership that includes CLBC chairperson Sen. Akilah Weber-Pierson (D-La Mesa) and vice chair Issac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights).

Lodgson said that they are prepared to have discussions with the CLBC, Republicans, and Democrats as a whole to form a consensus to support the bills.

“Our specific work and our specific focus is on those of us whose ancestors were enslaved and emancipated in this country,” Lodgson told CBM. “We are willing to work with anybody who supports that, but we are not moving off that square. We are our own people. No one has done what we’ve done for this country.”

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Activism

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.