S.F. Post Reporter Ace Washington Hospitalized
January 30, 2009
During the return trip of the Post News Group’s “We Believe” Bus to the Inauguration, San Francisco Post reporter Ace Washington became ill and had to be hospitalized in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
According to people on the trip, Washington was stricken with a severe stomach ailment that required immediate surgery.
“Ace was very instrumental in getting the sponsors of We Believe to allow two members of the Post to ride along on the trip to fully document the experience and assist with all media requests,” said Kevin Jefferson, a San Francisco Post reporter who participated in the trip. [Read more]
Issues 4 Life Host Pro-Life March & Conference
January 30, 2009
Marchers hold up posters at a rally in Oakland City Plaza.
“All that we are saying is give life a chance” were the words sung by Pro-Life marchers who said they are taking a stand for the sanctity of all human life. Issues for Life Foundation is an organization led by Walter Hoye, who has quickly become the face of the Pro-Life movement among African American Clergy.
Hoye says that “Stopping Abortion is the #1 issue among the African American community.” Hoye points out that more Blacks are dying from abortion than HIV/AIDS, Heart Failure, and Diabetes - “combined, three times over.”
The rally, held in the plaza of Oakland’s City Hall, was highlighted by speeches from fellow Pro-Lifer’s - Rev. Dr. Clenard Childress, Karen Shablin, and Craig Deluz. [Read more]
Seale Keynotes Berkeley City College Black History Month
January 30, 2009
Former Black Panther chairman Bobby Seale will keynote the first of a month-long series of Berkeley City College (BCC) lectures, literary, dance, and gospel performances in honor of Black History Month. Seale will speak on the progressive civil-human rights and sixties Black power movement, and on the election of Barrack Obama as the President of the United States. Seale, one of the original “Chicago Eight.”now devotes his time to Reach!, a group which supports youth education programs.
The event starts at 12:30 p.m., Mon., Feb. 2, in the college’s ground floor auditorium. The college is located at 2050 Center St., one-half block from the downtown Berkeley BART station. All BCC Black History Month activities are free and open to the public. [Read more]
First Poet Laureate Brought to California by Black Scout
January 30, 2009
By Mary Rudge
A child who would grow to become Oakland’s first librarian and who also would become the country’s first Poet Laureate, Ina Donna Coolbrith, (1841-1928), was guided to California by Jim Beckwourth, the legendary Black scout, trader, trapper and explorer.
Coolbrith was also a mentor Jack London. As a child, he taught himself from books in the West Oakland library.
Though she lived a life full of history, Coolbirth never told her own story. After she died, it was reported that she was born in Illinois, a niece of Mormon Leader Joseph Smith. With her mother and sister, she escaped a massacre that killed her uncle and father and joined other Mormons coming West. [Read more]
Faces Around the Bay: Wilbur Jordan
January 30, 2009
Wilbur Jordan is pictured here at a recent concert on Spirituals. In 1945, he graduated from McClymonds High School in Oakland, joined the Army and went to Guam. When he returned 18 months later, he had no job and times were rough.
Eventually he got a job at the S.F. Veteran’s Administration Hospital as a care giver. Transfering to Oakland, he left his place in the Filmore and returned to his home in Oakland. Jordan then went to work for the Oakland Post Offrice, where he remained for 35 years.
His life revolves around his church, Church of Christ, which recently moved from Berkeley to Oakland.
After directing the education program at the church for 20 years, he retired from that post, but continues to study the Bible and help teachers. “I do anything I can there; I enjoy helping,” said Jordan, who is optomistic about President Barack Obama, “I believe he’s headed in the right direction. He has a sincere group around him and a lovely family, good intentions and the right ideas.”
Photo and text by Barbara Fluhrer.
SEIU Puts Hospital Workers Union Into Trusteeship
January 30, 2009
By Brian Lavelle
A yearlong fight between a local union and its national leadership came to a head this week, as the Service Employees International Union placed United Healthcare Workers-West (UHW) into trusteeship and removed its leadership.
Based in Oakland, UHW has 150,000 members in California, representing employees in hospitals and clinics, nursing homes and also homecare workers.
The move by SEIU President Andy Stern is the latest in a hostile and public struggle over the meaning of union democracy and how to build union strength.
“Today we bring an end to a sad chapter in the life of a local union with great members, whose leadership lost their way,” Stern said in a statement Tuesday. [Read more]
Carl C. Mack, Sr.,93
January 30, 2009
Carl Clisthenese Mack, Sr., community leader for education, juvenile and political participation, died Jan. 20, at the Alta Bates Summit Hospital in Oakland.
He was born in Houston Texas, Jan. 16, 1916, and graduated from Phyllis Wheatley High School in 1932.
He graduated from Texas Southern University with a BA in 1937; and from San Francisco State with an MA in 1968. He was married to Valerie Delores Mack for 70 years. [Read more]
Attorneys Call for Extending Federal Oversight of Police
January 30, 2009
By Post Staff
Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker’s resignation this week leaves a leadership “void,” casting doubt on the department’s ability to meet federal court required reforms to put an end to violations of Constitutional rights and accepted police procedures, according to two local attorneys who have worked closely with the department since the resolution of the infamous Riders case.
Under Tucker, OPD been carrying out the court-mandated reforms but his resignation, as well as the recent revelations of misconduct and mishandling of cases, make it unlikely that the department will be in compliance when the settlement expires in January 2010, said Jim Chanin and John Burris in a press conference Tuesday at their offices in Oakland.
Chanin and Burris were co-counsels in the Riders case and have been involved in the federal negotiated settlement agreement, meeting with the court-appointed monitors and top police department managers at least once a month since 2003. [Read more]
Chief Tucker: “We Made Mistakes” in Bailey Case
January 30, 2009
Mayor Ronald Dellums, Oakland Police Chief Wayne Tucker and Officer Jeff Thomason. Photo by Gene Hazzard.
By Post Staff
Announcing his departure from the Oakland Police Department, Police Chief Wayne Tucker acknowledged that the department made “mistakes” in the investigation of the killing of Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey in 2007.
Tucker, speaking at a press conference Tuesday at City Hall, said that former Your Black Muslim Bakery leader Yusuf Bey IV, who has not been charged in the killing, is “the one we want” to complete the investigation.
Though he did not provide specific details, he said homicide detectives “rely too much on interrogations” and “confessions” as a substitute for other investigative techniques.
With a good team of investigators, the police look at the background of the victim, search out witnesses and look at all the possibilities of what could have happened. But because of an extreme shortage of investigators, “We have relied too much on confessions,” he said. [Read more]
Another Buzzer Beater, Another Heartbreak
January 28, 2009
OAKLAND, CA— It was the second game that ended in a buzzer beater that put the Oracle Arena in silence. Just two days ago the Warriors lost to a buzzer beater against Oklahoma City and this time it was LeBron James who hit a shot over forward Ronnie Turiaf when the buzzer went off. We all knew the ball was going to LeBron James’ s and kept a glimmer of hope that he’ll miss the basket.
No such luck, he made the shot! The 5th sellout crowd stood to their feet in anticipation. Stephan Jackson hit a shot with 22.7 seconds left in the 4th quarter to give the Warriors the lead 103-102. Then James got fouled and that put him on the free throw line to give the Cavaliers a 104-103 lead. [Read more]
