BOOK REVIEW:
A Soldier’s Wife
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Author: Blair Underwood
with Ylonda Gault, Copyright:
c.2026, Publisher: Amistad, SRP:
$28.00, Page Count: 208 pages
I’m telling Mom!
When you were small, those
words were often enough to send a
chill down your spine. One quick
tattle to the woman who bore you,
and you were in trouble. That sim-
ple phrase always kept you in line,
at least until you were grown. By
then, as in the new book, “A Sol-
dier’s Wife” by Blair Underwood
with Ylonda Gault, Mom had
something to tell you.
Marilyn Underwood had kept
every scrap of paper that ever
passed through her fingers.
That, says her son, author
and actor Blair Underwood, is
how it seemed. After her death
from multiple sclerosis nearly
six years ago, Mrs. Underwood’s
children found piles and piles of
notes, notebooks, lists, random
thoughts, and memories she’d
written down. Paper was every -
where.
She’d said many times that she
was “putting together a memoir of
sorts,” and after looking over what
she’d left, Underwood thought
the collection would make a good
children’s book. He was later con-
vinced that his mother’s story was
bigger than that.
Marilyn Ann Scales Under -
wood was an only child and was
raised to be independent. Born
and reared in Buffalo, New York,
she attended an all-girls school
with a big dream to work in the
fashion industry. She indicated
that her mother was brave to let
her go, but Underwood knew that
her career was really in New York
City. She was right; she thrived
there.
Laser-focused on her work,
Underwood was in no hurry to do
as most late-1950s women did:
get married; though friends urged
her to date, it was not a priority
until she met the love of her life,
Frank. She loved him instantly.
They were engaged three weeks
after meeting and married three
months later.
“One thing about me,” she
wrote. “When I set my mind on
something, you can believe it’s as
good as done.”
There are really two ways to
look at “A Soldier’s Wife.”
On one side, it feels almost
random. Marilyn Underwood was
a strong, independent woman, an
inspiration to those who knew her
– but most of us didn’t. While the
writings author Blair Underwood
compiles here are wise and fun -
ny, they’re not earth-shattering
and there may be times when they
won’t hold your interest.
But they’re exactly what you
need, exactly when you need
them.
Reading this book is like get -
ting a letter from your grandma.
The essays here are warm with re-
minders to pray to a purposeful
Higher Power, that life’s a strug-
gle but it’s worth living, and that
suffering happens. There’s love
in this book – lots of it! - grati -
tude, gentleness, and old-fash -
ioned values. It’s sweetly quaint,
but firm. And yes, it’s random, but
consider it as a hug from some -
body’s mom when you’re down,
because that’s rather what it is.
Just remember that no book
has to be read cover-to-cover. You
can skip around, and you’ll be fine
with this one, whenever you need
its comfort. “A Soldier’s Wife”
could be meaningful or meaning-
less to you at various times. Only
you can tell.
Book cover of A Soldier’ s Wife. Courtesy of Amistad.
Continued on page 10Continued on page 8
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THE POST, March 25-31,, 2020, Page 5postnewsgroup.com
To place a Legal Ad
contact Tonya Peacock:
Phone: (510) 272-4747
Fax: (510) 743-4178
Email: tonya_pea-
[email protected]
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tact the POST: Phone
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THE POST, July 24-30, 2019, Page 5postnewsgroup.com
Senior Pastor
Phyllis Scott
Tree of Life Empowerment Ministries
“A church driven by Christ
focused on the kingdom”
Sunday school 9 :00 am Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Family Bible Study Wednesday 7:00 pm
Prayer Service Thursday 6:00pm and
Sunday 8:30 am
10619 McArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 510 689-9544
THE POST, Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2015, Page 5www.postnewsgroup.com Reverend Joe L.
Smith, Pastor
Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church
5717 Foothill Blvd, Oakland, CA 94605
510-569-7814 * 510-568-4408 fax
A church that prays together, stays together.
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so....” Psalm 107:2.
Weekly Services
Sunday: Early Morning Worship ......................8:00 a.m.
Sunday School .....................................................9:30 a.m.
Sunday Morning Worship ................................11:00 a.m.
Wednesday: Bible Study .....................................7:00 p.m.
Saturday: Prayer Hour .....................................11:00 a.m.
SEVENTH AVENUE
MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
1740 7th AVENUE
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94606
510-834-4273
"
Rev. C. T. Johnson,
Pastor Emeritus
43 YEARS
OF SERVICES
"
Rev. Jeffrey Kirton,
Pastor
Mrs. Jamar Kirton,
First Lady
"
Church Motto: “There Is Joy In Serving The Lord”
"
SUNDAY SERVICES
BTU AND SUNDAY SCHOOL------------------------------------------ 9:15 MORNING WORSHIP SERVICES ---------------------------------- 10:45
WEDNESDAY SERVICES
NOON DAY PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY---------------- 12:00 – 1:00 P.M. BIBLE STUDY--------------------- ------------------------------- --6:30 "
EMAIL:seventhavenuebapchurch.com …
ON THE WEB www.seventhavenuebaptistchurch.com
CHURCH OF ALL FAITHS
2100-5th Ave., Oakland, CA 94606
510-452-2578
Rev. Dr Jeffrey M. Parker
First Lady Princess W.Parker
Order of services
Sunday school 9:30
Sunday Celebration of Praise 10:30
Wednesday Night Pastoral Teaching 7 p.m -8:30 p.m.
Free Food Giveaway Every Saturday 12 noon-4 pm
Sunday 10:00 am………Sunday School
Sunday 11:00 am………Morning Worship
Wednesday 6:30pm……Intercessory Prayer
Wednesday 7:00 pm …..Wednesday Worship Experience
Wednesday 7:30 pm…...Choir Rehearsal
Destiny Christian Fellowship
A Next Level Church Ministering
in the Spirit of Excellence
Rev. J. L. Porter,
Senior Pastor/Teacher
3601 Cutting Blvd,
Richmond, CA 94804
510-680-5031
Senior Pastor
Phyllis Scott
Tree of Life Empowerment Ministries
“A church driven by Christ
focused on the kingdom”
Sunday school 9 :00 am Sunday Worship 10:00 am
Family Bible Study Wednesday 7:00 pm
Prayer Service Thursday 6:00pm and
Sunday 8:30 am
10619 McArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 510 689-9544
Jesus is the Way
Brother
ALLEN
Jackson
Presents
Send your church
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A Safe Place Awarded $180,000 Grant from
The Blue Shield of California Foundation
Will Launch Faith and Domestic Violence Project
A Safe Place will launch a
two-year faith and domestic
violence project, “Speaking of
Faith,” thanks to an $180,000
grant from The Blue Shield of
California Foundation.
In partnership with the Insti-
tute on Domestic Violence in
the African American Commu-
nity (IDV AAC), the “Speak-
ing of Faith” project will raise
awareness and educate the
faith-based community on best
practices and models to apply
when working with families
experiencing violence in the
home.
Domestic violence is the
leading cause of injury to
women between the ages of
15-44. More than one million
children each year witness the
brutal victimization of a par -
ent at the hands of an intimate
partner.
The faith environment can
be a safe and natural place to
address family violence and re-
lated issues, including children
that are exposed to violence in
the home. As a result, there is
a great need to strengthen the
delivery of subjective counsel-
ing and guidance.
The project will foster part-
nerships between domestic
violence programs and faith
leaders.
A Safe Place will also join
the Blue Shield Against Vio -
lence (BSA V) Foundation’s
Culturally Responsive Domes-
tic Violence Network, which
links 17 statewide domestic
violence agencies across the
state.
A Safe Place seeks to break
the cycle of domestic and fam-
ily violence by providing bat-
tered women and their children
with safe shelter and resourc-
es, and to prevent violence
through outreach and educa-
tion.
Since 1976, A Safe Place
has offered a 24-hour crisis
line, emergency 20-bed shel -
ter, a children’s program, com-
munity counseling, support
groups, community education
and outreach, as well as a Teen
Violence Prevention Program.
Carolyn Russell, who has
served as executive director
of A Safe Place since 1984,
designed and implemented
intervention services and pre-
vention activities for victims
of domestic violence.
These programs include the
Emergency Shelter Program,
Teen Dating Violence Preven-
tion Program, and community
education and outreach pro-
gram.
Through A Safe Place, Rus-
sell has also governed domes-
tic violence programs on both
the local and state level. As a
longtime advocate for battered
women and their children, she
most recently employed pro-
grams and services for male
victims of domestic violence.
For more information about
the Blue Shield Project and
other events, contact Carolyn
Russell at (510) 986-8600 x
315.
Broadway Hustlers, AC Mob’s
5th Annual Family Reunion
Rev. Ron Linzie
The Broadway Hustlers and
AC Mob will be holding their
5th Annual Family Reunion on
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2 p.m. till 6
p.m., at deFremery Park, 18th
at Adeline in Oakland, called
“A Day of No Violence/All
Lives Matter.”
The Broadway Hustlers
were known for its GQ style,
and business leadership in
gang activities. They were a
street gang of more than 75
men and women that roamed
Broadway from 2nd Street to
W MacArthur Blvd. in Oak -
land in the late 70’s and early
80’s.
The AC Mob was a gang
that rode the AC Transit buses.
They were also friends and as-
sociates with the Broadway
Hustlers. Former AC Mob
members hold top social ser -
vice positions today.
The Family Reunion will
feature music, food, spoken
word, a kid zone and guest
speakers.
For information, call Rev.
Ron Linzie “aka” Poison at
(510) 541-9650 or Rev. Dr.
Jasper Lowery at (510) 766-
5404 or Michelle Murray aka
“Niecey” at (510) 472-5255.
For those who wish to con-
tribute food or funds to support
the efforts of their street minis-
tries, send donations to Urojas
Community Services’ corpo-
rate office, 1271 Washington
Ave., Suite 452, San Leandro,
CA 94577.
Send your church notes, stories and
events to Post News Group, Email at
[email protected]
Sunday 10:00 am………Sunday School
Sunday 11:00 am………Morning Worship
Wednesday 6:30pm……Intercessory Prayer
Wednesday 7:00 pm …..Wednesday Worship Experience
Wednesday 7:30 pm…...Choir Rehearsal
Destiny Christian Fellowship
A Next Level Church Ministering
in the Spirit of Excellence
Rev. J. L. Porter,
Senior Pastor/Teacher
3601 Cutting Blvd,
Richmond, CA 94804
510-680-5031
BibleWay Missionary
Baptist Church
1077 13th St., Richmond, CA 94801
Nathan P. Whittom Sr., Pastor
Sunday School…………….…………9:30 AM
Worship Service….…………….….11:00 AM
Monday Bible Study………….…...5:30PM
Wednesday Bible Study…………11:30AM
Jesus is the Way
Brother
ALLEN
Jackson
Presents
Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson Speaks at NAACP’s Convention in Detroit The president of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints Russell M. Nelson re -
minded those assembled for
the 110th annual national con-
vention of the National Asso-
ciation for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP)
Sunday in Detroit that differ -
ences need not undermine so-
ciety’s shared humanity.
“We are all connected, and
we have a God-given respon -
sibility to help make life better
for those around us,” Presi -
dent Russell M. Nelson said
during a nine-minute evening
speech. “We don’t have to be
alike or look alike to have love
for each other. We don’t even
have to agree with each other
to love each other. If we have
any hope of reclaiming the
goodwill and sense of human-
ity for which we yearn, it must
begin with each of us, one per-
son at a time.
Over the past 18 months, the
First Presidency (the executive
administration of the church)
has made its partnership with
the NAACP a high priority.
The groups have met sever-
al times to pursue joint educa-
tion efforts in Chicago and San
Francisco and employment
initiatives in Houston and
Charlotte.
They have customized the
Church’s self-reliance services
materials and programs to be
most effective for the initia -
tive.
The two organizations also
came together on Temple
Square last May to call all
people, organizations and gov-
ernments to work together to
achieve greater civility and ra-
cial harmony.
Last July, Elder Jack N. Ge-
rard spoke at the NAACP’s
109th annual convention in
San Antonio, Texas.
“I pray that we may in -
creasingly call each other dear
friends,” Nelson concluded
Sunday. “May we go forward
doing our best to exemplify
the two great commandments
— to love God and love each
of His children.
Arm in arm and shoulder to
shoulder, may we strive to lift
our brothers and sisters every-
where, in every way we can.
This world will never be the
same.”
Earlier this year, the Church
honored the NAACP’s com -
mitment to advance equality
and justice in society.
“I’m honored to have The
Church of Jesus Christ of Lat-
ter-day Saints stand in unity
with the NAACP to advance
equality and justice for all,”
said NAACP President and
CEO Derrick Johnson. “We
must recognize and accept the
importance of creating amity
with those that are raising the
consciousness of this nation —
the Church is committed to do-
ing just that.”
In addition to its joint pur -
suits with the NAACP, the
Church seeks to strengthen
African American individuals
and families through geneal -
ogy.
The Church helps African
Americans trace their roots
as far back as possible. The
Church donated $2 million in
February to the International
African American Museum
(IAAM), which is set to open
in 2021 on the former Gads -
den’s Wharf in Charleston,
South Carolina.
In December 2016, the
Church gave an indexed data -
base of the historic Freedmen’s
Bureau Records to the Smith -
sonian National Museum of
African American History and
Culture in Washington, D.C.
The database contains gene-
alogical information of freed
African Americans after the
Civil War.
“Only the comprehension of
the true fatherhood of God can
bring full appreciation of the
true brotherhood of men and
the true sisterhood of women,”
Nelson said during a 2018
celebration of diversity and
oneness in the church. “That
understanding inspires us
with passionate desire to build
bridges of cooperation instead
of walls of segregation.”
Rev. Amos Brown (left), pastor of Third Baptist Church, San Francisco and president of the NAACP , San Francisco branch greets President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Russell M. Nelson at the 110th annual national convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Sunday in Detroit. Photo courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Jesus is the Way
Brother
ALLEN
Jackson
Presents
PILGRIM CHURCH HAYWARD
Dr. Larry W. Ellis, Senior Pastor
We Invite You to Join Our Church Family!
Bible Study
Tuesday 6:15pm
Christian Life Class
Sunday 9am
Worship
Sunday 10am
Temporary Worship Location: Mission Paradise Hall
31113 Mission Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94544
To learn more about Pilgrim, visit our website at www.pilgrimbcsm.org New Hope Baptist Church, Oakland, CA
New Hope Baptist Church of Oakland, CA seeks a Senior Pastor who will provide Spirit-directed, visionary leadership for our church; and possesses excellent skills in the areas of preaching, teaching, counseling and congregational leadership development. Candidates should have five plus years Pastoral experience (preferably Senior Pastor), be licensed and ordained by a recognized License Ordination Committee and have a Bachelor Degree from an accredited Bible College including seminary. Email a cover letter, biography, resume and ministerial license(s) to [email protected] on or before April 2, 2020. For additional information please see our website nhbcoakland.org under the heading “pastor”. No phone calls please.
Representatives Lee, García Introduce Bill Prohibiting Rental Evictions During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Barbara Lee Jesús “Chuy” García
Courtesy of
Rep. Lee’s Office
Representatives Barbara Lee
(CA-13), Jesús “Chuy” García
(IL-04), and 39 additional co-
sponsors introduced the Rental
Eviction Moratorium Act on
Monday, March 23, to prohibit
landlords from evicting rental
tenants during the COVID-19
public health emergency. The
bill will be part of the third
COVID-19 stimulus package
introduced by the House of
Representatives, the Take Re -
sponsibility for Workers and
Families Act.
Rep. Barbara Lee said, “As
more workers are losing their
jobs or having their hours lim-
ited, families are put at risk of
missing rent or forgoing food on
the table. We can’t allow people
to be on the streets in the middle
of a public health crisis – that’s
why I worked with Rep. Garcia
to introduce the Rental Evic -
tion Moratorium Act. This im-
portant legislation ensures that
renters in the Bay Area and the
nation cannot be evicted from
their homes during the COV -
ID-19 pandemic. We must en -
sure that everyone has access to
quality housing no matter their
financial situation.”
“No one should lose their
home during the COVID-19
pandemic which is why I intro-
duced the Rental Eviction Mor-
atorium Act, to prohibit evicting
renters during this crisis. Fami-
lies are hurting -- they are wor-
ried about their jobs, health, and
childcare and deserve the cer -
tainty that they won’t be kicked
to the curb and left homeless if
they can’t make their rent,” said
Rep. Chuy García. “Last week I
authored a letter that 77 Mem -
bers of Congress signed, call-
ing on mortgage lenders to stop
foreclosures during this public
health crisis. But nearly a third
of U.S. residents are renters --
in the communities I represent
in Chicago the ratio is much
higher. Working-class people,
immigrants, and renters suffer
disproportionately from eco -
nomic recessions like the one
this country will likely be fac -
ing, and they need the financial
security this bill would provide,
immediately.”
The Rental Eviction Morato-
rium Act Would:
· Prohibit landlords from
evicting rental tenants due
to failure to pay rent or other
causes unless the tenant per -
petrates a serious criminal act
that would endanger the health,
life, and safety of other tenants.
· Self-terminate six months
after FEMA terminates the
emergency declared by the
President.
Congresswoman Lee is the
Co-Chair of the Steering &
Policy Committee, a senior
member of the Appropriations
Committee, former Chair of
the Congressional Black Cau-
cus, Chair Emeritus of the Pro-
gressive Caucus, Co-Chair of
the Pro-Choice Caucus, and a
Senior Democratic Whip. She
also serves as Chair of the Ma-
jority Leader’ s Task Force on
Poverty and Opportunity.
Congress Passes Anti-Lynching Bill After
200 Failed Attempts Over 100+ Years
Rep. Bobby Rush, who rep -
resents the Chicago district
where Emmett Till lived, and
Los Angeles Rep. Karen Bass
with a photo of Emmett Till
speaking before the House
passed the bill last month.
Photo courtesy of Rush press
office.
By Brandon
Patterson
The Senate
passed a bi-par -
tisan bill crimi -
nalizing lynching at the federal
level this week, sending the bill
to President Biden’s desk after
the House approved the bill
in January. The Emmett Till
Anti-Lynching Act, named for
the 14-year-old Chicago boy
whose brutal murder in Mis -
sissippi in 1955 helped catalyze the
Civil Rights Movement, allows a
crime to be prosecuted as a lynch-
ing if a victim is killed or injured
as the result of a hate crime with a
sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
The Senate passed the bill unani-
mously, though three Republican
members of the House — from
Georgia, Kentucky, and Texas —
voted against it.
The bill’s passage by Congress
marks the end of hundreds of failed
attempts to pass anti-lynching leg-
islation over more than a century.
Congress failed to pass such legis-
lation more than 200 times over the
last 122 years, according to USA
Today.
The first piece of anti-lynching
legislation was introduced by Rep.
Chairwoman Barbara Lee Notes
Anniversary of American Rescue Plan
Congresswoman
Barbara Lee
By Sean Ryan
Congresswoman Barbara
Lee, Chair of the House Appro-
priations Subcommittee on State
and Foreign Operations, issued
the following statement on March
11, marking one year since the
American Rescue Plan Act of
2021 was signed into law:
One year ago today, President
Biden signed the American Res-
cue Plan (ARP) into law follow-
ing passage by Congress, cata-
pulting a historic recovery that
has led to one of the strongest
periods of economic growth in a
century.
Many Americans had been
left to fend for themselves during
one of the worst public health and
economic crises in history. The
ARP expanded access to vaccines
and testing; provided economic
relief that kept millions out of
poverty; prevented a catastrophic
wave of evictions and foreclo-
sures; helped small businesses
and schools stay afloat; and made
critical investments in the expan-
sion of health care coverage and
reducing costs for millions.
In my district in California’s
East Bay, the ARP has been trans-
formative, especially its expan-
sion of the Child Tax Credit. Fam-
ilies in my district alone received
74,000 individual payments for
a total of close to $160 million
during the last half of 2021. For
thousands of families in our com-
munity, this money meant the dif-
ference between having childcare
or not, having healthy food on the
table or not, having a secure place
to live or not.
Through my Covid Commu-
nity Care Act, we also delivered
vital funding to support commu-
nity-based efforts to hire and mo-
bilize community outreach work-
ers, community health workers,
social support specialists, and
others to increase vaccine access
for the hardest-hit and highest-
risk communities through high-
touch, on-the-ground outreach to
educate and assist individuals in
getting the information they need
about vaccinations.
Looking back on its impact,
we now have analyses showing
that the ARP resulted in 4 mil-
lion jobs and nearly doubled
GDP growth—and without it,
we would have neared a double-
digit recession. Compared to
previous economic recoveries,
this past year’s has also been far
more equitable in terms of prog-
ress against child poverty, food
insecurity, and unemployment
for low-income communities and
communities of color.
With that said, we still have a
long way to go on all of these is-
sues. Too many still lack access to
the health care they need to live a
fulfilling life. Millions of Ameri-
cans are struggling to put food on
the table amid rising costs, from
the ongoing housing crisis to the
recent spike in gas prices to the
ever-growing cost of childcare.
And the pervasive racial and gen-
der inequities laid bare by CO-
VID are deeper than ever.
I urge Americans to look at
what the American Rescue Plan
did in just a single year as a tes-
tament to the transformative im-
pact government can have when
it prioritizes people. I thank Presi-
dent Biden and my Democratic
colleagues in Congress for their
steadfast leadership and look
forward to continuing to work to-
gether to deliver for the American
people.”
Sean Ryan is a member of
Congresswoman Barbara Lee’ s
media relations office.
Women’s History Month: California Group Honors Leaders, Discusses Priorities Top L-R: Delane Sims, Hon. Cheryl Brown; Bottom L-R Shavon- da Webber-Christmas, Sylvia Drew Ivie.
By Charlene Muhammad,
California Black Media
To mark Women’s History
Month, The California Black
Women’s Collective (CBWC)
honored more than 100 Black
women leaders from across the
state from different profession-
al backgrounds, including me-
dia executives, public health
professionals, activists, politi -
cians and more.
The organization also held
a series of panel discussions
leading up to the celebration
and highlighted several policy
priorities, including aging and
elder care.
The Hon. Cheryl Brown, a
retired California Assembly-
member and a commissioner
on the California Commission
on Aging said 23% of Black
women live in poverty, which
is the second-highest percent -
age in the U.S. — only behind
Native American women.
Brown pointed out that Gov.
Gavin Newsom set aside $2
billion for the Master Plan on
Aging, a 10-year project, but
she questioned, how would the
people the money is intend-
ed to help access the money.
Brown said currently there are
not effective systems in place
to inform people about getting
the help they need.
The funds, she said, will
funnel down through the Cali-
fornia Department of Aging
down to county agencies.
“That’s why it’s critical to
get involved on those levels,”
Brown emphasized.
Ahead of Women’s History
Month, a group of influen-
tial California Black women
brought their perspectives to -
gether last month in a virtual
“fireside chat” to take a broad-
er look at aging and elder care
in the Black community.
Whether they were ex -
pressing the joys of caring
for a loved one or exposing
the range of challenges Black
women face as they age, the
panelists shared useful insights
that could shape public health
policy or improve ways Afri-
can American caregivers at -
tend to the needs of aging fam-
ily members.
“This is our third event as
part of the California Black
Women Empowerment se-
ries,” said Yvonne Wheeler, a
member of the strategy team
of the CBWC. The event was
organized in partnership with
Black Women Organized for
Political Action (BWOPA).
“Our goal is to talk about
the issues that are important
to Black women in California
and today the topic is ‘Black
Women Aging With Dignity
and Respect.’”
During their remarks, panel-
ists outlined resources Black
women need to make sure that
their needs are met while el -
evating some concerning sta-
tistics.
“Black women in California
have many barriers in their ev-
eryday life. As we get older, the
issues don’t change. The issues
just get more complicated,”
said Regina Brown Wilson,
moderator of the event and ex-
ecutive director of California
Black Media.
“Before COVID-19, we
were already experiencing fi-
nancial hardship, poor health
outcomes, and when the pan-
Continued on page 8
George Henry White in 1900.
White, who represented North Car-
olina, was the House’s only Black
lawmaker at the time. Democrat
Sen. Cory Booker and Republican
Senator Tim Scott, both of whom
are Black, introduced the legisla-
tion together this time around.
“Although no legislation will
reverse the pain and fear felt by
those victims, their loved ones, and
Black communities, this legislation
is a necessary step America must
take to heal from the racial -
ized violence that has perme -
ated its history,” Booker said
in a statement on March 7.
Rep. Bobby Rush, who
represents part of Chicago,
where Till lived before he was
To read the full story, go to
postnewsgroup.com
Send your church notes, stories and
events to Post News Group, Email at
[email protected]
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The Monkeypox Health Crisis: How California Is Responding Among Black Californians, there have been 129 cases report- ed so far, accounting for about 11% of all confirmed cases in the state. CBM image.
By Tanu Henry,
California Black Media
As the monkeypox virus
outbreak spreads around the
globe, Gov. Gavin Newsom
says California will need to
galvanize forces across re -
gions and relax some state
regulations and statutes to
combat a disease that poses
a threat greater than local au -
thorities may be able to re -
spond to effectively.
“California is working ur -
gently across all levels of gov-
ernment to slow the spread of
monkeypox, leveraging our
robust testing, contact trac -
ing and community partner -
ships strengthened during the
pandemic to ensure that those
most at risk are our focus for
vaccines, treatment and out -
reach,” the governor said Aug.
1 as he declared a state of
emergency in California.
The California Department
of Public Health (CDPH) has
begun to collect and report
racial and other demographic
data, tracking how the disease
is impacting various groups
across the state.
The Governor’s state of
emergency follows similar ac-
tions taken in San Francisco,
New York City, and Illinois.
On July 23, the World Health
Organization declared mon -
keypox a “public health emer-
gency.”
On Aug. 4, the federal
government also declared
monkeypox a national public
health emergency.
“We are prepared to take
our response to the next level
in addressing this virus and
we urge every American to
take monkeypox seriously,”
said U.S. Health and Human
Services Secretary and former
California Attorney General
Xavier Becerra.
CDPH Director and State
Public Health Officer Dr.
Tomás J. Aragón says he
welcomes the federal health
emergency because it opens
up channels for California to
get more access to resources
to slow the spread of the dis -
ease.
“We hope today’s action in-
jects additional federal fund -
ing and resources into our
collective response efforts.
The state remains focused on
slowing the spread of the virus
in impacted communities, ad -
ministering the limited num -
ber of vaccine doses we have,
and raising awareness about
prevention measures and ac -
cess to treatment,” Aragón
said, before adding that Cali -
fornia is “well-positioned” to
tackle the outbreak.
Although monkeypox is
not considered deadly, the
disease can be fatal for some
categories of people, accord -
ing to public health authori-
ties. Symptoms of the disease
— lesions and blisters — can
be extremely painful in some
cases as well.
“Over 99% of people who
get this form of the disease are
likely to survive. However,
people with weakened im -
mune systems, children under
8 years of age, people with a
history of eczema, and people
who are pregnant or breast -
feeding may be more likely
to get seriously ill or die,” the
CDC reports.
According to the gover -
nor’s office, CDPH has taken
a number of steps to expand
access to vaccinations and the
state has launched a public in-
formation campaign, mostly
relying on webinars and town
hall meetings to get informa -
tion about monkeypox out to
people across the state.
“CDPH is also expanding
treatment options. Access to
the antiviral prescription drug
tecovirimat (Tpoxx) used to
treat monkeypox is limited,
but the treatment can now be
administered at more than 30
facilities and providers across
the state,” a press release is -
sued by Newsom’s office
states.
As of Aug. 2, the state had
distributed nearly 1,713 treat-
ment courses and 168 IV
doses of tecovirimat to health
centers in various locations
across the state.
So far, CDPH has received
a little over 109,000 mon -
keypox vaccines — of which
51,000 doses have been dis-
tributed to local health depart-
ments across the state.
Among Black Californians,
there have been 129 cases re -
ported so far, accounting for
about 11% of all confirmed
cases in the state. African
Americans make up about
6.5% of the state’s total popu -
lation.
As of Aug. 5, CDPH reports
that there have been 1,310 con-
firmed cases of monkeypox in
the state with the most con-
firmed cases being reported in
Los Angeles (431) followed
by San Francisco (398) and
Alameda County (83). There
have been 7,509 confirmed
cases in the United States and
28,220 around the world.
Shortly after the governor
declared a State of Emer -
gency, Shane Harris of the
Peoples Association of Justice
Activists, a San Diego-based
advocacy group, called on
San Diego County officials to
release demographic data on
monkeypox cases there.
“The governor has declared
a state of emergency as of last
night and constituents deserve
to know the truth about this vi-
rus in our region,” said Harris
speaking at a press conference.
“My office led this argument
during COVID that we needed
more demographic data, and
the county’s response is that
we did not have enough cases
at that time. I want them to
know that that response will
not work this time. There is
never too few of cases.”
At the state level, the CDPH
has begun to disaggregate the
Monkeypox data it is collect -
ing by race, city, hospitaliza -
tions, gender, age and sexual
orientation.
The age group with the
highest number of reported
monkeypox cases (482) are 25
to 34 year-olds, who make up
about 36.8% of all confirmed
infections in California.
“We’ll continue to work
with the federal government
to secure more vaccines, raise
awareness about reducing
risk, and stand with the LG -
BTQ community fighting stig-
matization,” Newsom added.
Aragón echoed the gover -
nor’s statement.
“Our team is also commit-
ted to reducing stigma among
postnewsgroup.comTHE POST, January 24 - 30, 2024, Page 4 Book Review
“Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons
with Racism in Medicine” by Uché
Blackstock, MD
Report: State Has Implemented More Than
200 “Master Plan for Aging” Initiatives
Continued on page 6
Uché Blackstock, MD . Photo: © Diane Zhao / Random House Photo: iStock photo image.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Ugh, suddenly, just now, you
don’t feel well. Not at all.
It might help to lie down some-
where for a few minutes or maybe
there’s something in a drawer in
the bathroom you could take to
feel better. Need a doctor? Having
the right skin color might help, as
in the new book “Legacy” by Uché
Blackstock, MD.
Her career choice seemed like
the most natural thing in the world.
Uché Blackstock and her twin
sister, Oni, practically grew up in
a hospital, doing homework in a
staff room while their physician-
mother made her rounds. The girls
got a front-row peek into what it
was like to be a Black female doc-
tor and because of their mother’s
influence, it never entered their
minds to choose another career.
That inspiration lingered: after
their mother died young of cancer,
Blackstock chose to work as an
ER doctor, caring for her Brook-
lyn and Bronx neighbors like her
mother did.
Blackstock knew the history:
Black people had long been ob-
jects for experimentation, without
painkillers and without their per -
mission. Early in the last century,
Black midwives were forbidden
from practicing because of a test-
ing matter. A document called the
Flexner Report led to low numbers
of Black doctors for nearly a cen-
tury.
She also knew the statistics:
Black patients are less likely to get
pain medications than are White
patients. Black mothers are at a
higher risk than white mothers for
maternal death, miscarriage, and
problems at delivery. Half of all
medical treatment in the U.S. to-
day happens in an ER, and many of
those patients are Black, poor, and
without a safety net.
Knowing these things, work-
ing under those facts, took its toll.
When she was a young girl,
Blackstock played with her moth-
er’s leather medical bag and the
treasures inside it. She dreamed
of carrying it to her own patients
someday, but her job, meant to help
people, left her exhausted, frustrat-
ed, and emotionally tangled.
It was time to try something
else...
This year, if you’re average,
you’ll spend roughly fifteen min-
utes face-to-face with your doctor
at an appointment. You’ll come
prepared, and so will your physi-
cian; bring “Legacy,” and you’ll
come with stats that are alarming,
although very little of it is new.
Indeed, the news lately has
been full of stories of Black pa-
tients and sub-par care and author
Uché Blackstock underscores ev-
ery bit of that news with personal
experiences to support the facts,
scattered inside a dual biography
of her and her mother. Readers will
enjoy the stories of Blackstock
women becoming physicians and
you’ll be dismayed at generational
and historical roadblocks they
overcame. Read these triumphs,
but don’t lose sight of the other
important thing here: remember,
as Blackstock often urges, that ad-
vocating for one’s self or a loved
one is key to maintaining health
and surviving.
Readers concerned about their
well-being will be glad they read
this book. Biography fans will love
it for different reasons. Either way,
getting what you want out of “Leg-
acy” is easy, and you’ll feel quite
well about it.
c.2024, Viking, $28.00, 304
pages
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By California Black Media
Last week, the Little Hoover
Commission, an independent Cali-
fornia State Government oversight
body created in 1962, released an
analysis of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s
“Master Plan for Aging.” The re-
port was submitted to the Governor
and members of the State Legisla-
ture.
The Commission credited the
state for, so far, implementing 227
of the initiatives in the master plan,
but it also made recommendations
for strengthening the operations
and impact of the work being done.
“In the years since releasing the
Master Plan, an enormous amount
of work is well underway through
hundreds of implementing initia-
tives,” reads a letter from Pedro
Nava, Little Hoover Commission
Chair, in the report released on Jan.
17. “The Commission applauds
these early efforts by the Newsom
Administration to drive progress,
while recognizing that achieving
the Master Plan’s vision will re-
quire sustained focus and commit-
ment,” Nava continued.
Among eight recommenda-
tions in the report, the commission
urged the state to enhance legisla-
tive oversight; create clearer goals;
place higher priority on delivering
results faster; increase accountabil-
ity; and pooling existing state data
to inform decisions.
“The Little Hoover report con-
firms that we are on target to reach
the five goals of the Master Plan,
which, together, provide a blue-
print for improving the health and
overall wellbeing of aging Califor-
nians,” said Cheryl Brown, Chair
of the Executive Committee of the
postnewsgroup.comTHE POST, May 20 - 26, 2026 Page 4
NOTICE AND DIGEST
AN ORDINANCE: (1) REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 12960 C.M.S. AND REPLACING IT WITH THE ADDITION OF OAKLAND MUNICIPAL CODE (O.M.C.) CHAPTER 15.80 AND REFERENCED FLOOD HAZARD MAPS; (2) AUTHRORIZING THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO DESIGNATE A FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR TO ADMINISTER AND DEVELOP REGULATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE CHAPTER; AND (3) ADOPTING APPROPRIATE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT FINDINGS The purpose of this newly adopted Chapter and the flood-load and flood-resistant construction requirements of the City’s locally implemented building codes are to promote the public health, safety and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific flood hazard areas through the establishment of a comprehensive set of regulations for the proper management of flood hazard areas. This Chapter is designed to set forth regulations that: (1) Minimize unnecessary disruption of commerce, access, and public services during times of flooding; (2) Require the use of appropriate building and entitlement planning practices in order to prevent or minimize future flood damage; (3) Manage the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and shorelines to minimize the impact of development on the natural and beneficial functions of the floodplain; (4) Manage filling, grading, dredging, mining, paving, excavation, drilling operations, storage of equipment or materials, and other development which may increase flood damage or erosion potential; (5) Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will divert floodwater or increase flood hazards; (6) Contribute to improved construction techniques in the floodplain; (7) Minimize damage to public and private facilities and utilities; (8) Help maintain a stable tax base by providing for the sound use and development of flood hazard areas; (9) Minimize the need for rescue and relief efforts associated with flooding; (10) Ensure that property owners, occupants, and potential owners are aware of property located in flood hazard areas; (11) Minimize the need for future expenditure of public funds for flood control projects and response to and recovery from flood events; (12) Meet the requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program for community participation as set forth in Title 44 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 59.22. Adoption of this Ordinance as an emergency ordinance pursuant to City Charter section 213 is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety because failure to adopt FEMA-compliant floodplain management regulations by May 25, 2026 may result in suspension of the City of Oakland from the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”), thereby jeopardizing the availability of federally-backed flood insurance for Oakland property owners and eligibility for certain forms of federal disaster assistance in the event of a natural disaster or other flood- related event. Immediate adoption is further necessary to ensure continued implementation of updated floodplain management standards that protect life, property, and public infrastructure from flood hazards.
Notice of Publication
This Emergency Ordinance was introduced and adopted at the City Council meeting, Tuesday evening, May 19, 2026, and passed to print 7 Ayes; 1 Excused: Fife. Final adoption occurred at the City Council meeting Tuesday evening, May 19, 2026, at One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Council Chamber, 3rd floor, Oakland, California and via Teleconference.
Three full copies are available for use and examination by the public in the Office of the City Clerk at One Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 1st floor, Oakland, California
ASHA REED, City Clerk
Publication Date: Friday, May 22, 2026 (One Time)
NEEDS
TO BE RE-
PLACED