By Carla Thomas
For educator, childcare provid-
er and children’s author Tarsha Jor-
dan, Bonita the Bumblebee is much
more than a colorful storybook
character. The cheerful bee has be-
come a teaching tool, a comforting
friend and a creative way for chil-
dren to explore their emotions, nav-
igate life changes and discover the
world around them.
Jordan’s inspiration for Boni -
ta grew from her lifelong commit-
ment to children and education.
With more than 30 years of expe-
rience as an educator and admin -
istrator, she operates Kindergar -
ten Readiness Academy, a licensed
family childcare program in Oak-
land’s Longfellow neighborhood.
The academy prepares young chil-
dren socially, emotionally and aca-
demically for school.
Her firsthand experience has
given Jordan a deep understand -
ing of how children communicate,
what captures their attention and
how stories can open conversations
young readers may not otherwise
know how to begin.
Jordan describes her mission as
developing lifelong learners who
love reading while introducing chil-
dren to relatable characters. Bonita
fulfills that mission by addressing
real-life experiences in language
children can understand.
In “Bonita The Bumble Bee
and the Quarantine,” Jordan helped
young readers process the uncer -
tainty and isolation surrounding
the COVID-19 pandemic. In a later
book about returning to school, Bo-
nita guided children through chang-
ing routines, expectations and emo-
tions. Designed to promote social-
emotional development and men-
tal health awareness, editions were
made available in English, Spanish
and Mandarin.
Bonita’s impact becomes even
more immediate when children
meet the character in person. Jordan
recently hosted a Mommy and Me
children’s tea party at Bay Street
Emeryville, where Bonita buzzed
around the event, greeted young
guests and brought the literary char-
acter to life.
“The children can interact with
the character, experience the excite-
ment of seeing a familiar literary
friend come to life and develop an
even stronger connection with read-
ing,” Jordan said.
For children of color, that con-
nection carries another important
dimension: representation. Chil -
dren benefit from seeing them -
selves reflected in books, educa -
tional environments, imaginative
characters and the people creating
those stories.
Jordan also believes Bonita ex-
pands children’s imaginations and
encourages them to envision new
possibilities.
“When children of color see au-
thors that look like them creating
books, building educational pro -
grams and bringing original charac-
ters into their communities, they are
exposed to the possibilities beyond
the story itself,” Jordan said. “They
can begin to imagine themselves as
writers, educators, entrepreneurs,
artists and creators.”
Founded to introduce STEAM,
(science, technology, engineering,
the arts and mathematics) to chil-
dren in transitional kindergarten
through third grade, Bonita The
Bumble Bee also addresses neuro-
divergent behaviors.
Known to young learners as
“Teacher Tarsha,” Jordan combines
Bonita’s whimsical personality
with hands-on experiments and ac-
tivities for children ages 3 to 8. The
experiences promote early literacy,
strengthen problem-solving skills
and give children tools for manag-
ing their emotional health.
Jordan holds master’s degrees
in education and public administra-
tion and is pursuing a doctorate in
education. Her academic prepara-
tion and extensive classroom expe-
rience help her create programs that
are both engaging and developmen-
tally meaningful.
“We’re hoping to take Bonita
to the next level and welcome new
partnerships,” Jordan said.
Visit BonitaTheBumbleBee.
com.
nity leaders, who said organiz -
ers had not adequately consult -
ed local stakeholders. They were
also concerned that the gather -
ing, which included plans for a
DJ and vendors, would disrupt
the Leimert Park Sunday Market-
place and other scheduled activi -
ties.
Leimert Park is widely regard -
ed as the cultural heart of Black
Los Angeles. Its weekly market -
place, food vendors and drum cir-
cle have long provided an eco -
nomic and cultural gathering
place for Black residents. That
history, compounded with lin -
gering concerns about gentrifica -
tion and the city’s declining Black
population, intensified sensitivity
to the event’s promotion.
“This is a historic Black district
which we fought for and built up,
its arts district, its cultural hub,”
KBLA radio host Dominique Di-
Prima told a local L.A. news sta -
tion.
“You’re saying that you’re go-
ing to “take over” is sort of like the
last stand for Black LA is prob -
lematic.”
In another widely circulated
video, a woman warned organiz -
ers, “We don’t want you to come
into Africa Town,” adding that
they would be “met with resis -
tance from the Black communi -
ty.” A separate Black social me -
dia user suggested, “We should
call ICE,” drawing condemna -
tion amid federal immigration en-
forcement concerns affecting La-
tino communities.
Barrio Athletics said it did
not condone “racism, violence
or hate.” Black and Latino com -
munity organizers later joined
the group for what local L.A. ra -
dio station KJLH described as a
“tough but necessary conversa -
tion.”
KJLH posted a video of the dis-
cussion.
Following “careful conversa -
tion with community leaders,”
Barrio Athletics relocated the
run to Elysian Park “to respect
Leimert Park and the surrounding
community.”
Bass denied claims that she had
ordered the move, saying she had
not known about the dispute be -
fore its resolution.
“Bringing people across racial,
cultural and neighborhood lines
together has been the foundation
of my life’s work,” Bass said,
“and it continues to guide how I
lead this city today.”
NOTICE AND DIGEST
ORDINANCE AMENDING AND REENACTING ORDINANCE NO. 13561 C.M.S. FOR
THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION TO ENABLE QUORUM WITH A MAJORITY
OF APPOINTED MEMBERS, ESTABLISH ITS AUTHORITY TO CREATE STANDING
COMMITTEES, ALLOW THE COMMISSION TO APPOINT THE CHAIRPERSON, AND
OTHER CLARIFYING EDITS
This Ordinance would amend and restate Ordinance No. 13561 C.M.S. to update the enabling legislation of the Cultural Affairs Commission. The Ordinance would clarify the authority of the Cultural Affairs Commission to create standing committees subject to City Administrator approval, make other clarifying edits regarding the scope of the Commission, allow the Commission to appoint the chairperson directly, and revise quorum to a simple majority of appointed members but no fewer than four members.
Notice of Publication
This Ordinance was introduced at the City Council meeting, Tuesday evening, July 21, 2026, and passed to print 6 Ayes; 2 Excused: Fife and Jenkins. Final adoption has been scheduled for the City Council meeting Tuesday evening September 15, 2026, 3:30 P .M., 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, September 11, 2026.
(One Time)
NOTICE AND DIGEST
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE FORGIVENESS OF OUTSTANDING AND FUTURE RENT BALANCES IN AN AMOUNT OF UP TO $40,000 FOR SEMINARY POINT, LLC,
PURSUANT TO A GROUND LEASE WITH THE CITY, CONTINGENT ON THE SALE
OR TRANSFER OF THE LEASEHOLD INTEREST IN THE PROPERTY TO A QUALIFIED PURCHASER; AND MAKING CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT FINDINGS This is an Ordinance (a) authorizing the forgiveness of the outstanding rent balance of Twenty- Nine Thousand Dollars ($29,000) and future rent up to Eleven Thousand Dollars ($11,000) for Seminary Point, LLC, pursuant to a ground lease with the City, as of the date of, and contingent on, the sale or transfer of the leasehold interest in the property to a qualified purchaser and (b) making California Environmental Quality Act findings.
Notice of Publication
This Ordinance was introduced at the City Council meeting, Tuesday evening, July 21, 2026, and passed to print 6 Ayes; 2 Excused: Fife and Jenkins. Final adoption has been scheduled for the City Council meeting Tuesday evening September 15, 2026, 3:30 P .M., 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, September 11, 2026.
(One Time)
postnewsgroup.comTHE POST, September 9 - 15, 2026 Page 8 Blacks and
Latinos Clash
Over LA’s Barrio
Run ...
Continued from page 2
By Krista Chan
The legacy of lynchings and ra-
cial terror in the American South
persists in 2026 amid several sus-
picious deaths of young Black
Americans that families say local
authorities have inadequately in -
vestigated.
The most prominent case is
that of Nolan Wells, an 18-year-
old Black man whose body was
found July 6 on Horn Island, off
the Mississippi Gulf Coast, af -
ter a Fourth of July trip with three
White friends.
The NAACP joined the le -
gal team representing Wells’ fam-
ily alongside civil rights attorney
Ben Crump. The family has raised
questions about discrepancies sur-
rounding Wells’ final hours, in -
cluding why his phone was found
with one of his friends. An inde -
pendent autopsy found that his
“manner of death remained unde-
termined.”
At a vigil commemorating
Wells’ 19th birthday, the Rev. Ja-
mal Harrison Bryant said, “To go
from Medgar Evers to Emmett
Till, to Nolan Wells, the blood
stops here.”
Till’s 1955 murder helped gal-
vanize the Civil Rights Move -
ment, but thousands of lynchings
went unreported. According to
the Equal Justice Initiative, 4,084
racial terror lynchings occurred
across 12 Southern states from
1877 to 1950. White perpetrators
were rarely held accountable.
The Congressional Black Cau-
cus has urged U.S. Attorney Gen-
eral Todd Blanche and FBI Direc-
tor Kash Patel to launch an inde -
pendent federal review of Wells’
death. That request comes as the
Trump administration has disman-
tled diversity, equity and inclusion
programs and shifted the Justice
Department’s civil rights priori -
ties.
Wells’ case is not isolated.
Crump is also representing the
families of Daniel Erving and Ty-
ler Smith — three 18-year-old
Black men who died within three
months.
Erving, of Sachse, Texas, died
April 14 at Lake Ray Hubbard af-
ter jumping from a railroad bridge
with friends. His death was ruled
an accidental drowning, a finding
his mother disputes.
“The autopsy report shows my
son had an unobstructed airway, so
my son did not drown,” Tameca
Erving said.
Two people were later charged
with tampering with evidence af-
ter allegedly discarding his cloth-
ing and cellphone.
Smith, of Lexington, Ken -
tucky, died July 4 from what police
described as an accidental self-in-
flicted gunshot. His family dis -
putes that account. Police records
indicate that the recovered fire -
arm did not match the shell casing
found at the scene. A 20-year-old
man has been charged with tam -
pering with evidence.
Crump has described the three
cases as a troubling pattern requir-
ing national attention.
On Aug. 3, Tasia Fortune, a
29-year-old Black mother of four,
was found hanging from a tree be-
hind a vacant home in Jackson,
Mississippi. Her mother, Christy
Spivey, insists her daughter did not
take her own life.
Fortune’s death follows two
other cases involving Black peo -
ple found hanging from trees in
Mississippi within the past year.
In September 2025, Demartravi -
on “Trey” Reed was found hang-
ing at Delta State University, and
Cory Zukatis was found hanging
in Vicksburg. Authorities ruled
both deaths suicides.
This history explains why these
deaths evoke fear and distrust. For-
tune’s case remains under investi-
gation, while the Justice Depart -
ment and FBI have not publicly
announced an independent review
of Wells’ death.
About the Author
Krista Chan is a civic tech -
nology professional and Chinese
medicine student in Oakland. She
writes and organizes around global
peace and racial justice.
OpiniOn:
Legacy of Racial
Terror Lives on in
U.S. South
Revitalized East Oakland
Park Honors the Legacy of
Tyrone Carney, Killed in
Vietnam War
Tarsha Jordan’s Bonita the
Bumblebee Brings STEAM
Learning to Life
Nolan Wells. File photo.
A bust by sculptor Dana King at Tyrone Carney Park in the Sobrante Park neighborhood of East Oakland honors U.S. Marine Corps PFC Tyrone Carney who died while serving in Vietnam in 1968. Photo Courtesy of OBL.
Tarsha Jordan and Tarsha Jordan’s Bonita the Bumblebee. Photos by Carla Thomas.
By Carla Thomas
After remaining closed for
more than two decades, Tyrone
Carney Park reopened Thursday
Aug 27, with a ribbon-cutting cer-
emony celebrating a $5 million
investment in recreation, well -
ness and community space in East
Oakland.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee,
District 7 Councilmember Ken
Houston, city leaders, commu -
nity partners and residents gath -
ered at the half-acre park, located
at 10501 Acalanes Drive, to com-
memorate its long-awaited revi -
talization.
“Revitalizing and reopening
Tyrone Carney Park strengthens
the Town by expanding youth pro-
grams, supporting job training,
and improving public health,”
said Lee said. “Oakland is on
Continued on page 9