Feds monitoring Oscar Grant protests since 2009

Editor's Note: Last week, KALW News' 'The Informant' dropped a bombshell concerning what many activists in the Justice for Oscar Grant movement already expected. Reading between the lines, it becomes obvious that a) Law enforcement brought to Oakland during recent protests were primarily concerned with protecting property and, (b) the federal involvement of law enforcement...

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"Yes, No, Maybe" by Ise Lyfe - Music Monday

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Finalists for new Peralta Colleges Chancellor to attend forums

Three finalists have been selected for the next Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District. The finalist are: are Dr. Lawrence M. Cox, Provost/CEO of Compton College (California); Dr. Edna B. Chun, Vice President of Human Resources at Broward College (Florida); and Dr. Ed Gould, Superintendent/President of Imperial Valley College (California).The first forum will...

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Ishmael Reed Book Reading in Oakland - Barack Obama and the Jim Croww Media

By Al YoungSpecial to TheBlackHour.comIshmael Reed will read from and discuss his latest book, BARACK OBAMA AND THE JIM CROW MEDIA: The Return of the Nigger Breakers, on Tuesday, November 23 at the Black Dot Cafe in West Oakland.Under slavery, 'nigger breakers' had the job of destroying the spirits of tough black men by whatever means necessary. At age 15, Frederick Douglass...

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Mystified - Naru Kwina - Music Monday

This week's Music Monday:To raise awareness about the silent epidemic of sexual abuse in the community, filmmaker and activist Dedoceo Habi, rap artist Naru Kwina and songstress Yolanda Davis have created, "Mystified.""Both young boys and young girls — yes, even here in our fair city of Oakland — are being victimized by these quiet perpetrators who endear themselves to a family or are considered a “good person” in the neighborhood and therefore not assumed to be a threat," writes producer Dedoceo Habi on OaklandSeen.com. These people enter our...

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AC Transit cancels December cuts, bus riders rally for service

AC Transit riders rallied against service cuts in downtown Oakland on Nov. 9 as agency officials announced an agreement in an ongoing labor dispute with bus drivers.The decision halted planned December service cuts, that would have brought service to its lowest levels in 30 years, but there will likely be future service reductions.In the past year, the agency has hiked fares...

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Oakland police shoot unarmed man, community plans march

Oakland police shot and killed unarmed business owner Derrick Jones on Nov. 8. A march from his Bancroft Ave barbershop, Kwic Cuts, to Fruitvale BART is planned for Thursday for 3 p.m. Police are defending the shooting.According to police, OPD responded to a report of a domestic abuse between Jones and his ex-girlfriend, ABC News reports. When police arrived at Jones' barber...

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AC Transit riders to fight back

With AC Transit at its lowest service levels in decades, bus riders are fighting back. On Tuesday, Nov. 9, riders are holding a rally at 14th and Broadway to "Stop the Cuts" and encourage officials–who worked so hard for the Oakland Airport Connector (OAC)–to work to preserve AC Transit service."Due to unjust funding decisions by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission...

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Black Elected Officials, Clergy, Legal Groups Condemn Mehserle Sentence

The following statement was released by the Black Elected Officials and Faith Based Leaders of the East Bay a few hours after the sentencing of former BART Police Officer Johannes Mehserle.The organizations and individuals listed below condemn today’s sentencing of former BART Officer Johannes Mehserle. The sentence of two years minus time served is far more lenient than would normally be handed down in similar cases not involving law enforcement defendants. Combined with an already lenient conviction for involuntary manslaughter, the slap on...

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Oakland to dedicate City Hall rooms after four Oakland police officers

During a press conference last month to announce the most recent Oakland gang injunction, the hearing room at Oakland City Hall was hard for some people to find because the room number was covered up.Underneath a white sheet of plastic was the name of one of the four officers who were killed last year during a March 2009 shootout with Oakland resident Lovelle Mixon. On Monday, November 8, City Council President and other City Officials are officially dedicating four City Hall Hearing rooms to Oakland Police officers Sgt. Mark T. Dunakin, St. Ervin...

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Oakland rally planned in response to Mehserle sentencing

Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle will be sentence on Friday, November 5 for the shooting death of Oscar Grant, III. Hundreds will gather at Oakland City Hall, and later in West Oakland, to respond to the sentencing and to honor Oscar.“While many of us will undoubtedly be angry on that day, we will also take time out to honor the memory of Oscar Grant,” said Ann...

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Activists condemn KTVU's Mehserle PR

On the eve of the sentencing of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle, KTVU is lobbying for his freedom, activists said. On Nov. 1, the Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant protested outside KTVU-Fox News' Oakland offices, condemning the recent a href="http://www.ktvu.com/news/25559610/detail.html">televised jailhouse interview of Mehserle. "Rita Williams' recent 'interview'...

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'Head of the State' by Baracka Flacka - Music Monday

"Head of the State" by Baracka Fla...

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Laney College receives bomb threat

Laney College has received a bomb threat from an anonymous caller, according to an email sent out to students on Thurs October 21."There has been a suspicious phone call from an anonymous individual declaring a bomb threat at Laney College," wrote Laney College President Elnora Webb. Many students were notified by text message or email, but some did not find out until Friday...

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Oakland Mayoral Candidates Forum at Holy Names

The Bay Area Black Journalists Association will host the final Oakland mayoral candidates forum tonight at Holy Names University. The program will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. Holy Names is located at 3500 Mountain Blvd. The program is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters in Oakla...

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Urban Releaf to Break Ground in Tree Poor West Oakland Neighborhood

The Ground Breaking for Urban Releaf's 31st Green Street Demonstration Project takes place Thursday, October 21 from 11-1 p.m. The event will take place on the corner of 31st and Market Street in West Oakland.Following the success of Urban Releaf's Ettie Street watershed research and evaluation projects funded by the statewide CALFED Watershed Program, the only Black run urban...

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Labor to rally for Oscar Grant in Oakland

The International Longshoremans Worker's Union (ILWU) has will shut down the Port of Oakland and host a rally at Oakland City Hall on Saturday, October 23 for Justice for Oscar Grant. The noontime rally, two weeks before former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle is to be sentenced for the 2009 New Year's murder of Oscar Grant, is sponsored by dozens of labor and community...

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Reginald James awarded Chauncey Bailey Scholarship

By Tracey TateSpecial to TheBlackHour.comThe Bay Area Black Journalists Association (BABJA) awarded Laney College student Reginald James the Chauncey Wendell Bailey Jr. Scholarship on Oct. 2. At the Seventh Annual Young Journalists Scholarship Gala, held at Scott's Seafood Restaurant in Jack London Square, James received a check for $2,500 for his work as a student journalist.James,...

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Black Cartoonists Showcase at Laney College

Black Cartoonists participate in a panel discussion on October 13 at the Laney College as a part of the Library's current exhibit, "Coloring Outside the Lines: Black Cartoonists as Social Commentators."The exhibit, curated by Kheven LaGrone, is about breaking outside those lines."LaGrone told a href="http://oaklandlocal.com/article/black-cartoonist-social-commentators-be-discussed-during-panel-laney">OaklandLocal.com...

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Bay Area Black Journalists Honored

By Niema JordanOaklandLocal.comMedia professionals, students, and community members gathered in Jack London Oct. 2 for the 7th Annual Young Journalists Scholarship Gala. One of the many projects coordinated by the Bay Area Association of Black Journalists (BABJA), the event honored broadcast journalist and industry mentor Bob Butler for his contributions both past and present....

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Students wanted for volunteer reading program at Laney College

A student-run literacy project at the Peralta College is seeking volunteers at the Children’s Centers of Laney College and Merritt Colleges in Oakland, and College of Alameda. Orientations will be held this Tuesday and Thursday for Laney College students interested in being Volunteer Readers with Peralta Reads. Students will read to the pre-schoolers at the Laney College Children’s...

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Reconsider Columbus Day

Christopher Columbus was a rapist, murderer and a thief. And there's a holiday named after him.Celebrate Indigenous People's Day instead. Respect those who were here first.Reconsider Columbus D...

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Laney College students occupy Peralta Colleges Chancellor's Office

Following a rally at Laney College on October 7, a group of students stormed the Peralta Colleges District headquarters and briefly occupied the Chancellor's office.The rally abruptly ended as about 30 students marched from Laney’s quad, down 8th Street towards the district’s headquarters chanting, “No cuts! No fees! Education should be free!”The group burst into the the Peralta District’s headquarters, interrupting a Benefits Fair for employees. Corporate representatives from CostCo and 24 Hour Fitness appeared stunned as students marched past...

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West Oakland Community Theater presents August Wilson's 'Gem of the Ocean'

The Lower Bottom Playaz Present August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean" from October 8 through October 17 in West Oakland.Gem of the Ocean is the first installment of his decade-by-decade, ten-play chronicle, The Pittsburgh Cycle, dramatizing the African-American experience in the twentieth century.The play is set in 1904 at 1839 Wylie Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Hill District....

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Laney College students occupy Peralta Colleges Chancellor's Office

Demanding no more budget cuts, staff layoffs, or fee increases, Laney College students held a noontime rally on the main campus quad on October 7. Some later marched to the Peralta Colleges district and briefly occupied the Chancellor’s office.Coinciding with a National Day of Action in Defense of Education, the “Speak Out” let any student share how education budget cuts affected...

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Dance performances tells unknown stories of early Blacks in San Francisco

Of all urban cities in the U.S., the percentage of San Francisco's African American population is the smallest. Yet, much of early Black history in California is set in the city, and remains largely untold. Sailing Away, a site-specific dance performance on Market Street from October 7 to October 10 will explore the history of African Americans' early contributions to the...

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Film: Gerrymandering at Laney College

Laney College is hosting a free screening of the film, "Gerrymandering," on Friday, October 8 in the Theater building.What is "gerrymandering"? Named for the Massachusetts governor who conveniently redrew a few erratic lines in 1812, gerrymandering is the redistricting of electoral boundaries to effect voting outcome in favor of a particular candidate, political party, et cetera. Director Jeff Reichert gathers an impressive bevy of experts to smartly present a well-rounded exposé. This accessible and informative documentary encourages us to put...

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Black Cartoonists Exhibit at Laney College

By Tracey BrownSpecial to TheBlackHour.comIn 1965 there was "Wee Pals," a friendly comic strip advocating racial integration. Now there is "Boondocks," a comic strip morphed into an animated TV series whose primary characters are two inner-city kids who have moved to the suburbs--Huey, an angry revolutionary, and Riley, a wannabe gangsta. The evolution of this social commentary...

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Laney College hosts Peralta Colleges trustees candidates forum

Candidates for the Peralta Colleges Board of Trustees will be at Laney College on Tuesday, September 28 from 11:45 am to 1 p.m. in the Forum to answer questions and share their platforms. The Candidates Forum, sponsored by the Associated Students of Laney College (ASLC) and the Laney College Classified Senate will feature all the candidates for Area 3(Linda Handy and Monica Tell) and Area 5 (Dr. Bill Riley and Williams J. Mattox).Students can ask questions to the incumbents and challengers.This event will feature a Question and Answer session for...

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Laney College hosts Black College Recruitment Fair

Image: MarchingSport.comAfter too many years of holding Transfer Day events and College Fairs with NO representatives from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Laney College will host the Second Annual HBCU College Recruitment Fair September 15.Students will be able to receive:ON THE SPOT Admissions and ScholarshipsApplication Fee Waived for Many CollegesFace-to-face...

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Documentary focuses on ghetto life in Bayview-Hunters Point of San Francisco

Russian news agency RT has a news program focusing on San Francisco's Bayview -Hunters Point neighborhood. "USA: Prisoner of the Ghetto," takes an interesting look at the plight of Black people in southeast San Francisco. "USA: Prisoners of the Ghetto gives a powerful portrayal of the difficult and dangerous life in the black ghettos of San Francisco," according to RT. Video Credit: Russia To...

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Peralta Board of Trustees November 2010 Election Preview

Three of the Peralta Board of Trustees seven seats will be up for reelection on Tuesday, November 2. With three incumbents running, one trustee is running unopposed while the others each face one challenger.In Area 3, two-term incumbent Linda Handy faces a challenge from Monica Tell. Handy, who served as board president in 2006, defeated the embattled trustee Brenda Knight...

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Video - Hal Linton's "Mind Control" - Music Monday

Back in April, TheBlackHour.com debuted Hal Linton's "Mind Control" song for our Music Monday.Last month, the Barbadian artist released an official video. Check it out below."Mind Control" by Hal Lin...

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Event - Caribbean Allstars benefit for Justice for Oscar Grant

Just one night after an amazing show at East Side Arts Alliance, another benefit for the Justice for Oscar Grant movement is taking place Friday, August 20 at the Humanist Hall in Oakland.The event, titled, "Caribbean Allstars, a benefit for Justice for Oscar Grant," will feature spoken word and great food, organizers said. Doors open at 6 p.m., music begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission...

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Justice for Oscar Grant Fundraiser at East Side Arts Alliance

The Holla Back Open Mic series will host a fundraiser for the Oscar Grant family and friends on Thursday, August 19 at East Side Arts Alliance.The benefit concert will feature many local and also well known artists. Artists include: Ras Ceylon, Malika Ubaka, Do D.A.T., Buccet Belafonte and T. Killings, and the paid poet society.The event will take place at 7 p.m. at East Side...

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AC Transit outsourcing Oakland call center to Connecticut

By Reginald JamesTheBlackHour.com EditorIf you call AC Transit’s Customer Relations for a question or a complaint, don’t be surprised to hear someone with a New England accent.AC Transit plans on outsourcing its local Telephone Information Center to Connecticut based American Customer Care starting next month. The center is currently located at the District’s downtown Oakland...

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Art & Soul Festival in Downtown Oakland

Looking for a fun weekend of live music, art and food? Head to downtown Oakland for the 10th Art & Soul Festival on Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22.Art & Soul features Oakland legend MC Hammer, Tony! Toni! Tone!, En Vogue, Lenny Williams of Tower of Power, Sheila E and her father Pete Escovedo and the Kev Choice Ensemble and the Mo' Rocking Project. Although...

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Event - Film Screening - Disappearing Voices: The Decline of Black Voices in Radio

Block Report Radio will host a screening of the film, "Disappearing Voices: The Decline of Black Voices in Radio" at the Black Dot Cafe in West Oakland on Tuesday, August 17. Disappearing Voices is filled with interviews with prominent individuals in media and Black culture and features rare air checks by some of the most famous Black jocks of all time.Whether they are students...

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Peralta trustee Marcie Hodge running for Mayor of Oakland

Peralta Colleges trustee Marcie Hodge wants to be the next Mayor of Oakland, the Oakland Tribune reports.Hodge is one of 13 candidates who filed nomination papers August 11 to succeed Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums -- who recently announced he would not be running for reelection -- in the Nov. 2 election. She said is unimpressed with the other candidates.Hodge told the Oakland...

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Oakland mayoral candidates file, speak on proposed local currency

As Oakland mayoral hopefuls filed their nomination papers, the Oakland Community Action Network (Oakland C.A.N.) held a press conference August 11 for candidates to express support for a proposed local currency and present their platforms.The proposed Alternative Currency for Oakland Residents and Neighbors, or ACORN – not to be confused with the now defunct human rights organization – would combine both a local debit card city ID card in order to promote the circulation of money in Oakland. Half of the 13 candidates spoke at the press conference,...

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