Connect with us

Commentary

COMMENTARY: Don’t Mess with Max: Mnuchin Madness

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Mnuchin is really above his Peter Principle as Treasury Secretary in any administration but 45’s. And those birds of a feather stick together because they share values and shady self-serving morals. Mr. Mnuchin boldly requested government planes to facilitate his honeymoon, is taking his cues from the man who has turned the Presidency into a profit center, operating government on a “pay-to-play” basis with possibly Russians, Saudis and who knows who else.

Published

on

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available via www.amazon.com for booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visitwww.juliannemalveaux.com

By Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor

Who does Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin think he is? Simmering in his putrid privilege, he seemed to think that he was in charge of the House Financial Services Committee. He was rude and rogue when he snapped back at Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the committee chair, because she checked him on his nonsense.

The hapless Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, forgot his place and was publicly and unacceptably disrespectful to Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Waters compelled his presence to testify and then summarily dismissed him (“you can leave if you want”) when he got testy and disrespectful with her.

Mnuchin is really above his Peter Principle as Treasury Secretary in any administration but 45’s. And those birds of a feather stick together because they share values and shady self-serving morals. Mr. Mnuchin boldly requested government planes to facilitate his honeymoon, is taking his cues from the man who has turned the Presidency into a profit center, operating government on a “pay-to-play” basis with possibly Russians, Saudis and who knows who else. No wonder Mnuchin won’t release 45’s taxes. No wonder he could not answer the direct questions of a congressional committee. No wonder he whined about being the “worst treated” Treasury secretary in history. Was that comment supposed to impress someone?

It surely didn’t impress Maxine Waters who handled Mnuchin the same way one might treat a bag of dog poop abandoned by its careless owner. You wouldn’t put your hands on it. You might not even kick it. But you’d sniff at it and turn away. That’s just what Congresswoman Maxine Waters did when she told him that he could leave the hearing he’d committed to participate in. Then, she icily told him not to presume to instruct her on how to hold a hearing, and how to use a gavel (he said gravel – inarticulate). Maxine Waters took the hapless Mnuchin to Liberation School, but since he graduated from the Klux Academy of White Supremacy, he will probably have to subject himself to further detoxification from his racist behavior.

Mnuchin’s behavior toward Congresswoman Waters was his exercise in white supremacy, pure and simple. White supremacy is the belief that the white race is inherently superior to other races, and that white people should have control over people of different races, especially people of African descent. White supremacy manifests itself in public policy that allows white so-called “law and order” officers to kill unarmed Black people because they think they are superior, and call tell the lie that they are in fear for their lives. White supremacy manifests itself in the ways that African Americans earn unequal pay for the same work and the ways that supremacists justify it. White supremacy occurs when colonizers come into predominately Black communities and then insist that others play by their rules and kowtow to their desires. They want someone to turn down the go-go music, but readily accept other loud noise. Because they are loud noise. Loud, myopic, uncompromising noise. And Munchkin Mnuchin was the noisiest of all when he presumed to instruct an African American icon on how to use a gavel after she has spent nearly 30 years in Congress.

Mnuchin’s performance was a tribute to the racist capitalist patriarchy that is the foundation of white supremacy. He would not have even slightly presumed to tell a white man, or a Black one for that matter, how to close a hearing. He might have told a white woman, possibly adding the term “honey” in to soften or sharpen the bow. But the only person he’d dare get huffy with, just based on the white supremacist belief of his privilege, was a Black woman. Maxine Waters was the wrong Black woman. Excuse my Ebonics, but Max don’t play. She takes no tea for the fever. She takes back her time, stands up for her rights, and was not about to have a pathetic 45 lackey disrespect her.

The House Judiciary Committee held hearings around the same time the House Financial Services Committee was. So, while the Treasury Secretary was disrespecting Congresswoman Waters, the House Judiciary Committee was holding a hearing about the dangers of white supremacy. White supremacy was displayed at its most privileged, when an elected member of Congress is inappropriately chided by a Cabinet member, who does not have peer status.

White supremacy attempts to reinforce the egregious nature of the Dred Scott decision in which the Supreme Court of these United States declared that the Black man had “no rights that a white man is bound to respect.” For Steven Mnuchin, Congresswoman Maxine Waters had no rights he was bound to respect. For Mnuchin, and too many others in the 45 circle, the Dred Scott decision still stands.

Mnuchin may have simmered in his faux white superiority for much of his life, but his simmer turned into a boil when he tangled with the House Judiciary Committee, and his boil was on the hot seat. He learned, I hope, not to mess with Max. I hope he also learned that his white supremacy will not protect him from a band of tenacious Democrats who will continue pushing him for both truths and tax returns.

Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. Her latest project MALVEAUX! On UDCTV is available on youtube.com. For booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Comments

Black Press

COMMENTARY: Oakland’s Black Students Have Gained Ground: We Shouldn’t Stop Now

New state data reveals that Black students in the Oakland Unified School District are making academic gains in reading and math at rates significantly faster than their peers statewide. These improvements follow a 2023 decision by board leadership to cancel school closures and instead invest in the Black Thriving Community Schools program. While the district continues to address budget challenges, proponents argue that maintaining these targeted resources is essential to narrowing long-standing achievement gaps. Read more about the specific policies driving these results.

Published

on

Oakland’s Black students are making faster gains in reading and math than Black students statewide, according to state data released Oct. 15.

Those gains followed decisions by school board President Jennifer Brouhard and Vice President Valarie Bachelor to keep schools open, invest in Black students and support teachers.

Since 2023, Black students in Oakland Unified School District have gained about 31 points in English and math on the California School Dashboard — roughly three times the statewide English gain and more than twice the math gain. Our students still trail their statewide peers, but they have narrowed that gap by about a third.

In 2022, the previous board voted to close or reduce grades at 11 schools, mostly serving Black and Brown families. A state civil rights investigation later found the plan would have unlawfully discriminated against Black, low-income and disabled students. Brouhard and Bachelor opposed those closures and, after winning election, voted to cancel remaining plans in January 2023.

The board then expanded support through Black Thriving Community Schools, providing additional resources where Black enrollment exceeds 40%, and funded teachers dedicated to Black students and families. Its reparations policy requires schools to develop plans for Black student achievement.

Meanwhile, the district reduced a $100 million budget shortfall to about $30 million without closing schools, cut central office positions and approved its first balanced budget in 22 years. More than 99% of teaching positions were filled when this school year began.

These investments must grow. Black Thriving Community Schools still reach only some students who need them. Every Oakland child deserves a safe, racially just neighborhood school staffed by qualified teachers who can afford to stay.

The opposing slate argues closures should remain an option to address budget pressures. But a Stanford study found closures do not improve district finances because departing families take student funding with them. Other research links closures to lower college attendance and adult earnings. Majority-Black schools nationally are more than three times as likely to close.

Oakland knows the consequences. There is another path. Brouhard and Bachelor have begun moving Oakland in that direction, protecting classroom investments while confronting financial pressures.

Progress deserves continued public support. We cannot afford to reverse course.

About the Author

Walter Riley is a civil rights attorney and longtime community organizer in Oakland.

Continue Reading

Black History

From Backyard Grilling to Jack London Square: Jamale Carlyle’s Chicken Wing Success Story

Jamale Carlyle turned a backyard hobby into a flourishing business after using grilling to cope with the loss of his mother and sister. The former corporate executive and CPA transitioned from a twenty-year career in the power industry to selling chicken wings at farmers’ markets in Tracy and Oakland. Following immediate success and viral social media attention, Carlyle opened two permanent storefronts and established a charitable partnership to support local youth. His journey highlights a unique path from internal auditing to community entrepreneurship. Read more.

Published

on

Jamale Carlyle had a long career working for power companies before embarking making his grilling hobby into a business. Courtesy photo.
Jamale Carlyle had a long career working for power companies before embarking making his grilling hobby into a business. Courtesy photo.

For Jamale Carlyle, what began as a way to cope with personal loss has grown into a thriving chicken wing business with locations in Tracy and Oakland’s Jack London Square.

Raised in Los Angeles, Carlyle remains a southern kid at heart, guided by the values and principles instilled in him growing up. In 2020, he lost his sister, and two months later, his mother passed away. The losses left him grieving half of his immediate family and searching for a way forward.

He turned to God, and to two favorite pastimes: grilling chicken wings and deep sea fishing. Friends who gathered in his backyard encouraged him to turn his chicken wings into a business.

Carlyle had built a successful corporate career before becoming an entrepreneur. An economics graduate of the University of California, Irvine, he earned a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California and became a certified public accountant (CPA).

He spent more than 20 years in the power industry, including working for Edison International in Los Angeles and Boston. He later joined JP Energy Partners in Dallas, helping its team take the company public.

After moving to San Francisco in 2016, Carlyle spent 10 years with Pattern Energy, a wind energy company, where he served as vice president of Internal Audit and took on numerous corporate responsibilities.

But in 2025, grilling became more than a hobby. Carlyle began selling his wings at farmers’ markets, initially dedicating four hours every Saturday. Nervous about his first outing in Tracy, he wondered whether his friends had simply been encouraging. Instead, he sold out on opening day.

He later brought his business to Jack London Square’s Farmers Market, where he again sold out on his first day. As demand grew, he expanded into catering before opening his Tracy storefront in May 2026 and his Jack London Square location in July.

Social media helped fuel the momentum. In Tracy, enthusiastic reviews on the community’s Rants and Raves Facebook page brought customers through the door. His Jack London Square debut also gained traction online, generating approximately 100,000 views on social media on his on opening day.

Still processing the rapid growth, Carlyle describes the business as something that began in his backyard as a stress reliever and became an unexpected calling, and a way of giving back.

“Giving back” has led to a partnership with Mike Jenkins, owner of Oakland Strong, a nonprofit gym known for Olympic style weight lifting and developing national and international champions. After Jenkins visited Carlyle’s store with members of his team, Carlyle returned the visit, and the two began discussing ways to partner to support the community.

“I’m really big on charity. I believe in giving back to the community,” Carlyle said. “I knew before I opened my store, I’d be doing something like this, this is what God wants me to do.”

Their collaboration will introduce the “Oakland Strong Bowl,” featuring 10 dry-rub Cajun wings and a vegetable-rice bowl for $17.99, with $2 from each purchase donated to the Oakland Strong Foundation. The initiative is expected to launch in early November.

“This builds community in Oakland and Jack London Square,” Carlyle said.

Looking ahead, Carlyle plans to expand the menu with chicken thighs, chicken tacos and additional sides. He is also pursuing a liquor license to create a destination where customers can enjoy wings while watching sports.

For now, he is focused on growing his two locations. But with customers embracing his food and his commitment to giving back, Carlyle sees the possibility of bringing his chicken wings to more communities throughout the Bay Area.

Continue Reading

Black Press

OPINION: We Can Restore Checks and Balances on Trump

With the presidential administration facing criticism over its handling of healthcare, inflation, and government spending, political observers are shifting their focus toward the upcoming congressional elections to restore institutional checks and balances. Recent data suggests Democrats are within reach of the 218 seats needed for a House majority, while specific Senate races in states like Texas and Michigan remain pivotal. The outcome of these contests will determine the legislative branch’s ability to challenge executive policies on tariffs, taxes, and military engagement. Click to read more.

Published

on

AI-generated file photo.
AI-generated file photo.

Rapper Nikki Minaj is the latest high profile political tool of Donald Trump. The president recently remarked on the Afro-Trinidadian singer’s backside, praising her “beautiful ass.”

Is this what passes as an appeal for the Black vote? But Trump is an equal opportunity offender.

At recent rallies, Trump made homo-erotic comments about Republican men and their butts, like when he referred to Ohio Senator John Husted’s as a “pile of muscle.” But shouldn’t Trump be talking about the real issues?

Gas prices are now higher than they were under former President Joe Biden. Inflation is higher than when Trump took office, while he has redecorated the White House and already spent over $200 million on gold filigree. At least 3 million people have been kicked off of Medicaid or Obamacare because of Trump-backed legislation in Congress.

The country needs a change in how Trump does business. We need a strong independent Congress in both the House and Senate that will be our voice to stand up to ideas like a ‘forever war.’ Or tariffs against friend and foe.

This is the important math of the day: Democrats need 218 seats for a majority. Four more needed than their current 214. The latest Cook Report shows Democrats could gain 12-22 House seats.

But you still need the Senate, where Republicans have 53 members and the Dems have 47.

To have control, Dems would need to beat the tie breaker vote cast by VP J.D. Vance. Democrats need to get to 51 and that means four Senate victories on Nov. 3.

Of the key states politicos are watching, North Carolina and Georgia look blue. Can they get two more from toss-up states like Alaska (Mary Peltola?), Maine (Troy Jackson?), or Ohio (Sherrod Brown)? Observers are talking about two races in particular: Texas and Michigan.

In Texas the Talarico/Paxton race is fascinating. State legislator James Talarico is a choir boy compared to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton—whose rhetoric and record suggest he would be more amoral than Trump.

Then there’s Michigan, where Abdul El-Sayed is running against Mike Rogers.

The Black vote has wavered there, with some high-level Black pols coming out against El-Sayed on Fox News. Trump has also called El-Sayed a “jihadist and a terrorist.”

Born in the U.S., El-Sayed is a highly educated Rhodes Scholar, and a physician. The “model minority” is a terrorist? But like all people of color, he gets othered. Assumptions get made. His skin color and his religion make him a terrorist.

What about local issues like the billionaire tax in California. Prop. 40? I hate direct legislation by propositions because the proposals are usually flawed and can’t be worked out easily—like if legislators actually did their job in the state house.

But taxing billionaires more has to happen on the state and federal level. Prop 40 is a start. Even if it’s one time and goes mostly to health care. It’s a start toward fairness.

Whatever you say. Just vote. Now. Early. Don’t wait.

About the Author

Emil Amok Guillermo is a journalist, commentator and comic monologist. See him on his micro talk show: YouTube.com/@emilamok1

Continue Reading

Black Press

COMMENTARY: Your California Living Trust Could Be Next: When Evidence Isn’t Enough

A recent California appellate ruling in the case of the Laura Dean Head Living Trust serves as a sobering warning for property owners relying on estate planning. Despite Dr. Head’s express written wishes to disinherit her estranged sisters and name a longtime friend as beneficiary, the court invalidated the trust based on undue influence. This decision highlights how documented intentions and supporting testimony from legal and medical professionals may still face successful legal challenges from disinherited relatives. Read more to see how this precedent impacts California homeowners.

Published

on

AI image.
AI image.

You put your home in a living trust. You choose who inherits. You expressly disinherit relatives. An attorney prepares the documents. You expect your wishes to survive you.

Dr. Laura Dean Head’s trust did not.

California property owners should examine Laura Dean Head Living Trust, Alameda County Superior Court, Oakland, Case No. RP20061734, and Hamlin v. Jendayi, California Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, Division Three, Case No. A167695.

The case delivers a sobering warning: a living trust can face a successful challenge even when its chosen beneficiary presents evidence supporting the person’s stated wishes.

Head, a San Francisco State University professor, named Zakiya Jendayi as successor trustee and primary beneficiary. They had known each other for 28 years. Seven years after Dr. Head’s death, her estranged sisters contested the trust. Jendayi alleges that they consulted various probate attorneys while forum shopping before pursuing the challenge. Judge Sandra K. Bean in Dept. 103 invalidated the trust based on undue influence.

Jendayi’s compilation, “The Truth Is in the Transcriptions,” places disputed findings beside testimony and medical records. She argues that the evidence tells a different story.

Estate planning attorney Elaine Lee testified that she reviewed the trust privately with Head, behind a closed door. Lee’s testimony, reproduced in the compilation, attributes the beneficiary choices to Head and describes her insistence that her sisters receive nothing.

Hospice social worker Jenna Noe confirmed that Head told her she wanted to leave her belongings to Jendayi. Noe also testified that Head made her own decisions in their conversations.

The court described complete dependence on Jendayi. The compilation points to paid caregivers, hospice professionals and frequent visits from friends. When the judge asked nurse Dolly Woodson whether she had witnessed Jendayi abusing Head, Woodson answered no.

Jendayi also challenges the court’s treatment of her conditional power of attorney and alleges omissions and unequal treatment of evidence.

Yet the appellate court affirmed the judgment. It found substantial evidence supporting undue influence, rejected the judicial-bias claims and deemed any deficiencies in the statement of decision harmless. The published portion held that disinherited potential intestate heirs had standing to contest the trust.

That ruling endangers Californians who have properties held in a trust. Disinheritance did not prevent this challenge, and evidence supporting Head’s intentions did not secure the outcome Jendayi sought.

For homeowners relying on a living trust, the question is urgent: how well will your documented choices withstand a contested courtroom narrative?

Read the decision at https://law.justia.com/cases/california/court-of-appeal/2024/a167695m.html

Examine the testimony. Consider what happened when a woman’s written wishes and the evidence offered to defend them were still not enough.

Sources: Hamlin v. Jendayi (2024) 105 Cal.App.5th 1064, opinion filed Oct. 17, 2024, modified Nov. 12, 2024; Jendayi’s supplied compilation of transcript excerpts and exhibits. Claims of error reflect Jendayi’s position.

Continue Reading

Black Press

Post News Group Nov. 3 Election Endorsements

The Post Newspaper Group has announced its official endorsements for the upcoming November 3 election, offering recommendations for a wide range of political candidates, local propositions, and regional measures. The selections cover key races in Oakland and Berkeley, including mayoral contests and city council seats, as well as critical positions for the Peralta Community College Board and AC Transit. The group also evaluated state offices and several high-profile ballot initiatives. Check the full list to see which specific candidates and measures earned the publication’s support.

Published

on

iStock.
iStock.

Nov. 3 Election Endorsements

The Post Newspaper Group endorse the following political candidates, propositions and measures.

Oakland

Mayor

  • Barbara Lee

City Council

  • District 2: Charlene Wang
  • District 4: Janani Ramachandran
  • District 6: Kevin E. Jenkins
  • City Auditor: Michael Houston

OUSD School Board

  • District 2: Jennifer Brouhard
  • District 6: Valarie Bachelor

Measure EE: Yes

Measure FF: Yes

Berkeley

Berkeley City Council

  • District 1: Laura Babbitt
  • District 4: No endorsement
  • District 7: Syrak Micael
  • District 8: No endorsement

Peralta Community College Board of Trustees

  • Area 5: Sandra Weese

East Bay Municipal Utility District

  • District 3: Marguerite Young

Bay Area Rapid Transit

  • District 4: Robert Raburn

AC Transit

  • District 3: Joel Young

City of Richmond

  • Mayor: Ahmad Anderson

State Offices

  • Governor: Xavier Becerra
  • Lt. Governor: Fiona Ma
  • Secretary of State: Shirley N. Weber
  • Controller: Malia M. Cohen
  • Attorney General: Rob Bonta
  • State Assembly, 14th District: Buffy Wicks
  • State Assembly, 18th District: Mia Bonta

Federal Offices

  • U.S. Congress, 10th District: Mark De Saulnier
  • U.S. Congress, 12th District: Lateefah Simon
  • U.S. Congress, 14th District: Aisha Wahab

State Measures:

  • Prop 1: Yes
  • Prop 2: Yes
  • Prop 3: Yes
  • Prop 4: Yes
  • Prop 5: Yes
  • Prop 37: Yes
  • Prop 38: No
  • Prop 39: No
  • Prop 40: No
  • Prop 41: No
  • Prop 42: No
  • Prop 43: No
  • Prop 44: No
  • Prop 45: No

District Measures

  • Regional Transit Measure: Yes



Continue Reading

Black Press

OPINION: OUSD Kids Are Eager to Learn. Our Board Is Holding Them Back

Oakland Unified School District students are facing a literacy crisis, with fewer than one in three reading at grade level. Despite receiving significant per-pupil funding, the district is struggling with what county officials describe as a decision-making problem rather than a lack of revenue. Oakland Parents for Quality Education and the local NAACP are now sounding the alarm over fiscal instability, alleging that board leadership has failed to identify necessary budget cuts while ignoring warnings from school principals. To understand how these leadership decisions are impacting campus resources and student equity, read more.

Published

on

Oakland Parents for Quality Education joined the NAACP Oakland Branch at a press conference outside MetWest High School in August calling for greater accountability and transparency in OUSD Board leadership, improved school safety, and responsible fiscal oversight. Courtesy photo.
Oakland Parents for Quality Education joined the NAACP Oakland Branch at a press conference outside MetWest High School in August calling for greater accountability and transparency in OUSD Board leadership, improved school safety, and responsible fiscal oversight. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Unified students are falling behind: fewer than 1 in 3 read at grade level, and the numbers are worse for Black and Latino students. This is happening in a district that has received more per student than even the highest-funded states. As Alameda County Superintendent of Schools Alysse Castro has said, “OUSD’s biggest problem isn’t a revenue problem. It’s a decision-making problem.”

That is why Grace Park-Bradbury and I, two OUSD parents, started Oakland Parents for Quality Education, the ParentPAC. We believe our kids deserve a school board that faces hard decisions honestly. This board has not.

The county has warned them repeatedly. Earlier this year Castro said the new teachers’ contract “endangers” the district’s fiscal stability. That wasn’t because of the raises, but because the district was counting on cuts it had not identified.

Days later the board passed a budget that assumed $30 million in still-unnamed reductions. Board President Jennifer Brouhard and Vice President Valarie Bachelor voted yes. Director Mike Hutchinson voted no. The plan to name those cuts isn’t scheduled until mid-December, after the election.

The Oakland NAACP called for public forums and honest answers about the management of public funds. This fall Castro approved the budget only conditionally, noting that “a budget can be balanced but not be good for kids.”

Principals have spoken out as well. In January, 30 school leaders wrote that asking schools to do more with less “erodes the dignity of our profession” and “unconscionably compromises the quality of education our students receive.”

In April, 60 principals raised concerns that “have diminished our confidence in our current leadership,” warning that district decisions had produced “a structural deficit and cash-strapped schools.”

In June, all 15 high school principals objected to using voter-approved Measure N and H reserves for expenses already in the budget. The district did it anyway. The measures’ citizen oversight commission has demanded the money back. Auditors found the board had the legal authority, but as Castro observed, legality does not settle whether it was what voters thought they were approving.

Opponents claim we want to close schools. Our candidates do not all agree on consolidation. Hutchinson has fought closures for years, yet he also wrote the 3Rs proposal examining how many schools the district should operate.

What our candidates share is a willingness to weigh every option openly. This board told the superintendent not to even consider consolidation, and every school is being cut instead. As principals representing two-thirds of OUSD schools wrote, “the gradual starvation of our schools is also an equity issue.” Closures disrupt families, especially in Black and Brown neighborhoods. So does starving every campus.

You may have seen ads calling us a front for out-of-town billionaires. Every contribution is publicly reported, and 140 Oakland families have given. The people sounding the alarm are principals, citizen commissioners, the county superintendent, and the NAACP. None of them are billionaires. They are the people who see our schools up close.

Oakland schools are staffed by excellent principals and teachers. Our kids are like kids everywhere: eager to learn if given a real chance. They are being held back by a board that will not make hard choices.

In District 2, vote for Arielle Fleisher. In District 4, rank Kathryn Camp and Mike Hutchinson first and second. In District 6, rank Alexandra Williams and LeAna Powell first and second. Leave your third choice blank.

Vote like our children’s future depends on it. Because it does.

Edmund Chun co-founded Oakland Parents for Quality Education and is an OUSD parent.

Continue Reading

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NEWS UPDATES IN YOUR INBOX

Subscribe

* indicates required

Like BlackPressUSA on Facebook

Advertisement

Advertise on BlackPressUSA

advertise with blackpressusa.com

Latest News