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DEPARTMENTS
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Street Named After Late Oakland Publisher Tom Berkley
Special to the NNPA from the Observer
OAKLAND, Calif. (NNPA)—It was a history-making event, even for Oakland. Only one other street had ever been named after an African-American in this city’s history—and that was the naming of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Friends of Tom Berkley, the late Post Newspaper publisher, came to celebrate 20th Street being named in his honor. The ceremony was held near the corner of 20th and San Pablo in Oakland. The street was blocked off while bands played and singers entertained.
The guests and participants included some of Oakland’s most prominent political and social figures, including former governor and now Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, and Barbara Lee, the popular congresswoman who opposed the war in Afghanistan. Some of the guests noticed in the crowd were Oakland Vice Mayor Larry Reid, former Vice Mayor Ignacio DeLaFuente, Councilman Henry Chang and Councilwoman Nancy Nadel. Also attending the street-naming event were more than 500 others of all ethnic groups.
Of course, Velda Berkley, the widow of the late publisher, was present, as were several other members of Tom Berkley’s family.
Most people in the audience remembered Berkley as a pioneering lawyer, civil rights leader and publisher. He has been credited as the father of modern-day Port of Oakland. His law office also served as the incubator for lawyers and judges, such as former Mayor Lionel Wilson, the late Judge Clinton White, Donald Hopkins and many others.
Others who came to the name-changing event included Darlene Ayers-Johnson and contractor Ray Dones. Dones recently purchased the building where the newspaper has operated since 1964.
Many of the speakers praised Tom Berkley for his outstanding community contributions. They were elated to learn that The Post Newspapers will continue to publish with Mrs. Berkley at the helm.
Also attending the event were members of both the Latino and Chinese communities. Berkley always had positions and jobs for persons of all colors, with former business partners who were Black, Chinese, Latino and White.
Councilwoman Nancy Nadel indicated that the building housing The Post Newspapers would soon become the nucleus of an economic development plan, to be called Berkley Square, also named after the late publisher.
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