Press Advisory

February 28, 2022

                

               Block by Block Neighborhood Organizing Network-                                Endorses Sheng Thao as Next Mayor

The Block by Block Organizing Network , BBBON, is a neighborhood based coalition of  members who came together in 2010 to elect Jean Quan the first woman and first Asian American mayor of Oakland when hundreds of volunteers defeated the campaign of a well-known, well-financed and entrenched state official. Since then BBBON members have continued to focus on local community needs and electing grassroots candidates.  While members are active in every district, membership is currently concentrated in East Oakland.

On February 20th BBBON, held a forum with its members and interviewed five of the leading candidates running for mayor. Candidates Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor, Treva Reid,Greg Hodge and Alyssa Victory were quizzed on issues raging from affordable housing and homelessness to police response and city administration problems.

BBBON is proud to announce that while all of the five are able candidates, we have chosen Sheng Thao as the candidate with the most pragmatic solutions to a wide range of deep and vexing problems in our city. As a woman of color, the child of immigrants, a single mother and a renter she has experienced many of the issues she has been addressing as a councilmember. We found her answers to be detailed and forward thinking with an eye towards equity and opportunity for Oakland's working families.

BBBON co-chair Sheryl Walton said, "We believe that Councilmember Thao will work best with the city council, police department and city administration to turn around our long standing issues of homelessness and neighborhood safety in a way that respects all members of our community."

For more info contact: Pamela Drake-510-593-3721-pamelaadrake@gmail.com