[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Alameda Times Star on Oil Money (10/1/97)
Can oil save Oakland's young people?
Wednesday, October 01, 1997
OIL companies have gotten bad marks in the past in almost every subject
on the public's report card. But recently, two of the biggest ones Chevron
and Shell demonstrated they want to get involved in inner city communities,
and do good for kids. This makes me think it's time to give the devil his
due, or more nicely said, give credit where it is due. Chevron announced
that Shannon Reeves, the dynamic young leader of the Oakland NAACP, and
the company had reached agreement to make a substantial investment in Oakland,
building gas stations to be operated by local employees through a newly
formed organization called Freedom Fund. Reeves conceived the Freedom Fund
to stimulate economic development in Oakland's depressed neighborhoods.
And it's taken off. This action came on the heels of Shell Oil's sponsorship
of $2 million in scholarships to Oakland public school graduates so they
can go onto colleges of their choice. Perhaps even more important long
term was Shell's commitment to build a $2.5 million training Academy at
35th St. and San Pablo Avenue in North Oakland, adjacent to a Shell station.
When the matter came before the school board, Shell's largesse came under
heavy criticism from local Nigerians who belong to the Free Nigeria Movement.
They wanted the board to refuse to accept the money because they say Shell
supports the despotic Nigerian dictatorship. But of course Shell wasn't
giving the scholarships to the Board of Education; it was giving the scholarships
to the students, as Alice Spearman, of the district's parent advisory committee,
is quick to point out. There's a clear distinction. Only the students or
their parents should decide if they want the scholarships that could make
a difference in their future. They should be able to do so without feeling
guilty about Nigeria. In fact, 16 students have accepted the aid, and two
of them are local Nigerians. That doesn't mean they support the Nigerian
dictator, not in the least, or that they don't feel the pain of their countrymen
there. It only means they feel the need of a nice $4,000 scholarship that
will help them get a life for themselves. It's going to take more than
these few Oakland students to change places like Nigeria, and having these
young people educated is a first step in that direction. And Spearman makes
another good point: Shell is giving back profits made from doing business
in Oakland and other East Bay communities. Shell is giving, not taking,
from Oakland. Sylvester Hodges, a former Oakland school board member, says
while he was still on the board, he visited Shell's training academy in
Los Angeles. He was impressed watching students work on computers, doing
spread sheets, resumes and other office work. Hodges says critics are attacking
the wrong entity because Shell's connections with Nigeria stem from the
parent company based in Holland, while Shell USA has no ties with the African
country. In fact, Shell claims it has worked to stop political repression
there. The issue seems moot now as the school board stood by its earlier
action accepting the scholarship money and entering into an arrangement
with Shell for the training academy. Groups of 30 students in grades 9-12
will attend the academy for specified periods of time, learning skills
and work habits that will help them get jobs. Shell will also have a job
finder who will line up positions, partly subsidized by Shell, with Bay
Area companies while students are in training. The program is much more
than window dressing for the oil company, although it certainly will help
its image throughout the community. The framers of the plan seem to have
covered all the bases by providing scholarships for students who want to
go onto college and for those who want to move into the work world after
they complete high school. The Chevron plan, as conceived by Reeves, calls
for Freedom Fund to run several new service stations and to create economic
development otherwise, as well. For starters, Reeves has recently completed
a deal for a new retail strip center at Edes and 98th Avenue. The existing
building at that corner has been an eyesore for years; a hangout for drug
dealers, blighted by trash and graffiti. Now it will come down to make
way for new buildings housing services the neighborhood needs including
a grocery store. There are good reasons to get mad at oil companies. But
these commitments show they can and do perform good works.
Wednesday, October 01, 1997 ------------------------------------
http://208.218.119.115/star/angtse/stinnet1.asp
; NAME="stinnet1.asp"; CHARSET=us-ascii Content-ID: Content-Description:
Wednesday,
October 01, 1997
OIL
companies have gotten bad marks in the past in almost every subject on
the public's report card.
But
recently, two of the biggest ones Chevron and Shell demonstrated they want
to get involved in inner city communities, and do good for kids. This makes
me think it's time to give the devil his due, or more nicely said, give
credit where it is due.
There's
a clear distinction. Only the students or their parents should decide if
they want the scholarships that could make a difference in their future.
They should be able to do so without feeling guilty about Nigeria.
In
fact, 16 students have accepted the aid, and two of them are local Nigerians.
That doesn't mean they support the Nigerian dictator, not in the least,
or that they don't feel the pain of their countrymen there. It only means
they feel the need of a n And Spearman makes another good point: Shell
is giving back profits made from doing business in Oakland and other East
Bay communities. Shell is giving, not taking, from Oakland.
Sylvester
Hodges, a former Oakland school board member, says while he was still on
the board, he visited Shell's training academy in Los Angeles. He was impressed
watching students work on computers, doing spread sheets, resumes and other
office work.< Hodges says critics are attacking the wrong entity because
Shell's connections with Nigeria stem from the parent company based in
Holland, while Shell USA has no ties with the African country. In fact,
Shell claims it has worked to stop political repre The issue seems moot
now as the school board stood by its earlier action accepting the scholarship
money and entering into an arrangement with Shell for the training academy.
Groups
of 30 students in grades 9-12 will attend the academy for specified periods
of time, learning skills and work habits that will help them get jobs.
Shell will also have a job finder who will line up positions, partly subsidized
by Shell, with Bay The program is much more than window dressing for the
oil company, although it certainly will help its image throughout the community.
The framers of the plan seem to have covered all the bases by providing
scholarships for students who want to go onto The Chevron plan, as conceived
by Reeves, calls for Freedom Fund to run several new service stations and
to create economic development otherwise, as well. For starters, Reeves
has recently completed a deal for a new retail strip center at Edes and
98t The existing building at that corner has been an eyesore for years;
a hangout for drug dealers, blighted by trash and graffiti. Now it will
come down to make way for new buildings housing services the neighborhood
needs including a grocery store.
There
are good reasons to get mad at oil companies. But these commitments show
they can and do perform good works.
Wednesday,
October 01, 1997
Please
check out our featured link(s):
© 1997 by MediaNews Group, Inc. and
ANG Newspapers --Boundary
(ID zc9jtUZRgc/smOTpJj/OGA)--
