By Globe Staff

In a fitting tribute during Black History Month, members of the Oakland Black Caucus and other East Bay community leaders recently honored the four highest- ranking African Americans at Bay Area Rapid Transit and the East Bay Municipal Utility District.
    For the first time in history, African Americans hold the two most powerful jobs with a major mass transit system and water utility. Honored during a reception and ceremony at Geoffrey’s in Oakland were Carole Ward Allen and Lynette Sweet, president and vice president of the BART Board of Directors; and William Patterson and Lesa McIntosh, president and vice president of the EBMUD Board of Directors.

    Oakland City Councilwoman Desley Brooks and Mary King, former Alameda County Supervisor and now an executive at AC Transit, served as the presenters. Geoffrey Pete of the Black Caucus also made remarks.
    Brooks told the gathering, “I stand tall because I’m on the shoulders of so many who have fought the good fight.”
   “We stand on the backs of strong black women like Rosa Parks,” said Ward Allen. “We went from the back of the bus to way up front.”
    During the program, King and Patterson recalled when they went to Arizona to speak with owners of major league baseball teams to discuss the need for more racial diversity in jobs as managers and general managers.
   “They were not a very diverse group,” said King.

    Patterson recalled serving three terms as president of the Oakland NAACP. “I see so many of my friends here,” he said.
    The attendees included Chris Jackson, executive director of the Oakland NAACP; Gay Plair Cobb of the Alameda County Board of Education and executive director of the Oakland Private Industry Council; Peralta College Trustee Linda Handy; former Oakland City Councilman Carter Gilmore; Oakland City Auditor Roland Smith; Alameda County Assessor Donald White; Globe Publisher Vernon Whitmore; and Globe Managing Editor Eleanor Boswell Raine.
   “I want to say thanks to the Black Caucus. I’m humbled,” said Sweet, who represents a portion of Oakland as well as Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Richmond, San Pablo and San Francisco in District 7.
    Ward Allen represents a portion of Oakland and Alameda in District 4.
    McIntosh represents Ward No. 7, serving Crockett, Hercules, Rodeo, San Pablo and parts of Richmond and Pinole.
    Patterson represents Ward No. 6, which is comprised of a portion of Oakland to the San Leandro line.
    Pete said the Black Caucus Political Action Committee will be supporting Brooks in her bid for reelection to the city council, and he noted Ora Lee Brown, the popular realtor who helped pay for college for children she met when they were in elementary school, has helped raise $50,000 for the Oakland mayoral campaign of Ronald Dellums.