Rep. Mike Levin Officially Designates the Oceanside Post Office as the “Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office Building”
Rep. Levin & Mrs. Allen’s relatives unveil new post office plaque
Oceanside, CA – Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) held a ceremony to designate the United States Postal Service facility located at 517 Seagaze Drive in Oceanside as the “Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office Building.”
“Charlesetta was a businesswoman, a minister, founder of the Oceanside Girls Club, and first President of the North County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She dedicated her life to uplifting our community and improving the lives of countless residents. I think naming this post office – an institution with the sole purpose of serving our community – is a fitting way to honor Charlesetta’s service,” said Rep. Levin. “This dedication is not just about honoring her past – it’s about ensuring her story lives on and continues to inspire the future. I’m so glad we were able to come together to honor someone who did so much for our community.”
In December 2024, President Joe Biden signed Rep. Levin’s bill naming the post office after Charlesetta Reece Allen into law. The bill was supported by the entire California Congressional delegation, including both Senators and all Members of the House of Representatives. It also received the support of the Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez, the full bipartisan Oceanside City Council, and San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who represents Oceanside.
Background on Charlesetta Reece Allen
Charlesetta Reece Allen was born in Texas in 1913 to Thomas and Stella Reece and was the oldest of eight children. She came to Oceanside in the 1930s, where she met and married local resident John Callen Mann. They eventually moved to the eastside neighborhood, or “Eastside,” in Oceanside, and she is believed to be just the third Black woman to live in Oceanside. Charlesetta established the Church of God and Christ in 1941 with her sister and served as the minister of the church.
Charlesetta worked as a cook in the Casa Blanca restaurant in downtown Oceanside before she began to cater food out of her home and eventually opened her own restaurant, the first Black-owned storefront in Oceanside. Her restaurant was a popular social gathering spot for Black residents who arrived during and after World War II.
After her husband John’s death, she later married Reverend Wesley H. Allen who was a pastor of a Black church in Eastside.
In 1965, Charlesetta was installed as the first President of the North County NAACP for Branch #1086. She also founded the Oceanside Girls Club and served as Director of First Girls’ Club. Charlesetta was awarded the San Diego Sojourner Truth Award in 1969.
Charlesetta passed away on September 28, 1983. Although she never had kids, she is survived by many nieces and nephews, some of whom also reside in Oceanside but also across the country.
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