By SDCN Staff
Oceanside, CA–A United States Postal Service facility in Oceanside has been officially renamed in honor of Charlesetta Reece Allen, a revered community leader known for her dedication to social justice, business, and faith.
Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) led a ceremony on Thursday to designate the post office at 517 Seagaze Drive as the “Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office Building.” The renaming was made possible through a bill introduced by Levin and signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2024.
“Charlesetta was a businesswoman, a minister, founder of the Oceanside Girls Club, and the first President of the North County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,” said Levin. “She dedicated her life to uplifting our community and improving the lives of countless residents. Naming this post office – an institution with the sole purpose of serving our community – is a fitting way to honor her service.”
Levin emphasized that the dedication is not just a tribute to Allen’s legacy but a way to ensure her story continues to inspire future generations. The bill received unanimous support from the entire California Congressional delegation, Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez, the full bipartisan Oceanside City Council, and San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, who represents Oceanside.
Born in Texas in 1913, Allen was the eldest of eight children. She arrived in Oceanside in the 1930s, where she met and married local resident John Callen Mann. The couple settled in the Eastside neighborhood, and Allen became one of the first Black women to live in Oceanside.
A devout minister, Allen co-founded the Church of God and Christ in 1941 with her sister and served as the church’s minister. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to open Oceanside’s first Black-owned storefront restaurant, a popular gathering place for Black residents, especially during and after World War II.
Following the passing of her first husband, Allen later married Reverend Wesley H. Allen, pastor of a Black church in Eastside Oceanside. In 1965, she was installed as the first President of the North County NAACP for Branch #1086. She also established the Oceanside Girls Club, serving as its director, and was honored with the San Diego Sojourner Truth Award in 1969 for her contributions to the community.
Allen passed away on September 28, 1983. While she never had children of her own, her legacy endures through the many lives she touched. Numerous nieces and nephews, some still residing in Oceanside, continue to honor her contributions to the city.
With the renaming of the Seagaze Drive post office, Allen’s impact on Oceanside’s history will remain a lasting tribute for generations.
