Featured
The Post Remembers Rosa Parks
On Dec. 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama, she became a pivotal symbol of the Civil Rights Movement.
She was arrested by police and charged with disorderly conduct for defying local segregation laws.
The same day, the Montgomery Improvement Association was founded, which led the Montgomery Bus Boycott that catapulted the young Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to leadership.
Parks organized and collaborated with civil rights leaders, including Edgar Nixon, president of the local chapter of the NAACP.
Prior to her arrest, Parks had attended Highlander Folk School, which trained community organizers on issues of poverty and later civil rights. In the 1940s, she joined the NAACP and was elected secretary of its Montgomery, Ala., branch, working with civil rights activist Edgar Nixon to fight barriers to voting for Blacks and investigate sexual violence against women.
After the bus boycott, Parks and her husband lost their jobs and were threatened. They left for Detroit, where she was an activist against the war in Vietnam and worked on poverty, housing and racial justice issues.
In 1992, Parks published “Rosa Parks: My Story,” an autobiography that recounted her life leading to her decision to keep her seat on the bus. She also published her memoir, titled “Quiet Strength” in 1995, which focuses on her faith in her life.
Parks was honored previously in Washington, D.C. with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1996 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999, both during the Clinton administration.
She died on Oct. 24, 2005, at age 92. The U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor on Feb. 4, which would have been her 100th birthday.
In February, President Barack Obama unveiled a full-length statue of Rosa Parks in the Capitol, paying tribute for her work in the Civil Rights Movement. Parks became the first Black woman to be honored with a full-length statue in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall.
Bay Area
Faces Around the Bay: Jim Brosnahan, Esq.
James J. Brosnahan, ESQ, an international trial lawyer and trial advocacy teacher, has remained unshaken in his fervent belief in the power of the law to right injustices. Brosnahan has fought to open the legal profession to those previously excluded and worked to provide lawyers to the millions who go without.
By Barbara Fluhrer
James J. Brosnahan, ESQ, an international trial lawyer and trial advocacy teacher, has remained unshaken in his fervent belief in the power of the law to right injustices.
Brosnahan has fought to open the legal profession to those previously excluded and worked to provide lawyers to the millions who go without. He has argued for the administrators of justice to represent the whole community. He’s tried 150 cases to conclusion and is ranked among the top 30 trial lawyers in the U.S. (Legal 500 US). He’s been called “scrappy,” “a lion in the courtroom,” and “ultra- liberal.”
One of his earliest cases (1962) involved two Navajo children shot by a White man on a reservation in Arizona. “The legal system needed to work as well for Native Americans as for White people,” he said. “The defendant was found guilty of second-degree murder.”
In 1963, U.S. Attorney Cecil Poole hired him as U.S. Attorney from a list of 200 applicants.
He and Poole, as federal observers, led the Vietnam protesters as they marched. The purpose: to avoid violence.
“Poole taught me preventative law in a chaotic situation and became one of my strongest mentors,” remembers Brosnahan.
In 1964, Brosnahan served on the NAACP’s Housing Committee in S.F., when 70% of the city’s housing was not available to Blacks. They sued racial discriminators, fought for reform and opposed the displacement of minorities in the Western Addition. They won and they lost, but they became the racial conscience of San Francisco in the fight for fair housing.
In 1969, two Black community workers in Oakland were indicted for stealing federal money.
“My two clients were activists in Oakland. I believed there was an element of racism running through Washington’s decision to indict two Black men who worked every day to help the poor,” he said.
The case was eventually dismissed. In the early 70s, he responded to a subpoena and testified against Judge Rehnquists’ confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court. He had witnessed Rehnquist obstructing voting at a polling place. Amid threats on his life, he was the chief defense lawyer for the American who joined the Taliban in 2002.
Brosnahan, his wife Carol and three children moved from S.F. to Berkeley in 1964, in part, to participate in the Berkeley school integration program. She is a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge.
Brosnahan, 90, checks in to his San Francisco firm, Morrison & Foerster often. He paints, reads, walks a mile a day, journals, and lectures, while writing another book: “Cultural History of Trials over the Centuries.”
His last book “Justice at Trial,” published in 2023, details his life and battles.
He reflects, “Over my career I have come to realize that one secret for enriching your own life is trying to help others. What better way to do that than to represent them in court.”
California Black Media
Audit: California Is Poorly Monitoring Homelessness Spending
California has failed to monitor state spending and evaluate the outcomes of homelessness programs, according to a report issued last week by the California State Auditor’s Office. California State Auditor Grant Parks urged Governor Gavin Newsom to continue to hold local governments accountable in an open letter dated April 9. The audit highlighted that tracking programs and collecting accurate data could help the state save money.
By California Black Media
California has failed to monitor state spending and evaluate the outcomes of homelessness programs, according to a report issued last week by the California State Auditor’s Office.
California State Auditor Grant Parks urged Governor Gavin Newsom to continue to hold local governments accountable in an open letter dated April 9. The audit highlighted that tracking programs and collecting accurate data could help the state save money.
“The state must do more to assess the cost-effectiveness of its homelessness programs,” Parks said.
The report showed that California spent approximately $20 billion on programs and initiatives addressing homelessness in the past five years. Although state funds were allocated to fund shelters and subsidized rent, homelessness in the state increased by 65 during the last year.
In 2021, Gov. Newsom signed a law that required organizations that received state funds to collect data and evaluate the progress of programs they implement.
California auditors revealed that only two out of five action plans were cost-effective. One was Project Homekey, which converted hotels into housing during COVID-19, and CalWORKS, a housing support that offered financial assistance to low-income residents.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed concern after the report was released.
“The biggest conclusion that the auditors came back with is there’s just inadequate transparency and data and information available,” said Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) in a statement.
Republican Sen. Roger Niello (R-Roseville) said, “These audit results are a wake-up call for a shift towards solutions that prioritize self-sufficiency and cost-effectiveness.”
Activism
Obituary: Social Justice Leader, the Rev. Cecil Williams, Passes at 94
On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family. He was 94 years old.
By California Black Media
On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family.
He was 94 years old.
The reverend was a civil rights leader who advocated for the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in the Bay Area.
Williams was the head pastor of the non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church. The church welcomed individuals from the queer community and people struggling with homelessness, housing instability and substance use disorder (SUD).
Through his work, Rev. Williams attracted national attention. Prominent political and cultural leaders such as Maya Angelou, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Clinton all attended church services at Glide.
Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) said she is deeply saddened about the passing of her dear friend.
“The Reverend changed the lives of millions through radical love, support, inclusivity, and a commitment to service to the most marginalized,” Lee said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the reverend inspired people across California to embody the values of generosity and acceptance.
Rev. Williams was, “a visionary leader whose legendary compassion and love for his community transformed the lives of people from all walks of life,” Newsom said.
Rev. Williams served as the chief executive officer of the Glide Foundation until his retirement in 2023.
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