Politics

Representatives Lee and DeSaulnier Push to Recognize Port Chicago 50

Published

8 years ago

March 17, 2016

As part of their ongoing effort to bring attention to the injustice suffered by the Port Chicago 50, Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and Barbara Lee (CA-13) introduced House Resolution (H. Res. 616) calling for the public exoneration of the African American sailors who were wrongfully convicted following the deadliest home front disaster of World War II at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in California.

The resolution is co-sponsored by several Members of Democratic Leadership, and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and has won the endorsement of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

After experiencing segregation in the Navy, 435 African American munitions sailors, who were not properly trained or supported, were killed when a cargo vessel exploded.

This incident accounted for more than 15 percent of all African American Naval casualties during WWII.

When 50 of these men understandably refused to return to the unsafe working conditions that killed their fellow sailors, they were discriminately charged and convicted of mutiny.

“The Port Chicago 50 were devoted patriots who served their country and played an essential role in the World War II home front effort,” said Lee.

“As the daughter of a veteran, I commend the 258 African-American sailors who refused to return to work until working conditions were safe and proper training was in place,” she said.

“Sadly, due to their act of bravery in the face of discrimination, 50 were tried and convicted of mutiny. Instead of hard labor sentences and dishonorable discharges, these brave sailors should be recognized for their courage. It’s past time to exonerate and honor these patriotic Americans for their bold stance for justice, the courage of their convictions and their tremendous service to our nation.”

Representative Mark DeSaulnier said, “The Port Chicago 50 were called upon to fight for our country, but ended up fighting for their own lives. It is long past time to recognize this injustice and to set the record straight.”

In a letter to Members of Congress, Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior VP for Policy and Advocacy, said, “our nation’s oldest, largest and most widely-recognized grassroots-based civil rights organization supports H.Res. 616 and the exoneration of the Port Chicago 50. In these days of increased racial and ethnic bigotry on the national stage, it is clear that steps must be taken to demonstrate that lessons have been learned from the past. A complete exoneration would be a step in the right direction.”

The resolution has the support of more than 70 Members of the House of Representatives.

Last summer, Representatives DeSaulnier and Lee, along with Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, sent a letter to President Obama asking him to do everything in his power to acknowledge the injustice suffered by these sailors and remove these racially biased convictions from their records.

California Senators Boxer and Feinstein followed sent a similar letter.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

7 days ago

April 26, 2024

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MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor London Breed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

MAYOR BREED ANNOUNCES $53 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT FOR SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMELESS PROGRAMS

HUD’s Continuum of Care grant will support the City’s range of critical services and programs, including permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and improved access to housing for survivors of domestic violence

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the city a $53.7 million grant to support efforts to renew and expand critical services and housing for people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco.

HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to support local programs with the goal of ending homelessness for individuals, families, and Transitional Age Youth.

This funding supports the city’s ongoing efforts that have helped more than 15,000 people exit homelessness since 2018 through City programs including direct housing placements and relocation assistance. During that time San Francisco has also increased housing slots by 50%. San Francisco has the most permanent supportive housing of any county in the Bay Area, and the second most slots per capita than any city in the country.

“In San Francisco, we have worked aggressively to increase housing, shelter, and services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are building on these efforts every day,” said Mayor London Breed. “Every day our encampment outreach workers are going out to bring people indoors and our City workers are connecting people to housing and shelter. This support from the federal government is critical and will allow us to serve people in need and address encampments in our neighborhoods.”

The funding towards supporting the renewal projects in San Francisco include financial support for a mix of permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, and transitional housing projects. In addition, the CoC award will support Coordinated Entry projects to centralize the City’s various efforts to address homelessness. This includes $2.1 million in funding for the Coordinated Entry system to improve access to housing for youth and survivors of domestic violence.

“This is a good day for San Francisco,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing. “HUD’s Continuum of Care funding provides vital resources to a diversity of programs and projects that have helped people to stabilize in our community. This funding is a testament to our work and the work of our nonprofit partners.”

The 2024 Continuum of Care Renewal Awards Include:

$42.2 million for 29 renewal PSH projects that serve chronically homeless, veterans, and youth
$318,000 for one new PSH project, which will provide 98 affordable homes for low-income seniors in the Richmond District
$445,00 for one Transitional Housing (TH) project serving youth
$6.4 million dedicated to four Rapid Rehousing (RRH) projects that serve families, youth, and survivors of domestic violence
$750,00 for two Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) projects
$2.1 million for three Coordinated Entry projects that serve families, youth, chronically homeless, and survivors of domestic violence

In addition, the 2023 CoC Planning Grant, now increased to $1,500,000 from $1,250,000, was also approved. Planning grants are submitted non-competitively and may be used to carry out the duties of operating a CoC, such as system evaluation and planning, monitoring, project and system performance improvement, providing trainings, partner collaborations, and conducting the PIT Count.

“We are very appreciative of HUD’s support in fulfilling our funding request for these critically important projects for San Francisco that help so many people trying to exit homelessness,” said Del Seymour, co-chair of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board. “This funding will make a real difference to people seeking services and support in their journey out of homelessness.”

In comparison to last year’s competition, this represents a $770,000 increase in funding, due to a new PSH project that was funded, an increase in some unit type Fair Market Rents (FMRs) and the larger CoC Planning Grant. In a year where more projects had to compete nationally against other communities, this represents a significant increase.

Nationally, HUD awarded nearly $3.16 billion for over 7,000 local homeless housing and service programs including new projects and renewals across the United States.