News
SF’s “Comfort Women” Statue Honors Victims of Japanese Sex Trafficking
Yong-soo Lee, 89, a “comfort woman” during World War II, touches the statue of the late Grandma Hak-soon Kim who first broke the silence by publicly speaking out in 1991. This is one of the figures in the Chinatown “Comfort Woman” memorial. Lee, at the age of 15, was kidnapped from her home in Korea and forced to work in a Taiwan brothel that served Japanese soldiers. Photo: Associated Press.
Several hundred thousand women and girls, euphemistically called “Comfort Women,” were sexually enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces in 13 Asia-Pacific countries from 1931 to 1945.
In the 1990s, survivors courageously broke their silence and revealed this dark history that had been hidden for decades.
On Friday, September 22, 2017, a bronze monument dedicated to the “Comfort Women” was unveiled in St. Mary’s Square Annex in San Francisco. SF’s
The memorial is the product of unity among countless volunteers, activists, scholars and teachers, students, youth parents and grandparents who joined under the united banner of the “Comfort Women” Justice Coalition to make the memorial a reality.
“We all share the same humanity. This is an issue for everyone. This is about a sincere apology from the government of Japan,” said Yong-soo Lee, 89, a surviving comfort woman.
September 22 marked the two-year anniversary of the San Francisco resolution to establish a public monument in memory of the victims as a reminder to the ongoing sexual violence against women during wartime around the globe.
The effort was led by two San Francisco Superior Court Judges, Lillian Sing and Julie Tang (Retired). They worked closely with the City of San Francisco Arts Commission and the Recreation and Park Department to select the location, the design and the inscription that would best represent the purpose of the monument.
The sculptor is Steven Whyte of Carmel, Ca. The monument shows Grandma Haksoon Kim, (the first who broke the silence in 1991) in Korean traditional dress looking at three girls in traditional Korean, Chinese and the Filipino dress holding hands on top of a cylinder. The statues are life-sized.
Activism
S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System
Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.
By Carla Thomas
San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.
“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”
According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.
“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”
Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.
SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.
Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.
Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.
Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.
Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.
“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.
This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
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Oakland Post: Week of May 1 – 7, 2024
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