Arts and Culture
Hassan Bility: War Crimes Investigator Seeks Global Support for Liberia
(left to right) Journalist, Al Jerome A. Chede and community advocate, Uche Uwahemu with honorees and keynote speaker, war crimes investigator, Hassan Bility, Massa A. Washington, a former Commissioner of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Samuel Kofi, human rights attorney and former Minister for the Republic of Liberia. Photo by Carla Thomas.
For war crimes investigator, Hassan Bility of Monrovia, Liberia, torture and terror came with his mission of seeking truth and social justice. For the 50 guests that came to meet him at the New Beginning International Church in Oakland, Bility, executive director of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP) is a hero.
Hosted by the Coalition for Justice in Liberia (CJL) and the Center for Justice and Accountability, Bility keynoted “The State of Human Rights and Justice for Liberians and Africans in the Diaspora” on Friday, March, 9. Bility candidly discussed the human rights violations during Liberia’s 14-year civil war and its effects on survivors now residing in Northern California.
“When I think of all the innocent people in Liberia and those who suffered and died at the hand of war lords and many that committed atrocities enjoying their lives in the safety and comfort of the U.S. and Europe, I want justice,” he said.
In a quest for justice, Bility’s research and mission of generating awareness of the 250,000 killed during the two Liberian Civil Wars has resulted in arrests since 2012. However, Bility says many more are “living free lives in the U.S. and Europe and have yet to be held accountable.”
Not accepting the status quo and pushing for more arrests, are ways Bility commemorates those who lost their lives and those that had the courage to stand up nearly 30 years ago.
According to Bility, failing to implement laws has left the country underdeveloped and in “an agrarian and backward state.” Bility wants the world to join him in morally supporting the call for justice and accountability in Liberia and seeks the prosecution of war criminals. “Asylum should be based on a person’s record, character or behavior, not color or nationality. Every human being has the right to equal protection by the law. If you commit a crime you should pay for it.”
Samuel Kofi, a renowned human rights attorney and former Minister for the Republic of Liberia and Massa A. Washington, a former Commissioner of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) also participated in the program.
“These are the gems of social justice – people who risked their lives for others be they brutalized, terrorized, tortured or simply identified with the majority that were hopeless,” said journalist, Al Jerome A. Chede. Community advocates, Bendu Washington, Hazel Yedel and Uche Uwahemu presented Bility, Woods and Washington with proclamations on behalf of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf for their courage and dedication to social justice.
“We will continue to fight for justice,” said Lovetta Tugbeh, executive director of CJL who recently collaborated with Liberia Massacre Survivors Association Inc (LIMASA), and held a memorial program, “Commemorating the Past to Seek Justice.” LIMASA is comprised of the survivors of the fourteen year Liberian Civil War which claimed the lives of more than 250,000 innocent Liberians, mainly women and children.
In the early 1820s, hundreds of freed US slaves were sent to coastal Africa by anti-slavery societies and many settled in Liberia. The nation’s capital city, Monrovia, is named after the 5th U.S. president, James Monroe.
Arts and Culture
Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities
Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.
By Mike Kinney
The Richmond Standard
Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.
The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.
The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.
The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.
Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.
San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.
“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”
Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.
Art
Mario Van Peebles’ ‘Outlaw Posse’ Screened at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre
The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago.
By Carla Thomas
The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago. Filmmaker Van Peebles shared his passion for independent artistry and producing projects with his son, Mandela, who also starred in the film, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer. Next week, The Post will publish an in-depth interview featuring Peebles’ reflections on his work, future projects, and continuing his father’s legacy and Rhodes on her grandfather, a real-life cowboy.
Arts and Culture
Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony
The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.
By Post Staff
The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.
Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.
Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.
Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.
The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.
Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.
Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”
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