News

Students Remembers Former Music Teacher Wanda Redman-Eklund

Published

6 years ago

August 24, 2018

More than 100 students, families and staff members of Montclair Elementary School in Oakland came together Wednesday evening, Aug. 15, to honor a beloved music teacher who recently passed away.

Wanda Redman-Eklund had taught music at Montclair Elementary for decades before retiring at the end of the 2016-17 school year. Just one year later, on July 23, she lost her battle with gallbladder cancer at age 71.

Montclair Elementary is located at 1757 Mountain Blvd.

The school community filled the Montclair Elementary School auditorium for the celebration of life for music teacher Wanda Redman-Eklund. Photos courtesy of OUSD.

One after another, her friends, fellow teachers and former students stood up – many of them fighting back tears – and talked about the impact that “Ms. Wanda” had on their lives. “I’m going off to (the University of California, Santa Barbara) in September and I’m going to be minoring in music and I think that probably wouldn’t be the case if it weren’t for Wanda… (she’s) had such a large impact on all of us, and potentially the rest of my career and life,” said former student, Garrett Post.

Ms. Wanda began working in 1994 as a music enrichment teacher funded by the school’s PTA. She taught many of her students in private lessons throughout her career at Montclair. She. became a full-time teacher at the school more than 10 years ago.

Former student Meghan Forrest described how even recently in high school, years after taking Ms. Wanda’s class, she and her friends would sing songs that they learned in her class, simply because the songs reminded them of her.

“Because she was so full of life and spirit, I think that’s why I amongst many of us I’m sure were so surprised and saddened to hear of her passing… She was just such a joyous person, and she loved what she did. She was the one person who made me feel good about my singing, which is not the best. And she made me feel comfortable, and she made me feel like I was a rock star… She was an amazing wonderful teacher and spirit.”

OUSD Board of Education Director Nina Senn, whose children took Ms. Wanda’s classes, said, “Children know when a teacher loves them, and Miss Wanda loved every single one of her students. Joyful, fun, wise and inspiring to hundreds of lucky children, peers and families. She now has the wings we always knew she had.”

Some of Ms. Wanda’s family members were in the audience, including her niece, Che Abram. “Growing up with her, I never saw her upset, I never saw her flustered. She never got mad. Never. I never saw that side of her. Very encouraging, very supportive. She was pretty awesome.”

“When you come (here), and you see so many people who she inspired and encouraged, and boosted their confidence, you just know there’s no way that she could ever be forgotten. When she passed away my biggest hope was that her legacy would live on. And it does,” said Abram

Oakland Post

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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.

Published

5 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church. Photo courtesy Third Baptist Church.

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.

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.