News

Martin Luther King III Delivers Keynote Address on 40th Anniversary of Jonestown Tragedy

Published

5 years ago

December 14, 2018

Memorial Wall dedicated to the 305 children who perished in Guyana unveiled at Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland

It was fitting, Martin Luther King III said,to bring his 11-year-old daughter with him as he addressed a crowd of 75 last Sunday morning at Oakland’s Evergreen Cemetery where more than 400 victims of the massacre in Jonestown, Guyana, are buried in a mass grave.
“We are here primarily to honor the children who never had a chance to make their mark on the world,” King said as sun pierced the smoky air from the Camp Fire and bright-colored balloons tied to the railing around the memorial grove swayed in the light breeze.
While Alice Houston, a member of the original Clara Ward Singers, lovingly crooned “Yes, Jesus Loves Me,” the temporary marker was unveiled and children distributed flowers to later lay athe foot of the panels.

Makayla R. Davis and Marguerite Young of the Devine Angels of Greater Faith Ministries perform praise dance choreographed by Shakira Goff at the unveiling of special panels commemorating the youth who died in Jonestown.

King nodded to his daughter Yolanda Renee King before he went on to inveigh against the evil that robbed the 305 Jonestown children of their future and call for a society that should make “an uncompromising commitment to all children.”
Standing in front of the temporary wall with the names of all the victims and photos of the children arrayed within three hearts, King cited the continuing threat of gun violence against children,especially at schools. In the absence of legislative leadership, he called for communities to organize their own multicultural peacekeeping coalitions to protect the children and thereby secure the future.
It is King’s unrelenting dedication to peace that led Dr. Jynona Norwood, founder of the Jonestown Memorial Wall and Services, to invite him to the 40thanniversary and unveiling of the wall honoring the children.
These 40 years have been a long haul for Norwood, who lost 27 family members in Jonestown, the youngest two months old and the oldest 91 years old.
“Change has always been associated with the number 40,” Norwood said. Noah’s 40 days of rain. The Israelite’s 40 years in the wilderness and Jesus 40 days fasting in the desert. She noted other coincidences over the last year as she was finally able to take the action she thought the Jonestown dead deserved. “When they joined the People’s Temple, they did not join a cult,” she said, “they joined a church that became the cult of Jim Jones,” and they should be remembered separately from the man who brought about their demise.
Supported by Oakland’s previous and present mayors, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Barbara Lee, it was in re-reading letter of support from Rep. Nancy Pelosi that inspired the commission of the temporary grave marker that honors the children as well as the other victims. Norwood, who is pastor of Faith In Ministry Church in Ingleside, Ca.,will bring the panels to Evergreen Cemetery each year but hopes they will ultimately find a permanent home, perhaps at the African American Museum and Library in Oakland.
Other speakers included Dr. E. Faye Williams of the National Congress of Black Women, Dr.Randal Maxey, Rev. Ed Norwood and representatives from Lee’s and Schaaf’s offices presented Norwood with awards of recognition and resolutions. In thanks for them standing by her all these years, Norwood, in turn, presented them with awards of recognition.
After praise dances by three teen aged girls, the service closed with the spirited singing of “Walk With Me, Lord,” by Louise Armstrong, 82, a member of Norwood’s church who also lost a cousin at Jonestown.

Wanda Ravernell

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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

17 hours 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.