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Alameda County Campaigns Against Elder Abuse

Published

5 years ago

June 28, 2019

Social Services Agency, District Attorney’s Office Lead Special Event at County Fair

Alameda County’s leaders are marking Elder Abuse Awareness Month by recruiting the entire community to help protect Alameda County’s growing senior population—approximately 225,000 people over the age of 65 who make up approximately 13.5 percent of all County residents.

On June 15, 2019, the Alameda County Social Services Agency (ACSSA) joined forces with community partners to present a special event marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and Elder Abuse Awareness Month.

Volunteers from ACSSA, the District Attorney’s Office, Legal Assistance for Seniors, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, the Alameda County Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office, and the Advisory Commission on Aging gathered under one tent at the County Fair.

During this special event and over the course of two days (June 14 and 15), approximately 2,000 visitors from all ages and walks of life received information and resources on elder justice issues. Potential volunteer ombudsmen learned of opportunities to advocate for seniors in long-term care facilities.

Approximately 200 Alameda County residents age 55 and older made their voices heard by completing the community assessment survey for the 2021-2024 Countywide Older Adults Plan.

Lori A. Cox, Director of the ACSSA, explained that the Alameda County Fair was chosen as an ideal venue for the County’s message. “The County Fair brings together approximately half a million people from across our diverse community each year – this is the perfect venue for a public awareness campaign like this one because we need everyone to get involved.”

This past year, ACSSA’s Adult Protective Services received approximately 6,000 reports of elder abuse and neglect – and that’s most likely a tiny fraction of the problem in Alameda County alone, according to Randy Morris, Assistant Agency Director for the Adult and Aging Services Department.

He added, “The growing statistic that should concern all of us is the numbers of seniors who are swelling the homeless ranks. In most instances seniors find themselves homeless because they have fallen victim to financial exploitation or property theft.”

But he noted that it doesn’t have to end that way. “We offer services to victims who have been financially exploited, and in many cases we are able to intervene before their savings are wiped out. That is why it is so important to report abuse when it is first suspected.”

Boomer Fridays: Don’t miss out! ACSSA will be sponsoring two more free County Fair admission days for seniors (age 62 and up) until 5 p.m. on 28 and July 5.

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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

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

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Oakland Schools Honor Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice. His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

By Post Staff

Every Jan. 30, OUSD commemorates the legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native, a Castlemont High School graduate, and a national symbol of resistance, resilience, and justice.

His defiant stand against racial injustice and his unwavering commitment to civil rights continue to inspire the local community and the nation. Tuesday was “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” in the state of California and a growing number of states across the country.
One OUSD school is named in his honor: Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) elementary in East Oakland.

Several years ago, founding KDA Principal Charles Wilson, in a video interview with anti-hate organization “Not In Our Town,” said, “We chose the name Fred Korematsu because we really felt like the attributes that he showed in his work are things that the children need to learn … that common people can stand up and make differences in a large number of people’s lives.”

Fred Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. His parents ran a floral nursery business, and his upbringing in Oakland shaped his worldview. His belief in the importance of standing up for your rights and the rights of others, regardless of race or background, was the foundation for his activism against racial prejudice and for the rights of Japanese Americans during World War II.

At the start of the war, Korematsu was turned away from enlisting in the National Guard and the Coast Guard because of his race. He trained as a welder, working at the docks in Oakland, but was fired after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Fear and prejudice led to federal Executive Order 9066, which forced more than 120,000 Japanese Americans out of their homes and neighborhoods and into remote internment camps.

The 23-year-old Korematsu resisted the order. He underwent cosmetic surgery and assumed a false identity, choosing freedom over unjust imprisonment. His later arrest and conviction sparked a legal battle that would challenge the foundation of civil liberties in America.

Korematsu’s fight culminated in the Supreme Court’s initial ruling against him in 1944. He spent years in a Utah internment camp with his family, followed by time living in Salt Lake City where he was dogged by racism.

In 1976, President Gerald Ford overturned Executive Order 9066. Seven years later, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco vacated Korematsu’s conviction. He said in court, “I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed, or color.”

Korematsu’s dedication and determination established him as a national icon of civil rights and social justice. He advocated for justice with Rosa Parks. In 1998, President Bill Clinton gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom saying, “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls … To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke out against hatred and discrimination, saying what happened to Japanese Americans should not happen to people of Middle Eastern descent.
Korematsu’s roots in Oakland and his education in OUSD are a source of great pride for the city, according to the school district. His most famous quote, which is on the Korematsu elementary school mural, is as relevant now as ever, “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”