Activism
Racial Justice And Police Reform In San Francisco
Mayor London Breed hosted a panel on “Racial Justice and Police Reform in San Francisco” with Malia Cohen, chair of the California Board of Equalization, San Francisco Police Dept. Chief William Scott and Reform Alliance CEO Van Jones as her guests.
It was streamed on Breed’s Facebook page on June 11, 2020, has achieved about 9,600 views.
Breed said we have to “…fundamentally change the nature of policing models for the United States.” She added they had a “commitment to doing more.”
Breed noted that Blacks comprise less than 6% of the population in San Francisco, yet 40% of the homeless and 50% of those in the criminal system.
The panel discussed former Pres. Barack Obama’s 273 recommendations for reform in policing, of which the San Francisco Police Dept. has implemented 61. Chief Scott noted that “reform is not a check-box process” and 58 of the reforms involve use of force and S.F.P.D. has implemented half of those.
Jones, a CNN talk show host, acknowledged the changes in the last two weeks and a “continent of common ground on race.” He said of George Floyd’s death, “it was a lynching, seen on a billion cell phones at one time.”
Jones added that 30 to 40 million white people in America now accept two things:
1) Racism is real.
2) Something is wrong with the system when it comes to policing and the criminal justice system.
They also are accepting some responsibility by asking themselves, “What can I do?”
Jones said that acceptance is a miracle. And when you drill down on the “defund the police” movement, it is really about reimagining and reinventing the police department.
Breed added we must be “deliberate in advocacy and energy to get real change and when ‘Barbecue Becky’ calls, perhaps police don’t respond.”
Cohen agreed that there should not “be police response for every problem,” and added that Crisis Intervention Training or CIT is needed. Everyone needs bias training and to “deconstruct our biases,” she said.
To that, Scott suggested there should be a study of the data and examine our biases and stereotypes to look at “who … we associate with crime and why.”
Jones closed with asking folks to “be encouraged, it’s a process” and added, “we want peaceful streets.”
Breed ended the panel on a positive note stating that things will change and “we will save lives.”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
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.
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.”
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