Activism

Marin City Celebrates Juneteenth

Published

4 years ago

June 25, 2020

A Juneteenth Festival was held June 19 at the Rocky Graham Park in Marin City. The event was organized by community members and was attended by over 200 people, many of whom were wearing masks and practicing social-distancing.

Brittney Burton, whose grandmother is Alberta Roary, challenged the audience to all to come together in unity to be aware of what is happening in their community. She says that her generation and age group is the force for change and equality and that it’s time for them to step up and become more involved. “Let’s continue coming together to fight for change, equality and justice for all,” said Burton.

Ayana Morgan-Woodard, a recent graduate of Tuskegee University, mentioned a few basic things that Black people need: partnership, police reform, justice, education and health care systems, reparations, economic inclusion, environmental justice, job opportunities and peace.

After a break to visit the vendors, several people spoke and shared their poems.

Alexis Wise, the director of Wise Girls, said that it overwhelms her heart to see people came out to support the event.

“I want you guys to know that it is not only going to take us, but it will take you to make some changes. Ultimately, my business is to change the Constitution. Because the Constitution was written when we were three-fourths of a human being. It was not meant for us, but my ultimate goal is to help change policy.”

Wise introduced her daughter, Lea Mixon, a 22-year-old who is currently attending California State University Northridge. Wise said that “Activism has always been in (Lea’s) heart. She is a community leader devoted to changing the world in any way she can, big or small. She has been a part of every community organization in Marin City, and is also a part of the Black Lives Matter movement at CSUN.”

Mixon took the stage to share her poem, and some of her reflections on the recent uprisings. “So much has been going on across this nation and this world that people don’t even understand the power that we have when we stand together. A couple of weeks ago, the whole of the United States protested on the same day, and the police officers that killed George Floyd were arrested. So, I realized that we need to understand that there is power in numbers,” Mixon said.

Godfrey Lee

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

Oakland Post

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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.

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.”