Activism

Bay Area Black Grammy 2021 Winners

The 2021 Grammy Awards from the Staples Center on March 14 were hosted by Trevor Noah, and in addition to history being made by both Beyoncé and Mickey Guyton, three Black Bay Area musicians received awards.

Published

3 years ago

March 17, 2021

Kiki

Ledisi, Courtesy Twitter

H.E.R. courtesy Twitter

Fantastic Negrito, courtesy Twitter

First, Beyoncé (Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter), 39, made Grammy history with her 28^th win and is the most-awarded woman in the 63-year history of the Grammy Awards.

She received her 28^th Grammy for “Black Parade,” released Juneteenth 2020. Accepting her award in person, she said: “[a]s an artist, I believe it’s my job to reflect the times, and it’s been such a difficult time. So, I wanted to uplift, encourage, celebrate all of the beautiful Black queens and kings that continue to inspire me and inspire the world.”

‘Queen Bey,’ as she is known, ties the incomparable Quincy Jones, who turned 88 on Grammy Sunday, for the number of Grammy’s received. Only one person, classical conductor Sir Georg Solti, has more awards with a total of 31 Grammys.

Mickey Guyton (born Candace Mycale Guyton) from Texas became the first Black solo female artist to gain a Grammy nomination in a country music category. Guyton, 37, was nominated but did not win for “Black Like Me,” which she released on Instagram because it was autobiographical and she did not want to sell it.

And in the Bay Area, Vallejo’s own 23-year-old Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, aka H.E.R. (acronym for Having Everything Revealed) won two Grammys, her third and fourth, one for “I Can’t Breathe,” which captured “Song of the Year” and “Better Than I Imagined,” which was awarded Best R&B song.

Oakland’s Fantastic Negrito, 53, (aka Xavier Dphrepaulezz) won his third Grammy for his album “Have You Lost Your Mind Yet?” for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

In his acceptance speech, Negrito asked for a moment of silence for the people who have perished because of COVID-19. He also thanked E-40 and Dwayne Wiggins.

And last, but not least, Ledisi Anibade Young, aka Ledisi, 48, a former Oakland vocalist now based in Los Angeles, won her first Grammy for “Anything For You” in Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Ledisi told the Post: “I am very honored to be recognized for a song I co-wrote on my own label. Everything happens in God’s time.”

Congratulations to all.

BBC News, Twitter, Wikipedia and CBS.com were sources for this report.

Kiki

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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

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21 hours 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

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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.”