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COMMENTARY: Have We Grown Numb to the Sound of Gunfire?

Our pastors, community chaplains and civil rights groups have come together to lift up our voices seeking an end to this season of reckless violence. Sadly, this week was another bloody week here in Oakland as four more innocent lives were taken by senseless acts of reckless, unwarranted violence.

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2022

Oakland Post

Rev. Phyllis Scott, President of the Pastors of Oakland

By Rev Phyllis Scott, President of the Pastors of Oakland

Last week, as the Pastors of Oakland and the NAACP held a prayer vigil seeking proactive solutions from the community and our elected officials, we witnessed a week of an unprecedented wave of violence, killings and crime.

The call has gone out to our city officials, a cry has gone out to law enforcement and a call has gone out to our mayor: “Stop the Violence!”

It appears we’ve grown numb to the sound of gunfire. Have we grown numb to the cries of grieving mothers who have been yelling for justice for shattered families and the tears of our children?

It seems as if the cry of outrage is growing faint. We’ve fallen into a frightening pattern.

We’ve become reactive rather than proactive. We wait for a body to drop in the cold of the streets before we become inflamed with righteous indignation.

If city officials have not risen to the level of righteous indignation — if they cannot or will not do anything to address the violence in the city right now, why should we trust them with a greater responsibility? The Scriptures teach us that “For to whom much is given, much is required.”

It’s up to communities, to the people of Oakland to demand and ensure that the seed of violence is identified and pulled out of our communities. We must provide economic justice through jobs and affordable housing now for the good of the people.

Let’s make our voices heard. Let’s join together. Let’s not grow numb to the sound of violence.

If you’re interested in letting your voice be heard, if you have a heart for peace — join in on the conversation. Register for a city-wide conversation by calling (510) 689-9544.

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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

1 day 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

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1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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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.”