Activism
Community Leaders Respond to the Firing of Chief LeRonne Armstrong: MAYOR SHENG THAO IS WRONG
The Oakland NAACP and Community leaders are livid about Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s dismissal of Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong. In a press conference just hours before the Police Commission could announce a report of their own, Thao stated she had lost confidence in the chief on February 15, Wednesday afternoon.
By Carla Thomas
The Oakland NAACP and Community leaders are livid about Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao’s dismissal of Chief of Police LeRonne Armstrong. In a press conference just hours before the Police Commission could announce a report of their own, Thao stated she had lost confidence in the chief on February 15, Wednesday afternoon. Armstrong who was placed on leave three weeks ago has been left in limbo over a police officer’s misconduct last year involving an accident in a police car and discharging a weapon in an elevator at headquarters. A report accuses Armstrong of not holding the officer accountable. Armstrong has reiterated that he was unaware of the report and by policy the incident is investigated independently.
A partial statement released by the City of Oakland Police Commission reads: “The Commission voted for a Discipline Committee to explore these issues and in particular the allegations against the Chief…the Commission was not informed of the Mayor’s decision to release the Chief before her press conference…We are sorry those an effective reform-minded Chief who led the OPD into compliance in the 51 out of 52 tasks of the Negotiated Settlement Agreement ”
Federal Monitor Robert Warshaw, who has overseen the Oakland Police Department for 2 decades, has amassed a small fortune at $100,000 a month of the city’s budget. With the Department just months away from having the federal oversight removed, and 51 of the 52 points within the NSA (Negotiated Settlement Agreement) complete, city leaders are now questioning how a police chief that has a track record of building community bridges and healing a city bruised by violence, could be disparaged and fired when he did nothing wrong.
Hosting a meeting in the Madeline Senegal Fellowship meeting room at his church, Acts Full Gospel Church of God in Christ’s. Bishop Bob Jackson recalled how he sent a letter representing over 30 organizations to the then mayor supporting Armstrong’s appointment to police chief two years ago.
“This is an injustice and the community has to rise up against this,” said Jackson.
“This is all unfair and we will continue to fight for our chief,” said Oakland NAACP president Cynthia Adams.
The NAACP is calling on everyone to join a rally at city hall at noon on Monday, February 20 to protest the mayor’s decision. By their standards, the chief should be exonerated, the confidential reports that were leaked should be investigated, the federal monitor who has been fired as a monitor in cities such as Detroit should be investigated, and the Police Commissions investigative reports should have had a complete due process that demonstrated again that Armstrong was not at fault. Armstrong thanks the community and city leaders for their support. “I really appreciate all of this support and your prayers. It’s keeping my family and I strong,” he said.
Leaders of the Chinese, Latino, church, business and Black community communities along with Oakland City councilmember Noel Gallo, former councilmember Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor among others, have come together again with story after story of how Armstrong was ever present in the community and a game changer who has transformed the community and police relations for the better.
“I’ve spoken about federal monitor Warshaw on a national level and have been told Warshaw should have never had the job and that he should be fired,” said Gallo.
Pastor Phyllis Scott, president of The Pastors of Oakland, spoke of a graduation in the community where Armstrong signed everyone’s diploma. “He has done tremendous work in East Oakland,” she said.
At noon on Thursday, small group of community members expressed their dismay of Armstrong’s firing outside City Hall at Oscar Grant Plaza. Oscar Grant’s mother, Wanda Jones, CEO of the Oscar Grant Foundation questioned why there are so many chief’s fired under the federal monitor. “Every time we get a new mayor, the police chief is gotten rid of and that’s unacceptable,” said Jones. “We know that mayor’s bring in their own staff, but the way the mayor’s gone about doing this is wrong. The chief should not have been fired.”
Community elder and historic Black Panther member, Rosalind Charlotte Patton said saw the chief’s firing on the news the night before and rushed to the rally with a sign in support of Armstrong. She said she wanted her voice heard even if she wasn’t a speaker bearing a sign stating: ” Mayor Sheng Thao you are dead wrong, the community supports Chief LeRonne Armstrong.”
Community leaders Seneca Scott, Loren Taylor, Brenda Grisham, Jorge Flores, and Antoine Towers also spoke at the rally in support of Armstrong.
Scott echoed the NAACP and community leaders is demanding the chief be exonerated, that the investigative reports that were leaked be investigated, and the federal monitor be investigated.
“We will continue to fight this,” he said.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 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 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.”
-
Activism4 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of March 27 – April 2, 2024
-
#NNPA BlackPress4 weeks ago
Beloved Actor and Activist Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. Dies at 87
-
Community1 week ago
Financial Assistance Bill for Descendants of Enslaved Persons to Help Them Purchase, Own, or Maintain a Home
-
Activism3 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 3 – 6, 2024
-
Business2 weeks ago
V.P. Kamala Harris: Americans With Criminal Records Will Soon Be Eligible for SBA Loans
-
Activism2 weeks ago
Oakland Post: Week of April 10 – 16, 2024
-
Community2 weeks ago
AG Bonta Says Oakland School Leaders Should Comply with State Laws to Avoid ‘Disparate Harm’ When Closing or Merging Schools
-
Community7 days ago
Oakland WNBA Player to be Inducted Into Hall of Fame