Crime

The Arc of Justice Catching Up with Twice-Impeached Ex-President

Van Jones, the former director of Oakland’s Ella Baker Center, acts as our surrogate when he appears on the mostly white CNN news panels. So, when the news broke Tuesday morning that Donald Trump got a ‘target letter,’ we knew it wasn’t a bill or a credit card pitch from some big box department store.

Published

3 years ago

July 25, 2023

Oakland Post

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis & Ex-President Donald Trump

By Emil Guillermo

It was a letter from federal prosecutors to the Trump legal team saying that the former president is a target in their investigation to steal the 2020 election, including being the instigator of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

A ‘target letter’ is usually a signal that an indictment and arrest are imminent.

“Finally, we’re getting down to the real stuff here,” Jones said on CNN. “This is why he’s going to go down in the history books as one of the worst presidents, if not the worst ever as a traitor to his own country and we are finally here.”

But as Jones added later, “What took so long?”

All the other potential crimes?

The letter comes after a pair of criminal indictments that include the one filed by New York City DA Alvin Bragg over hush money payments to a porn star, and the one filed in Florida over the mishandling of classified documents in Mar-a-Lago.

But, as Jones commented, the hush money case may have hurt Trump’s family more. And the documents case, though serious, may not have exposed any national security secrets to our sworn enemies. But this third potential indictment was a crime against the people.

A crime against democracy. And if three strikes isn’t enough, there’s a fourth indictment brewing in Georgia.

Trump responded to the letter in social media, proclaiming innocence, calling it a witch hunt, of course. Then, in all caps, Trump said it was “ALL ABOUT ELECTION INTERFERENCE, AND A COMPLETE AND TOTAL POLTICAL WEAPONIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.”

But a target letter is customary and done as a courtesy for someone under investigation to come in on their own. In this case, Trump said he was told to report as early as Thursday to the Grand Jury.

Certainly, Special Prosecutor Jack Smith wouldn’t have sent the letter had he not had the evidence and the witnesses prepared and ready to make his case.

According to news reports, the letter referred to charges involving conspiracy to commit offense or defraud the United States, the deprivation of rights, and the tampering of witnesses.

It was the kind of development that gives hope that Trump will be held accountable, and that he is not above the law.

Yet, there were others like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy continuing to keep Trump above us all. He is, after all, the current standard bearer of the Republican party and leading in the latest polls in the race to be the 2024 nominee.

And Republicans want to win at all costs it seems. Even if it means nominating a twice-impeached, potentially three-time indicted former president.

Even Trump’s closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, was unable to condemn Trump.

Perhaps because DeSantis is doing his best to outdo Trump himself.

D Santis’ Racist Anti-Asian Law

While the news was focused on Trump’s woes, Asian American groups joined the ACLU in Florida at the first hearing in a lawsuit over one of the most xenophobic policies signed into law by DeSantis this past May.

Last week, when the big news was inflation’s drop to 3% (the goal was 2%), some observers wondered why people seemed underwhelmed.

Maybe it’s because our happiness is connected to more than just the price of gas and eggs.

How can you cheer for an improving economy when your rights and freedoms are eroding before your eyes?

Inflation may be on the decline, but democracy’s in recession.

Rollbacks in abortion and affirmative action were expected. But a call back to alien land laws?

Those were the laws that prevented Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos from buying property in the U.S. going back to 1913. These laws prevented my family from buying property. Yours?

Long gone, such laws are making a comeback now that China has been identified as the nation’s Public Enemy No. 1 by GOP politicos like DeSantis.

In May, before launching his campaign for president, DeSantis approved Senate Bill 264, a discriminatory property law that restricts Chinese citizens from purchasing real estate in Florida. The law makes it a felony for Chinese to buy property in restricted areas near military installations and “critical infrastructure” like airports, wastewater treatment plants, power plants and the like.

And how’s this for negative diversity: Florida’s law also applies to citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, but only makes their violations misdemeanors.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit to stop the new law, saying it unfairly punishes Chinese people for actions of their government when there is no evidence of national security risk.

To justify suspicion, all it takes is your Asian face and name. Is it fair to think all Chinese in America are members of the Chinese Communist Party? The latest Pew Research shows the majority of Asian adults in America are anti-China.

Maybe a third indictment will wake up conservatives still trying to defend or outdo Trump’s bigoted politics.

DeSantis should show some leadership by rescinding his anti-Asian land law.

That would be as hopeful a sign as the imminent third indictment against Donald Trump — the signal of a real turnaround in our country — where our democracy can appear mired in recession.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a reality talk show on www.amok.com

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

Published

3 days ago

May 10, 2026

Oakland Post

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Up to the Job: How San Francisco’s PRC Is Providing Work Opportunities That Turn Into Lasting Stability

Each year, PRC serves more than 5,000 clients through a wide range of programs. These include housing navigation, legal advocacy to ensure access to health and public benefits, supportive housing, job and life-skills training, and residential treatment programs.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Black Leadership Council (BLC) Advocacy Day in Sacramento. BLC works to advance meaningful change through policy engagement to unlock the full potential of Black and low-income communities. Photo courtesy of PRC.

By Joe Kocurek, California Black Media

Seville Christian arrived in San Francisco in the 1990s from Kansas City, Mo., a transgender woman coming from a time and place still hostile to who she was.

San Francisco offered a deeper LGBTQ+ history and a more visible community of people like her, but even in a city known for acceptance, building a stable life from scratch was no small task.

After arriving in the city, she turned to Positive Resource Center (PRC) looking for work — and for a foothold — in a new place.

“PRC gave me my first job,” Christian said. “A simple gig — passing out magazines at the San Francisco Pride Parade.”

That first opportunity marked the beginning of a decades-long relationship with PRC, one that has seen Christian grow from client to valued employee, and eventually to policy fellow.

“Today, I’ve been with PRC for 27 years, going on 28,” she said.

Seville Christian’s decades-long relationship with PRC includes as a client, fellow and beloved employee. Photo courtesy of PRC.

Helping people access employment and build sustainable careers has been a cornerstone of PRC’s mission since its inception nearly four decades ago. In its most recent annual impact report, PRC served 443 clients through workforce development services, including career counseling, educational programs, hands-on training, and job search assistance. The average wage earned by PRC clients is $26.48 per hour — approximately 38% above San Francisco’s minimum wage.

To advance this work, organizations like PRC have benefited from funding through California’s Stop the Hate Program, which provides direct support to community-based organizations leading anti-hate initiatives.

Christian’s path was not without challenges. During some rocky years, she experienced periods of housing instability and struggled with addiction. Through PRC, she enrolled in a life-skills program that emphasized using her own lived experience as a means of helping others. The program helped set her on a path toward completing an associate’s degree and ultimately launching a career in case management.

“Today, whether someone is new to the city or has lived here their whole life, I know how to help them navigate to where they need to be,” Christian said.

Members of PRC’s Black Leadership Council meet with a lawmaker in Sacramento. Photo courtesy of PRC.

While PRC was founded to serve people living with HIV, its mission has expanded over the decades to meet the needs of people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those facing mental health and substance use challenges.

According to PRC’s Chief of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Tasha Henneman, some of the organization’s earliest programs remain as vital today as they were at the start.

“Our emergency financial assistance program helped more than 1,200 people this year pay rent, cover medical bills, and keep the lights on,” Henneman said. “And over 1,400 people reached out for legal advocacy, resulting in more than $2.5 million in retroactive benefits unlocked.”

Beyond direct services, PRC is deeply committed to community empowerment and policy change. Programs such as the Black Leadership Council support community leaders in advocating for systemic reform, while the Black Trans Initiative focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by Black transgender individuals.

A recent study from the Williams Institute highlighted findings that 71% of transgender homicide victims in the U.S. between 2010 and 2021 were Black and that nearly a third of the transgender homicides during that period were confirmed or suspected hate crimes.

PRC’s direct and indirect services can be a lifeline for people experiencing hate and are an example of the resources people can get connected with through the state’s CA vs Hate hotline.

PRC is now also producing a film project that centers the lived experiences of Black trans clients, including individuals like Christian.

PRC welcomed guests to their annual Open House in April, an evening dedicated to connection, reflection, and learning more about the programs and people working every day to support San Franciscans experiencing housing instability, unemployment, and behavioral health challenges. Photo courtesy of PRC.

“Our film highlights the health journeys and lived experiences of some of PRC’s Black trans clients,” Henneman said. “Our goal is to give voice, visibility, and agency to the participants — and to bring their stories, both harrowing and inspirational, to policymakers and the broader public.”

The film, expected to be released later this year, is directed by Yule Caise, with assistant director Zarina Codes, a Black transgender San Francisco resident.

Today, Christian continues her relationship with PRC as an ambassador, reflecting on a journey that began with a single job opportunity and grew into a lifelong commitment to service.

“Sometimes I’ll be riding the bus or standing in a grocery store, and someone will come up to me from a women’s shelter,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, Miss Seville, I just want to thank you. You really helped me with what I was dealing with.’”

She paused, smiling.

“And in those moments,” Christian said, “I think to myself, “Well!.”

A single word that sums up pride in a journey to find the best in herself.

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.