Activism
A Father’s Day to Remember: Peace between rivals on De Fremery Park’s basketball court
Father’s Day was a day of mutual understanding for the fathers and young men to put their differences to the side and play competitive basketball against one another, even though these various street formations aka “gangs,” or rivals, generally don’t get along. In other words, basketball brought peace on this special occasion for so many coming from different sectors of the city.
By Richard Johnson
Father’s Day proved to be quite rewarding this year in so many ways. The fathers that society has written off as a lost cause collective chose this Father’s Day to show unity, respect, and camaraderie, by showing that if a good idea can be conceived it can be done.
Father’s Day was a day of mutual understanding for the fathers and young men to put their differences to the side and play competitive basketball against one another, even though these various street formations aka “gangs,” or rivals, generally don’t get along.
In other words, basketball brought peace on this special occasion for so many coming from different sectors of the city. These “peaceful” basketball games surprised the Oakland Police Department officers who attended for a while, but when it became apparent that peace would abound on this day at the West Oakland DeFremery Park, they left the scene.
At the end of the basketball game, there was a Fallen Fathers’ balloon released for all the deceased fathers.
Shan Hirsch, the founder and CEO of the non-profit Pennies for Peace (PFP), put this event together. She has been a stellar advocate and community organizer for over 20 years and has earned the love and respect of the communities with her work and devotion to helping bridge the gaps between warring factions.
PFP raises funds through small donations from individuals who share her vision of bringing peace to our streets. Even though she receives no government or foundation grants, she manages to stay afloat with sheer determination.
Hirsch’s next goal is to bring a boxing gym to the Bay Area. She has a son and a grandson who have taken up boxing as a sport.
Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB) is also working with the African American Sports Entertainment Group (AASEG) to utilize youth-oriented sports activities as a healthy, constructive diversion from the lure of gangs.
As our city debates ways to stop violence, they should study PFP’s has an approach which emphasizes action over talk. If there’s to be peace you must go to the trenches and put the work in.
It’s not going to happen sitting back behind a desk in a comfort zone engaging in wishful thinking. The time for “politickring” is over, peace can only be gained when you go out and make it happen in a real way.
We can’t legislate peace; we must put in the work.
Activism
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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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.”
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