Community

Adamika Village Awards Anti-Violence Activists on ‘No Yellow Tape Day’ Personally

Published

5 years ago

January 22, 2019

Adamika Village, a grass-roots organization based in Oakland committed to ending gun violence, police violence, domestic violence and human trafficking, hosted their second annual “No Yellow Tape Day” on Dec. 30, 2018, at Humanist Hall, a community center for progressive activist and oppressed minority groups. Adamika Village’s event acknowledged people working in the community who support its mission. No Yellow Tape also rededicated their support to 37 families that were victims of gun violence, police violence, domestic violence and human trafficking.

Adamika Village has found 32 missing children in 16 months while assisting with housing for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, which is more than the Oakland Police Department has done.

Marilyn Washington-Harris, founder of the Khadafy Foundation, was given a “For the Hood and From the Hood” Award. The Khadafy Foundation is named after Washington-Harris’ son who was lost to gun violence in 2000. Since 2000, Washington-Harris has assisted over 1,500 families who’ve also lost children to gun violence.

Donald Frazier, executive director of Building Opportunities for Self Sufficiency (BOSS) also received the award, and served as the keynote speaker. For more than 45 years, BOSS has worked to fight poverty, homelessness and injustice in the Bay Area.

Joseph Alexander won the “No-Limits Soldier” award for not missing one day on the streets posting posters and handing out flyers seeking information regarding the death of his son Joseph Alexander II, who was killed in Richmond on April 19, 2018.

This year’s healing and prayer circle included 1-year-old Miracle Beard, who ran into the circle to embrace and kiss a picture of her father Bernard Meshawn Beard, killed on Jan 12, 2017.

“We still haven’t got justice on the Bernard Meshawn Beard case so we work daily to keep it from becoming a cold case. We flyer neighborhoods, knock on doors and keep his name on people’s tongues.” said Allums.

“We embraced the 37 families that have lost their children or were victims of domestic violence in 2018,” says Daryle Allums, Founder of Adamika Village. “Healing is a lifetime.”

Community leaders, groups and pastors from San Francisco, Richmond, Stockton and Pittsburg attended to support Oakland’s newly formed Department of Violence Prevention (DVP). Other organizations in attendance were King David Respect for Life Inc, Moms Demand Action of Northern California, Owning My Own Truth from Oakland and BOSS C-Tec.

While Adamika Village celebrated their legacy that there were no homicides on that day, tragically five days later on January 4, 2019, activist Daryle Allums lost his 31-year-old nephew, Dante Johnson in a triple homicide.

Allums stresses the urgency for people to come together and will approach the city to help him bring people together by offering a “Buy-Out of Poverty” program. The “Buy-Out” program will give a participant a $500 stipend to enter a 120-hour program, and earn minimum wage while learning basic skills, GED or college career pathway courses, then another $500 after they complete the program.

“The city needs to know that people who want to get ahead still have to feed their kids and have money for transportation. There are so many people out there that want to change. This program would target and help those people.

“When people are able to follow their dreams, love themselves and see their value and value in others, they’ll stop killing each other. It’s a simple solution: I hope the city agrees.”

Tanya Dennis

Posts by Tanya Dennis

Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

17 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Vivian Coit, 98

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

Published

18 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Vivian Coit

Celebrating A Life Well Lived

Sept. 15, 1925 ~ March 30, 2024

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

In her 98 years, she had various jobs – San Francisco Naval Shipyard, elevator operator, housekeeping, a salesclerk, and supervisor for the United States Postal Service. After 27 years of service with the United States Postal Service, she retired with numerous commendations. She was a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women. and a devoted member of the Washington/Lincoln Alumni Association of Dallas, Texas.

On April 20 at 10:00 a.m., a life well-lived will be celebrated at Beebe Memorial Cathedral CME Church, 3900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA under the leadership of Rev. Antoine Shyne.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Commentary

Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

Published

18 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!