Opinion

OP-ED: Black Homosexual taking a Stand against SF City Hall

Published

13 years ago

December 2, 2013

By Allen Jones

As a Black homosexual who has lived in The City since 1960, I have observed the blatant marginalization and disrespect of Blacks by City Hall that I now suspect has been going on for several administrations. The most disturbing aspect of discovery is that even the plight of oppressed homosexuals of Africa get no support from a city that is all too ready to champion gay rights.

First formed back in 1963-64 to deal with discrimination against Blacks, the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of San Francisco has failed in the area of discrimination of Blacks. In addition, it has “Flat lined” on possible solutions to the Black out-migration, which include the commissioned study dated 2009 by former mayor Gavin Newsom.

I could be wrong, but people of any color do not leave by the thousands because they are being treated right. However, to better illustrate my point, I will use world news events of the treatment of homosexuals and how San Francisco politicians have responded.

Rush Limbaugh made headlines when he mocked the speaking of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao in January 2011. On behave of all Chinese people, Supervisor Eric Mar introduced a resolution condemning Limbaugh, which passed unanimously.

In April of 2012, Uganda president Yoweri Museveni said there is no persecution of gays in his country at the same time the Ugandan parliament was considering passing the so-called, “Kill the Gays bill.” Did Supervisor Mar or any other supervisor suddenly forget how to introduce a resolution?

Former president of Poland Lech Walesa suggested, gay Polish politicians should “sit behind a wall” in the country’s parliament in March 2013. Supervisor Jane Kim immediately fired off her response by suggesting San Francisco reverse back to using the original street name that bares the name of this former Poland president.

A month prior, Gambian President Yahya Jammeh speaking at the United Nations general assembly suggested that “Gays were a threat to human existence.” Where was this straight politician sitting that she could not introduce an official city statement against this African head of state?

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law against “Gay propaganda” in August 2013. Board of Supervisor President David Chiu offered to host a protest against the Russian president in his district as a response.

November 2013 Aljazeera America reported that 38 of the 54 African countries still have laws against homosexuality. Not surprising there is no African embassy or consulate in San Francisco. Nevertheless, I still cannot imagine Supervisor Chiu protesting in front of an African consulate in Russian Hill.

I understand that City Hall cannot respond to all immature or uneducated statements spewed from the mouths of these heads of state. However, when reprehensible life and death statements are made by leaders of African countries concerning their homosexual community, City Hall loses interest in human suffering.

HRC commissioners and City Hall use the tools of respect, dignity and inclusion to help so many of the LGBT community. One would be hard pressed to find city leaders treating the Black community with similar respect, dignity or inclusion.

Why would a Black homosexual want to identify as being African when it oppresses its homosexual community? And why would a Black American want to identify as American if he is marginalized and disrespected in of all places, “Everyone’s favorite city?” In other words, African American my foot! I’m Black and that’s that!

To stem the tide of the Black out-migration —50,000 plus since 1970— City Hall should first, take the official position of, no longer referring to Blacks as African American, but rather Black(s).

At an August 2013 protest against the Russian “Gay propaganda law”, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu from said, “Where there is hate against some, there is hate against us all.”

Now I can’t say I understand who Supervisor Chiu was referring to when he said, “us” but apparently, “Equality for All” does not include Blacks in San Francisco or homosexuals in Africa if I got my facts straight on how City Hall.

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Arts and Culture

COMMENTARY: Black Music is the Sound of Black Freedom: Let Us Reclaim Both This Juneteenth

Black Music Month started when Black Music Association members Ed Wright, Kenny Gamble and his wife, journalist and radio host Dyanna Williams were able to persuade President Jimmy Carter to establish the observation on June 7, 1979.

Published

2 days ago

June 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Robert Johnson (1911-1938) is thought of as the godfather of blues music, especially Delta blues. The 29 songs recorded by him during his short life have been of massive inspiration to guitarists and musicians over the last 80 years. Public domain photo.

By Wanda Ravernell

Black Music Month and Juneteenth are inextricably linked – Black music is the sound of our freedom.

From the plaintive moans of the enslaved Africans’ ‘sorrow songs,’ to the fields of Civil War battle where Black soldiers picked up abandoned bugles, to the upright piano played in juke joints on Saturday night and churches come Sunday morning, our ancestors’ innovation in the face of want, fear, degradation, and hopelessness has yielded genres of music imitated ’round the world.

In 2000, Congress made it official. In 2009, Pres. Barack Obama changed the name to African American Music Heritage Month and in 2023, Pres. Joe Biden changed it back to Black Music Month, two years after he declared Juneteenth a national holiday, the result of a movement led by Opal Lee.

Our ancestors battle for freedom over these last 400 years and the music that allowed them expression of their humanity deserved to be honored.

But we may be losing sight of the value of their sacrifices.

‘Sing a Song Full of the Faith That the Dark past Has Taught Us…’

Along with the long-known exploitation of Black musicians whose recordings were stolen by record companies, the commercialization of Juneteenth feels like another kind of theft.

I had never heard of Juneteenth until I moved to the Bay Area from my hometown of Philadelphia. I didn’t know it was one of many freedom festivals celebrated by descendants of enslaved people in the United States.

Emancipation Day was Jan. 1 in Pennsylvania, April 16 in Wash., D.C., May 20 in Florida, and Aug. 8 in Kentucky. But Juneteenth, June 19, has the most renown, known in Texas as the ‘colored peoples’ Fourth of July.’

It was marked by parades, beauty pageants, rodeos, backyard barbecues and church picnics.

Yes, church.

The formerly enslaved began the day praying in thanks for their freedom just as they had prayed for Jubilee – the day of freedom – when they had chains on their feet and hands. They ‘testified’ about their past suffering and how they had managed to overcome.

And they sang.

Although, we will not hold it this year, Omnira Institute’s Juneteenth Ritual of Remembrance recalled this part of Juneteenth with prayers in the languages of the African captives. In the middle of the ceremony, a soloist would lead us in singing “Many Thousand Gone” while we took turns reciting portions of the Emancipation Proclamation, the news of freedom that took more than two years to reach Texas – two months after the Civil War ended.

“Many Thousand Gone” was famously recorded by Black luminary Paul Robeson in 1947:

“No more auction block for me,

No more, no more

No more auction black for me

Many thousand gone.”

Other verses refer to the ‘pint of salt’ and the ‘driver’s lash,’ the realities of enslavement that they had survived.

‘Sing a Song Full of the Hope That the Present has Brought Us’

All of the genres of African American music have at their root songs like that, the essence being, as Stevie Wonder, wrote, “the joy inside our pain.” So Black music is not just music. It is our story, our history, our very strength.

During the Civil Rights Movement, which peaked 100 years after slavery ended, the people testified that it was the freedom songs – based on spirituals – that gave them the heart to march, face attack dogs, fire hoses, beatings, and shootouts with vigilantes.

The music reminded them that power was in the people. That music, our music, can do so again. We don’t have to accept the commodification of the products of our culture.

The power of those songs is showing a resurgence across the South as we battle again for the right to self-determination through the ballot box.

Those songs are the voices of our ancestors, voices forged in their blood, their sweat, their tears, joy and, above all, faith. Those songs, those prayers live in our blood and our very breath.

This Juneteenth, let us reclaim those holy voices expressed in Black music for ourselves. It is our birthright. It can neither be bought nor sold. No more. Never again.

Wanda Ravernell is the executive director of Omnira Institute, sponsor for 18 years of the Juneteenth Ritual of Remembrance and Oakland’s 11^th Annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival, which will take place on Sept. 12.