Community
Carole Quan, Oakland Schools’ First Asian Superintendent, 79
On the day of her forced retirement, she paraded out of the district headquarters at 1025 Second Ave. with her family, friends and supportive colleagues. Defiantly, she carried a bottle of champagne that she had been given and climbed into a limousine that was waiting for her at the entrance of the building. Someone carried a boombox, which was blaring Johnny Paycheck’s famous country tune, “Take this job and shove it. I ain’t working here no more.”
![](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/funeral-service.jpg)
![](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Carole-Quan-300x236.jpg)
Carole Quan
Carole Quan, a lifelong educator who serve as the first Asian superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), died of cancer on Jan. 2, 2021. She was 79.
Born on March 30, 1941, she attended Oakland schools as a child including Franklin Elementary, Roosevelt Middle and Oakland High school. Dedicating her life to educating Oakland children, she worked as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent before her appointment as superintendent by the district’s Board of Education.
While a teacher she worked at Rockwood Elementary School (now CUES and Futures Elementary School) and Lincoln Elementary School.
“Quan represented the community with passion and dedication,” said current Supt. Kayla Johnson-Trammel in a statement. “She was always … there for our staff in every way and was a role model who was a pioneer Asian American education leader.”
Former OUSD principal and administrator Principal Denise Saddler called Quan an “educator’s educator.”
“She was the leader of everyone in the district and cared about all the students,” said Saddler. “No matter who you were, she made you feel like you were personally known to her.”
Quan’s mother, like her daughters Holly and Heidi, attended Oakland schools.
“I came from a strong female family, so my sister and I couldn’t have any (better) role models,” said her daughter Holly, a KCBS Radio reporter. “Through her success, Mama … taught us tenacity and elegance while fostering intense pride in our hometown. From the tailgate in the A’s and Raiders game to the duck on Lake Merritt, she was Oakland’s daughter to the end. “
Quan served as superintendent of the school district. 1997 to 1999. Her love of Oakland, including her solidarity and respect for the African American community and the then Black majority on the school board, put her on a collision course with Mayor Jerry Brown and State Senator Don Perata who orchestrated a campaign to push her out as part of their plan to remove the board and take over the school district.
On the day of her forced retirement, she paraded out of the district headquarters at 1025 Second Ave. with her family, friends and supportive colleagues. Defiantly, she carried a bottle of champagne that she had been given and climbed into a limousine that was waiting for her at the entrance of the building. Someone carried a boombox, which was blaring Johnny Paycheck’s famous country tune, “Take this job and shove it. I ain’t working here no more.”
Post reporter Ken Epstein and news services contributed to this story.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 12-18, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 12-18, 2024
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Antonio Ray Harvey
More Segregated Than Deep South: ACLU Releases Report on Calif. Public Schools
The 2024 State of Black Education: Report Card was recently published by the American Civil Liberties Union California Action (ACLU California Action). It states that California is the third most segregated state for Black students. Co-author of the report, policy counsel Amir Whitaker from ACLU Southern California explained the criteria the ACLU use to rank California during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education held at the State Capitol the day after the Memorial Day holiday.
![Asm. Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) was a guest speaker at the State of Black Education report card briefing at the State Capitol on May 29. CBM Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/mia-bonta-featured-web.jpg)
By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media
The 2024 State of Black Education: Report Card was recently published by the American Civil Liberties Union California Action (ACLU California Action).
It states that California is the third most segregated state for Black students.
Co-author of the report, policy counsel Amir Whitaker from ACLU Southern California explained the criteria the ACLU use to rank California during the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown vs. Board of Education held at the State Capitol the day after the Memorial Day holiday.
“For every state in the Deep South, California (schools) are more segregated,” Whittaker said. “People often think that California is not segregated or unequal as Deep South states and others. The inequalities here (in California) are actually wider.”
New York and Illinois are ahead of California regarding the racial diversity of their student bodies. According to a report May 2022 report by Stanford Graduate School of Education, the Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York City school districts are in the top 10 most racially segregated districts for White-Black, White-Hispanic, and White-Asian segregation based on the average levels from 1991-2020.
In bigger school districts, segregation between low-income (students who are eligible for free lunch) and non-low-income students increased by 47% since 1991, according to the Stanford Graduate School’s report.
“That’s why it’s important to look at this data,” Whitaker said. “When you have millions of people living in places like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, the urban areas are a lot more segregated than the south. That’s a big part of it.
A number of factors contribute to the segregation of schools in California such as parents sending their children to private schools, others optioning for homeschooling, and other reasons, Whitaker said.
The Brown v. Board of Education case declared that separating children in public schools based on race was unconstitutional. However, Whitaker pointed to cases after the landmark decision that circumvented that federal law.
According to a 2014 report by the Civil Rights Project, in the 1990s, decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court decision ended federal desegregation orders in San Francisco and San Jose. In addition, court decisions in the state that ordered desegregation in the 1970s were overturned by the 1990s. Legally, California has no school integration policy to adhere to.
“This is why we did this report. There needs to be a report just on this issue (of school segregation),” Whitaker told California Black Media. “Right now, there’s no task force or anything addressing it. I have never seen the California Department of Education talk about it. This is a pandemic (and) a crisis.”
ACLU Northern California hosted an overview of the report and panel discussion at the State Capitol on May 29. California Black Legislative Caucus member Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and Sen. Steven Bradford were the guest speakers. Parents, students, educators, and Black education advocates from all over the state attended the 90-minute presentation at the State Capitol.
School segregation is the No. 1 issue listed in among the report’s “24 areas of documented inequality,” along with problematic trends of racial harassment, a continuous decline of Black student enrollment, school closures, connection with school staff, chronic absenteeism, low Black teacher representation, and parent participation.
Art
Mayor Breed, Actor Morris Chestnut Attend S.F.’s Indie Night Film Festival
On June 1, the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Indie Night Film Festival arrived at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco. San Francisco native Dave Brown, Founder and CEO of the Indie Night Film Festival, has a vision for the film industry that is squarely focused on promoting the many talented producers, actors, and designers contributing to this billion-dollar industry. The festival has been running for 12 years and it’s only up from here, he says.
![(Left to Right) Dave Brown, CEO, Indie Night Festival, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and actor Morris Chestnut. Photo by Y’Anad Burrell](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/indie-night-film-festival-featured-web.jpg)
By Y’Anad Burrell
On June 1, the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Indie Night Film Festival arrived at the Kabuki Theater in San Francisco.
San Francisco native Dave Brown, Founder and CEO of the Indie Night Film Festival, has a vision for the film industry that is squarely focused on promoting the many talented producers, actors, and designers contributing to this billion-dollar industry. The festival has been running for 12 years and it’s only up from here, he says.
A weekly celebration of cinematic artistry designed to elevate emerging talent while providing a platform for networking and collaboration, entrepreneur Dave Brown created Indie Night to bridge gaps within the filmmaking community by fostering connections between like-minded individuals worldwide. The Indie Film Festival currently has over 450 film submissions worldwide, and its cinematic vault only continues to grow.
The festival showcased over 10 short films and trailers, and featured Faces of the “City: Fighting for the Soul of America,” produced by veteran actor Tisha Campbell. This film is about the vibrancy and legacy of San Francisco. The festival also previewed “When It Reigns,” a trailer by Oakland’s burgeoning filmmaker Jamaica René.
Indie films have not just challenged traditional cinematic norms; they’ve shattered them. These films offer unique storytelling perspectives and push creative boundaries in truly inspiring ways. With their smaller budgets and independent spirit, they often tackle unconventional subjects and portray diverse characters, providing a refreshing alternative to mainstream cinema. As a result, indie films have resonated with audiences seeking an escape from formulaic blockbusters and are increasingly celebrated for their authenticity and originality.
Organizers say the mission of Indie Night is to elevate the craft of independent artists and creators. It also provides a venue for them to showcase their work, network, and exchange information with new and established creatives. It creates a community that values and supports independent art.
For more about the Indie Night Film Festival, visit www.indienightfilmfestival.com.
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