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SF’s “Comfort Women” Statue Honors Victims of Japanese Sex Trafficking

Published

7 years ago

September 29, 2017

Yong-soo Lee, 89, a “comfort woman” during World War II, touches the statue of the late Grandma Hak-soon Kim who first broke the silence by publicly speaking out in 1991. This is one of the figures in the Chinatown “Comfort Woman” memorial. Lee, at the age of 15, was kidnapped from her home in Korea and forced to work in a Taiwan brothel that served Japanese soldiers. Photo: Associated Press.

Several hundred thousand women and girls, euphemistically called “Comfort Women,” were sexually enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces in 13 Asia-Pacific countries from 1931 to 1945.

In the 1990s, survivors courageously broke their silence and revealed this dark history that had been hidden for decades.

On Friday, September 22, 2017, a bronze monument dedicated to the “Comfort Women” was unveiled in St. Mary’s Square Annex in San Francisco. SF’s

The memorial is the product of unity among countless volunteers, activists, scholars and teachers, students, youth parents and grandparents who joined under the united banner of the “Comfort Women” Justice Coalition to make the memorial a reality.

“We all share the same humanity. This is an issue for everyone. This is about a sincere apology from the government of Japan,” said Yong-soo Lee, 89, a surviving comfort woman.

September 22 marked the two-year anniversary of the San Francisco resolution to establish a public monument in memory of the victims as a reminder to the ongoing sexual violence against women during wartime around the globe.

The effort was led by two San Francisco Superior Court Judges, Lillian Sing and Julie Tang (Retired). They worked closely with the City of San Francisco Arts Commission and the Recreation and Park Department to select the location, the design and the inscription that would best represent the purpose of the monument.

The sculptor is Steven Whyte of Carmel, Ca. The monument shows Grandma Haksoon Kim, (the first who broke the silence in 1991) in Korean traditional dress looking at three girls in traditional Korean, Chinese and the Filipino dress holding hands on top of a cylinder. The statues are life-sized.

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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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April 26, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

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April 19, 2024

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

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Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”