Activism

COMMENTARY: The Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back Org ‘Just Serve’ on Mother’s and Father’s Days

The Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back organization (FIGB) sought to extend to the mothers what they had to offer with the blessings from the Most High. Members of the newly formed (FIGB) were pleased to have the opportunity to repay their debt to the community for their past indiscretions. We felt like it’s time for us to own up and do all that’s within our power to make amends to the community.

Published

2 years ago

June 9, 2022

Oakland Post

Richard Johnson and some members of the Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back organization give Mother’s Day cash gifts and food. They have distinguished themselves by their efforts to “Just Serve” communities of need and to help rectify the damages they have participated in in the past. Photo by Jonathan Fitness Jones

The organization gears up for another event June 18 at CAL-PEP in West Oakland

By Richard Johnson

During my years in prison, nearly every inmate looked forward to celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, especially if they knew who their father was. And for those of us who were fathers, these holidays had special family meaning. Now, as members of the formerly incarcerated population, we continue to derive special meaning for these holidays. In our minds, both days should be combined into a family day.

Mending the Broken Connections with Mother

May 7, 2022 was a very eventful day for some of the mothers who elected to participate in the pre-Mother’s Day event held at DeFremery Park in West Oakland. A number of mothers took the time to come out and be blessed with an inscribed journal and a small amount of cash as a thank you for being exceptional mothers, especially in these very complicated times.

The Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back (FIGB) organization sought to extend to the mothers what they had to offer with blessings from the Most High. Members of the newly formed FIGB were pleased to have the opportunity to repay their debt to the community for their past indiscretions. We felt like it’s time for us to own up and do all that’s within our power to make amends to the community.

We hope this is only the start of a new beginning that will help to mend the broken connection that in the past created a lot of adversity toward productivity in our community. May the light of the Savior continue to be that beacon necessary to move ahead in the right direction.

Also, it was very personal for me because May 7 was my survival date on this earth. What a remarkable gift to spend it doing good. One recipient expressed her special thanks for the cash gift because she needed the gas money for work. Another recipient received gifts for an entire group home full of mothers in recovery. Gifts were also delivered to mothers who lack transportation.

Recognizing Our Fathers

Just like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day should be a symbolized day set aside for those fathers who have shown by their actions that they deserve acknowledgment of not only being a parent, but a shining light to fatherhood. Anybody can plant a seed, but not everyone is capable of nourishing that seed with the genuine guidance, patience and understanding, necessary to raise that child as they evolve.

We, the Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back, are partnering with other organizations, groups and individuals to show our appreciation to the fathers who have stepped up to the fatherhood plate.

Fatherhood is everlasting. It doesn’t end when the child turns 18. Being that father year in and year out requires one’s full devotion and attention at all times, without pause. There are too many fathers lacking what it takes to be counted among those in the class of true fatherhood. No one comes into this world equipped with the knowledge of fatherhood. It’s a learned behavior that requires our full concentration.

We will be participating in an event June 18 at CAL-PEP (2811 Adeline St. on 28^{th St.}) in West Oakland from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

The collaborating sponsoring groups are Grassroots Resource Connection, African American Sports and Entertainment Group, BOSS, Pennies for Peace, California Prison Focus, KAGE Universal, The Oakland Post and Formally Incarcerated Giving Back. Other co-sponsors include George Turner and Bill Haney.

For more information, contact Victoria Layton at fiani@tarfoundation.org.

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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

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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.

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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.

Published

7 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

Fred Korematsu. Courtesy of OUSD.

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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WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

1 week 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.