Activism

Community Steps Forward to Protect Holy Names University

The university has served the Oakland community for over 150 years. The student population is 37% Latino or Hispanic, 18% African American, 13% Asian and 21% white. One website summarized the university’s diversity, “The school has very high racial diversity – 79% of students are minorities or people of color (BIPOC).

Published

1 year ago

December 9, 2022

Oakland Post

In an open letter in support of Holy Names, community and local political leaders pledged to support efforts to protect the school

“It is vital to our community that Holy Names continue to be an independent university”

By Ken Epstein

The Faculty Senate of Holy Names University in Oakland voted unanimously this week to work collaboratively with community, civic and business leaders in the wake of simmering budget difficulties.

Already many community leaders and local politicians have come forward to volunteer to work with Holy Names to stabilize and protect the university’s long-term work as a major educational institution in Oakland for undergraduate students and training of teachers, nurses and administrators. And community leaders have proposed a number of solutions to the financial problems.

Post Publisher Paul Cobb, who has been involved in several cooperative projects with the college said, “I’m concerned that Holy Names should not enter into a partnership like the one between Northeastern University and Mills, which destroyed existing Mills College programs and culture.”

In comments to the Post, a faculty member said the school has had decades of significant accomplishments but now needs new top leadership, because the current leadership has not done fund development or worked well with diverse communities.

Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Rebecca Kaplan are drafting a City Council resolution encouraging support and cooperation with Holy Names University.

Post Publisher Paul Cobb, who received an honorary doctorate degree from HNU has also been involved with several cooperative projects to raise funds for HNU said, “I’m concerned that Holy Names should not enter into a partnership like the one between Northeastern University and Mills, which destroyed existing Mills College programs and culture. The City of Oakland and Alameda County can’t afford to lose a vital part of our health and education infrastructure because closing HNU negatively impacts nursing, health workers and teacher graduation rates. The Mayor and city administrators were asleep at the wheel while chasing down and offering money to sports teams while Mills and HNU are being lost, due to our neglect,. We need the county supervisors, Senator Nancy Skinner and Assemblymember to join with the city council and community and save these Universities.”

In an open letter in support of Holy Names, community and local political leaders pledged to support efforts to protect the school:

“We are concerned with the future of Holy Names University,” the letter said. “This 154-year-old local Oakland institution is one of the most diverse four-year colleges in the country and it has educated thousands of Oakland young people.

“Its program for educating teachers is the best in the area; its nursing program is legendary; its sports program is robust; and its graduates include city council members, education leaders, entrepreneurs, and non-profit leaders.

“It is vital to our community that Holy Names continue to be an independent university, responsive to the needs of Oakland and surrounding communities, serving both graduates and undergraduates and expanding its service to more students.

“Toward that end we seek the participation of the government bodies, community-based organizations and individuals that represent Oakland, along with the students, faculty and administration of Holy Names.”

The open letter was signed by:

Rebecca Kaplan, Vice Mayor of the City of Oakland, At-large member of the City Council
Carroll Fife, Oakland City Council, District 3, and Holy Names 2022 Alumnus of the Year
Janani Ramachandran, Oakland City Council Member-Elect, District 4
Gay Plair Cobb, Alameda County Board of Education (ret)
Paul Cobb, publisher of the Oakland Post; Holy Names University Honorary Doctorate
Kitty Kelly Epstein, Ph.D., professor, Host of Education Today, KPFA 94.1 FM
Victor Littles, EdD, Merritt College program leader, and HNU Adjunct Faculty
Walter Riley, John George Democratic Club
Sheryl Walton, MPH, Community Organizer, Activist

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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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Activism

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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Activism

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.