Barbara Lee

Congresswomen Lee, Bass Bills to Probe COINTELPRO; Remove Hoover’s Name from FBI Building

Calling the FBI’s activities and methods under Hoover “government-sponsored harassment,” Cohen said “COINTELPRO was not just violent and illegal. What made it so pernicious is it undermined our Constitution and democracy.”

Published

3 years ago

July 16, 2021

Isabelle Price

J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building photo courtesy of California Black Media

California’s U.S. Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and Karen Bass (D-CA-37) are backing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to remove former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s name from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Another bill they are supporting calls for probing the racially motivated counterintelligence programs that Hoover organized and oversaw known as COINTELPRO. Under Hoover’s watch, the FBI often relied on extra-legal tactics to accomplish its aims.

Last month, representatives Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-01), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) hosted a virtual forum focused on the activities of COINTELPRO. Several African Americans with direct knowledge of COINTELPRO programs testified, including 1960s activists Bobby Seale, Ericka Huggins. The widow of Fred Hampton, Akua Njeri, and their son Fred Hampton Jr. also testified.

COINTELPRO is the moniker used to describe a series of covert projects the FBI coordinated between 1956-1971. They were aimed at surveilling, infiltrating and disrupting several domestic political movements and individuals that the agency deemed subversive or critical of the United States. Targeted groups and individuals included the Communist Party USA, the Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam, anti-Vietnam war organizers, feminist organizations and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 2021 Oscar-nominated film “Judas and the Black Messiah” depicted the strategy COINTELPRO used to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, which led to the assassination of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton Sr.

The lawmakers hosting the virtual forum condemned the COINTELPRO programs and J. Edgar Hoover’s leadership over the operation and, more broadly, the FBI. Hoover was the first and founding director of the FBI and he ran the agency from 1935 until his death in 1972.

Hoover was also the head of the Bureau of Investigation, a government agency founded in 1924 and the forerunner to the FBI.

They are also calling for the uncovering of the still-classified history of COINTELPRO.

While the forum was mostly focused on testimonies, Lee stressed the need to learn about the past COINTELPRO operations in case similar efforts are used again in the future. She cited the FBI’s “Black identity extremism” report, which was written by the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Analysis Unit in 2017, and claimed that “perceptions of police brutality against African Americans” had spurred “an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement.” Lee criticized the idea of a “Black identity extremist,” saying that such a thing “did not exist.”

“This was another way for the FBI to surveil the Black community. So, we must be vigilant now, this briefing is so important, because we all have to understand what a COINTELPRO 2 looks like now,” Lee said.

Isabelle Price

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Activism

Rep. Barbara Lee Hosts Roundtable on Public Safety, Congratulates AASEG on Oakland Coliseum Deal

Congresswoman Lee’s roundtable united community leaders across her district and strengthened relationships while fostering collaborative solutions to their common challenges. Attendees were city leaders from Alameda, Communities United Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), the Peralta Community College District, Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), Live Free USA, and numerous Oakland community and nonprofit leaders.

Published

2 months ago

August 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12), left, and Jonathan Paul Jones, African American Sport & Entertainment Group (AASEG). Photo by Conway Jones.

By Post Staff

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) hosted a transformative community roundtable at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on Ninth street. The gathering brought together leaders from various sectors to unite around a shared mission: to address public safety, gun violence prevention, and social justice in the East Bay.

By connecting leaders from across the East Bay, the roundtable facilitated meaningful dialogue on combating crime and promoting public safety. The event underscored a collective commitment to addressing violence and fostering social justice in the region. The event was hosted by Francis Lan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (OCCC) and Carl Chan, president of Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation.

After the roundtable, Congresswoman Lee set up some time to talk to Jonathan Paul Jones from AASEG to congratulate them on the Coliseum deal and express her excitement saying “It’s a major deal and I am excited to see African Americans leading this deal. It’s been long overdue!”

The AASEG Coliseum purchase and development initiative has garnered support from leaders including OCCC and has inspired optimism about the potential for homegrown entrepreneurs and businesspeople to create opportunities and restore the community.

As the momentum for change builds, Oakland stands on the brink of a new era of community empowerment and revitalization. The city’s leaders and citizens are coming together, exemplified by initiatives like Congresswoman Lee’s roundtable and the efforts of AASEG.

It’s time for Oakland to rise above its challenges, embrace its potential, and become a beacon of hope and progress. With unity and determination, Oakland can transform its future and inspire communities everywhere.

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Statement on 80th Anniversary of D-Day

Representative Barbara Lee (CA-12) released the following statement on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. “80 years ago, one of the largest invasions in historical warfare—and the start to the end of World War II—took place. Today, we look back to the over 2,400 American lives lost on the beaches of Normandy, remember their stories, and honor their immense bravery.

Published

4 months ago

June 13, 2024

Oakland Post

“D-Day will forever live on in history. May we honor their lives and all who have served by investing in veterans’ health care, economic security, and opportunity when they return home.”

Washington, D.C. – Representative Barbara Lee (CA-12) released the following statement on the 80^th anniversary of D-Day.

“80 years ago, one of the largest invasions in historical warfare—and the start to the end of World War II—took place. Today, we look back to the over 2,400 American lives lost on the beaches of Normandy, remember their stories, and honor their immense bravery.

“My father, Lt. Col. Garvin A. Tutt, was a Buffalo soldier in the 92^nd infantry, a racially segregated and Black-only division that was instrumental in the success of Normandy and the Allied advance. Today and every day, I think of him and all of the brave servicemembers who sacrificed for our country, even when our country didn’t love them back.

“D-Day will forever live on in history. May we honor their lives and all who have served by investing in veterans’ health care, economic security, and opportunity when they return home.”

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on Deaths of Humanitarian Aid Volunteers in Gaza 

On April 2, a day after an Israeli airstrike erroneously killed seven employees of World Central Kitchen (WCK), a humanitarian organization delivering aid in the Gaza Strip, a statement was release by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA-12). “This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

Published

6 months ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

By California Black Media

“This is a devastating and avoidable tragedy. My prayers go to the families and loved ones of the selfless members of the World Central Kitchen team whose lives were lost,” said Lee.

The same day, it was confirmed by the organization that the humanitarian aid volunteers were killed in a strike carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Prior to the incident, members of the team had been travelling in two armored vehicles marked with the WCF logo and they had been coordinating their movements with the IDF. The group had successfully delivered 10 tons of humanitarian food in a deconflicted zone when its convoy was struck.

“This is not only an attack against WCK. This is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the direst situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable,” said Erin Gore, chief executive officer of World Central Kitchen.

The seven victims included a U.S. citizen as well as others from Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Palestine.

Lee has been a vocal advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and has supported actions by President Joe Biden to airdrop humanitarian aid in the area.

“Far too many civilians have lost their lives as a result of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reprehensible military offensive. The U.S. must join with our allies and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire – it’s long overdue,” Lee said.