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D.C. Capitol Riot Response Prompts Two Prominent Black Women to Join Forces to End Double Standards in Alameda County Criminal Justice System

“We are running to end the double standards in the policing and prosecution of women and people of color,” said Price. “It’s going to take collaboration and a shared vision for change. When JoAnn expressed her commitment to reform by running for sheriff – I knew we could be that ticket for true change for Alameda County in 2022.”

Published

3 years ago

January 16, 2021

Kiki

JoAnn Walker (left) and prominent civil rights attorney Pamela Price create a progressive ticket for justice transformation in Alameda County.

A pair of progressive Black women – a prominent civil rights attorney and a veteran police officer – are joining forces to even the playing field by eliminating the double standards that work against women and minorities in the Alameda County criminal justice system.

Attorney Pamela Price, one of the only Black women to win a civil rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court, and 25-year veteran police officer JoAnn Walker have just announced they are running separate but parallel campaigns for Alameda County District Attorney and Alameda County Sheriff respectively.

Together, Walker and Price will run as a ticket for Alameda County Sheriff and District Attorney, which they’ve named the “Justice Done Right” slate. The slate unifies the candidates on many of the issues that Alameda County residents want addressed including:

Ending mass incarceration and over-criminalization of Black and Brown youth
Eradicating racial, gender and socioeconomic bias in policing and sentencing
Eliminating gun violence
Protecting immigrant communities
Restoring public trust and investing in public health and social services

Price points at the disparity between how Capitol Police in Wash., D.C., treated the insurrectionists last week as compared with the Black Lives Matter protestors. “The riots are just one example of the double standard,” Price said. “Here, the current DA’s decision to forego charges in the Oscar Grant case against former BART Police Officer Anthony Pirone after initially saying she would charge him is another example. A person of color would have had the book thrown at them.”

While Walker might be a political unknown in Alameda County, she’s a seasoned and dedicated public servant and tenacious advocate for compassionate justice. Her long experience with crisis support and suicide prevention gives her a unique perspective on what it takes to transform law enforcement from the inside. A resident of Alameda County for more than 40 years, Walker’s career in law enforcement has been with the San Francisco Police Department and includes working as a Post Master Instructor, Terrorism Liaison Officer, Community Relations Unit Liaison, Field Training Officer and Peer Support Counselor.

“We’re running to hold police and prosecutors accountable,” said Price. Walker points out that “in the last year, many Americans have awakened to the bias in policing and sentencing that lead to unnecessary death and harm in our communities. However, for many folks who look like us, this is not a new truth, just one that finally has some national light shed on it. It is fitting that two Black women with storied careers and who know and have experienced these truths, work to take the helm of these top positions, and be agents of change.”

Learn more at www.pamelaprice4da.com and www.walker4sheriff.com.

Kiki

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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

17 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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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 day ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

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.”

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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

3 days 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.