Activism

Douglass Likeness Used for COVID-19 Awareness

Published

4 years ago

May 6, 2020

The Frederick Douglass Family Initiative (FDFI), an organization the social reformer and writer’s descendants founded to keep his legacy alive, commissioned the award-winning African American concept artist Nikkolas Smith to sketch a rendering depicting Frederick Douglass in a medical mask.

“Disease is cured by the right use of remedies,” Douglass’ quote beneath the image reads.
According to Kenneth B. Morris Jr., the co-founder and president of FDFI, the image is more than a fun image depicting a Black icon in a contemporary setting. To the FDFI, it is a powerful image about Black people’s position in America and the lurking threat of the coronavirus crisis.

FDFI commissioned social justice artist Nikkolas Smith, the artist who worked on the Frederick Douglas artwork, has designed posters and other artwork for companies like BET, Disney, Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios and many others.
He emphasized the impact of this piece in relation to the racial divide in infections during this pandemic.

“The image – perhaps seen as cute, clever or even amusing – a simple juxtaposition of a historical figure and a contemporary challenge,” wrote Morris, who lives in Orange County, in a letter.

“While the message is open to interpretation,” he added. “FDFI looks at this very differently. The image and message are about how communities of color are affected and treated unequally, not surprisingly but predictably, during this pandemic.”
FDFI will allow organizations to use the image free-of-charge to raise awareness about COVID-19.

Despite being about 13% of the total United States population, nearly 20% of confirmed COVID-19 related deaths have been African Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Morris directly addressed his personal connection to this pandemic in a YouTube video posted April 14 addressed to FDFI supporters.

“Our daughter Nicole contracted COVID-19 several weeks ago. We’re thankful that she has recovered, and we feel more compassionate than ever about helping those going through similar experiences,” Morris said.

Morris himself is a descendant of both Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington and FDFI serves to further some of the ideals of both of those famous Americans.
Founded by Morris, his mother Nettie Washington Douglass and Robert J. Benz, the FDFI focuses on education as a means to combat human trafficking, one form of modern-day slavery.

“When we work with students,” Douglass said on the FDFI website, “We can accomplish several things at once: provide an interesting narrative about an important period in our history that is often overlooked; inspire modern abolitionists; provide timely information that may prevent young people themselves from becoming victims and help create better world citizens.”

Morris spoke about how important this image is in the scope of Black struggles during a crisis.

“FDFI commissioned social justice artist Nikkolas Smith to create a COVID-19 portrait of Frederick Douglass to protest racial discrimination,” Morris said. “We will disseminate this image all over the country and draw attention to health disparities in Black and Brown communities. During this health and financial crisis, these disparities will become increasingly exposed.”

While Morris says that art is up for interpretation, he looks at this image with the lens of one who has witnessed a long history of oppression and inequality.

“Black people still struggle mightily under poverty, mass incarceration, disparities in health care, education and economic opportunity, racial profiling and police brutality,” Morris said.

Smith, the artist who worked on this piece, has designed posters and other artwork for companies like BET, Disney, Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios and many others.

He emphasized the impact of this piece in relation to the racial divide in infections during this pandemic.

“I was honored to take on this project. I really felt the weight of it,” Smith said. “This art piece is really a piece that symbolizes the combination of one very current and topical struggle joined with this ongoing struggle with racial justice that we are still fighting today.”

As for what Morris hopes this image will accomplish, he said, “I pray that Nikkolas Smith’s artwork inspires and motivates our people to heed my great ancestor’s call to ‘agitate, agitate, agitate.’”

Aldon Thomas Stiles

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Activism

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

6 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.