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Dr. Joy DeGruy Visits Oakland as Guest of Dept. of Race and Equity

Published

5 years ago

September 26, 2019

On her most recent visit to Oakland, “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome” author Joy De Gruy expounded on two areas of American history that impact the way Black – and other people- think about the original and lingering impact of the institution that shaped the U.S.

The First Congregational Church of Oakland was packed to capacity on Fri., Sept. 13, 2019, as guests heard from DeGruy, now an internationally renowned speaker and researcher.
Hosted by the City of Oakland Department of Race and Equity, and entitled ‘The Town Talks About Racial Equity’ series, DeGruy shared her compilation of 20 years of research in a slide presentation.

She calls the result of generations of abuse in America and Africa PTSS (Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome), while illuminating the conditions that led to the Atlantic Slave Trade and allowed racism and repression to continue through to the present day.

From the Statue of Liberty in New York to the Middle Passage starting on the Cape Coast, she unearthed truths and the great lengths the establishment exercises to hide facts.
“Most people are totally unaware that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States to celebrate the freedom of African slaves in America,” said DeGruy. “Can you imagine how this information, if taught in schools, would impact our Black youth?”

DeGruy explained that the statue (Liberty Enlightening the World), commonly known as the Statue of Liberty, was originally sculpted with broken chains on the wrists and ankles of the statue but the artist was pressured to modify it. DeGruy says as a result of her putting the truth out, the Department of the Interior reached out to her and asked that she train the guides on that truth about the statue.
“So, as of 2016, the chains and the truth are a part of the tour,” she said.

DeGruy also shared some details about the prisons in Africa where millions of captured Africans were held prior to being placed on ships as cargo headed to the Americas, stacked 18 inches apart on voyages that lasted months, a journey known as the Middle Passage.
DeGruy said when the slave dungeons in Ghana were transformed into a museum; builders were unable to level the floor. “Leveling the floors was a challenge because it was two feet of human feces and excrement. Since it was never removed, our ancestors were literally wading in two feet of human excrement 18 inches apart, awaiting their fate packed on a ship before being enslaved in America.”

Some audience members gasped, while others wiped tears from their eyes, no longer able to hide outrage and shock of facts hidden throughout history.
“Many intellectuals like to debate me and want to minimize slave brutality in America.” Disputing the critics, DeGruy shared quotes from slaves and medical data of a condition only found in slaves – proof that slaves had been worked so hard that the muscle detached from the bone.”

For DeGruy, the cognitive dissonance (the act of behaving contrary to factual evidence) in the United States must cease.
“That’s like breaking a person’s leg and then getting mad at them for limping,” she said. “White supremacy has brain-washed people into seeing Black and Brown people as ‘other.’ And when you relabel a person as an ‘other.’ you can justify your mistreatment of them.”
According to DeGruy, most Americans aren’t truly protected by the Constitution. “It was “created for wealthy white landowners.” “In order for us to even begin to work toward racial justice and equity; we have to have an honest conversation about the past.”
Darlene Flynn, director of the Department of Race and Equity with the City of Oakland said the series is intended to bring communities together to bring about social change. “Dr. DeGruy offers great insight into our history and when you understand the past you can change the future.”

Carla Thomas

Posts by Carla Thomas

Related Topics:Department of Race and Equity First Congregational Church of Oakland Joy DeGruy

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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

21 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

1 day 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

2 days 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.