Op-Ed

Emmanuel AME and the Buoyancy of Hope

Published

11 years ago

June 22, 2015

By Lee A. Daniels
NNPA Columnist

Rev. Clementa Pinckney and his fellow congregants of Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. gathered as usual in the historic edifice June 17 for their Wednesday evening prayer service. They came, as always, to refresh their religious faith, to testify and bear witness to the importance of living a life of righteousness and to extend to all, including the stranger in their midst, their welcome and their trust.

How could they know that he represented a monstrous evil that would consume them?

So, once again, American society has been wounded by the dangerous forces of hatred and violence that have always shadowed the gleaming idealism of the American Creed.

As usual when the mask of American innocence slips, the crowd that loves to glibly boast of “American exceptionalism” ran for cover. Fox News propagandists led the way in desperately fleeing from the clear evidence of Dylann Roof’s racism. Instead, they claimed he was striking against Christianity and “religious freedom.” Revealingly, the same pose was adopted by the Internet’s overtly White-supremacist websites and the trolls of the right-wing Twitter mob.

But Dylann Roof’s own words and Facebook posts leave no doubt of his motivation—and leave no room for the cowardice of not confronting them.

President Obama gave voice to “the heartache and the sadness and the anger” the massacre provoked in decent people when he said, “we as a country will have to reckon with the fact that this type of mass violence does not happen in other advanced countries … with this kind of frequency. And it is in our power to do something about it … the politics in [Washington] foreclose a lot of those avenues right now. But it would be wrong for us not to acknowledge it. At some point it’s going to be important for the American people to come to grips with it, and for us to be able to shift how we think about the issue of gun violence collectively.”

In those words the president spoke, substitute for “gun violence” the words “slavery” and/or “racism” and you have why, for many Black Americans, the terrorist attack at Emanuel AME scourged a profound historically-rooted pain.

Yet, even in this moment of grief, we ought to recognize the several truths that offer “the buoyancy of hope,” said the president, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

One truth lies in our learning something of the very people – a cross-section of the American people – who were gunned down. Their being lost to the whirlwind of evil shouldn’t be allowed to obscure their fundamental goodness and commitment to Christianity’s most cherished precepts – as shown in their families’ heart-rending declarations of forgiveness toward Roof. “We are the family that love built,” said Bethane Middleton-Brown, sister of DePayne Middleton-Doctor, during the June 19 court hearing on the charges against Roof. Middleton-Brown said her family has no room for hate in their hearts, before adding that “I also thank God I won’t be around when your judgment days comes with him.”

The tragedy has also underscored the real and symbolic meaning to Black Americans of the Black Church. It was and remains our piece of the rock: A refuge against the storm of racism and malicious indifference that has swirled about us outside its walls. A vault that has held the treasures of fellowship and the space to practice communal leadership as well as religious faith. And an armory where Black Americans forged and buffed to a luminous shine both their civic faith in the American Ideal and the weapon—nonviolent protest—they would use to demand the full measure of their American citizenship.

Another insight is that Emanuel AME is “historic” not just because of its early 19^th-century founding but because it met again and again the challenge of being a full-service Black communal institution. In that regard, Mother Emanuel is, thankfully, far from unique. Innumerable Black communities across the country have a “Mother Church” of this or that Protestant denomination whose roots go back to at least the late 1800s.

Another bright gleam the tragedy cannot extinguish was the immediate rush of people of all backgrounds to stand in solidarity with the congregants of Mother Emanuel. That was most dramatically illustrated by the actions of Debbie Dills and Todd Frady, two White North Carolinians whose call to a local police officer in the morning of June 18 directly led to Dylann Roof’s capture. Dills, who spotted Roof in his car while she was driving to her job at Frady’s florist shop, said, “I saw the news coverage last night. … Since it happened I was praying for them and the church. I was in the right place at the right time that the Lord puts you.”

That shining compassion, sense of kinship and determination to redeem a terrible wrong both illustrate and justify “the buoyancy of hope” that has always fueled black Americans’ faith in America and in their march toward the future.

Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His essay, “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Great Provocateur,” appears in Africa’s Peacemakers: Nobel Peace Laureates of African Descent (2014), published by Zed Books. His new collection of columns, Race Forward: Facing America’s Racial Divide in 2014, is available at www.amazon.com.

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Alameda County Makes History: Board of Supervisors Unanimously Adopts Reparations Action Plan

The Final Action Plan addresses disparities in housing, economic opportunity, education, health, environmental justice, public safety, arts and culture, land use, and other areas where historical government policies have contributed to inequitable outcomes for Black residents.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

The Reparations Commission members and Alameda County Board of Supervisors celebrated the approval of its report on June 30. Present were (first row, l. to r.) Dee Johnson, Supervisor Elisa Marquez, Supervisor Lena Tam, Debra Gore, Artavia Berry, Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, Jennifer Gayden, and Supervisor David Haubert; Second row (l. to r.) Supervisor Nate Miley, Larry McClendon, Brandon T. Sass, Phil Gardiner, Shadrick A. Small, and James Knowles. Photo by Ashley Sturgis, Supervisor’s Assistant from the Office of Supervisor Lena Tam.

Landmark 5–0 Vote Advances One of the Nation’s Most Comprehensive County-Led Reparative Justice Efforts

Special to The Post

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted 5–0 on Tuesday to adopt the Final Action Plan of the Alameda County Reparations Commission, marking a historic milestone in the County’s commitment to advancing reparative justice for Black residents.

The vote follows nearly three years of work by the Alameda County Reparations Commission, which was seated in July 2023. Through extensive historical research, analysis of County data, public listening sessions, expert testimony, and community engagement, the Commission developed a comprehensive roadmap for addressing documented harms and expanding opportunity for future generations.

“This vote represents more than the adoption of a report,” said Debra Gore, Chair of the Alameda County Reparations Commission. “It is a commitment to truth, accountability, and action. Reparations are not about guilt or charity. They are about government’s responsibility to address documented harms created by its own policies and to build a more just future.”

During the Board meeting, Gore delivered a keynote address entitled “Redress as Constitutional First Principle,” presenting reparations as a constitutional principle rooted in the First Amendment’s guarantee of the right “to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Her remarks connected the nation’s founding ideals with Alameda County’s own data documenting continuing racial disparities.

At the conclusion of her address, Gore received a standing ovation from all five members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, recognizing both the Commission’s work and the significance of the Board’s action.

Grounded in County data and community testimony, the Commission’s recommendations reflect nearly three years of research and engagement with residents, historians, policy experts, advocates, and County staff. Together, they offer a roadmap for repairing documented harms while strengthening opportunity, accountability, and equity for future generations.

The Board’s action also includes a commitment to establish a standing committee to oversee implementation of the Action Plan, signaling that reparative justice will remain an ongoing County priority.

“History will remember this moment not because Alameda County acknowledged injustice,” Gore said. “History will remember that our County chose action. This vote demonstrates that government can confront difficult truths, listen to its residents, and take meaningful steps toward repair.”

Reached in an interview on July 1, Gore said she felt a sense of “joyfulness and reverence” for the ancestors and survivors of the harms of slavery through Jim Crow. “We might be the first in the country to pass an action plan with the commitment to ‘operationalize’ reparations.”

Gore is grateful to former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who asked her to serve on the commission, and current Supervisor Nate Miley, who asked her to be the chairperson.

Among the many who helped create and inspire the report, Gore pointed to former Oakland City Councilmember Leo Bazile, who has been calling for reparations since the 1960s, and the late Reparations Committee member Jesse Clyde Burleson, who provided insight on incarceration as an ongoing harm to the Black community. The report was dedicated to the memory of Burleson, who passed away on March 6 and who had been imprisoned from 1987-2018.

Gore also pointed to their avenue of approach on reparations, which was as much about the impact of slavery as it was about constitutional rights that had been systematically denied to Black people.

Members of the committee were: Cathy Adams, president and CEO of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAAOCC) issued a statement supporting the reparations milestone.
OAACC “is grateful to former Supervisor Keith Carson, Supervisor Nate Miley, and the entire Alameda County Reparations Commission for their tireless efforts to develop a comprehensive action plan to address and repair the documented harms experienced by our local Black community,” Adams said.

“As an organization deeply committed to advancing workforce development, expanding access to capital, and creating opportunities for Black-owned businesses in Oakland and throughout Alameda County, we look forward to working alongside the steering committee to help deliver meaningful economic justice to those impacted by generations of systemic inequities.”

The Alameda County Reparations Commission extends its gratitude to the hundreds of residents who shared their experiences, the Commissioners who dedicated nearly three years of service, County staff, researchers, historians, and community partners whose work made this milestone possible.

With adoption of the Final Action Plan, Alameda County now begins the next phase of implementation in partnership with County leadership, community organizations, and residents. The commission will be dissolved, Gore says, and she looks forward to the next steps, one of which is the appointment of committee members.

Besides, Burleson, Gore and Bazile, members of the commission included: Natasha Triplett, Shenita Hurskin, Brandon T. Sass, Artavia Berry, Tiega N. Varlack, James Knowles, Vickie Stephens, Dr. Philip S. Gardiner, Dee Johnson, Larry McClendon (vice chair) , Carolyn (CJ) Johnson, Alan E. Dones, Jennifer A. Gayden, Lori Cox (vice chair), and Shadrick A. Small.

About the Alameda County Reparations Commission

Established by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in July 2023, the Alameda County Reparations Commission was charged with examining the historical and ongoing harms experienced by Black residents resulting from government policies and practices and developing recommendations for repair. The Commission’s Final Action Plan provides a comprehensive framework for advancing equity, accountability, and opportunity throughout Alameda County.

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OPINION: Unfair Media Attacks on OUSD Leadership for Not Closing Schools

Dr. Denise Saddler is a respected educator who leads with integrity, honesty, and decades of experience in service to OUSD. Since stepping into the role of interim superintendent, she has worked tirelessly alongside the Senior Leadership Team and fiscal consultants to address one of the most difficult financial situations our district has faced.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

The school district has achieved ‘significant milestones that reflect disciplined leadership and a renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility,’ said Board President Jennifer Brouhard

By Jennifer Brouhard, Special to The Post

I am not going to directly respond to or amplify the personal attacks on the Oakland Unified School District’s dedicated leaders who are working every day on behalf of Oakland’s students.

In December, the Board gave clear direction: bring forward a budget proposal that did not include a state loan and did not include school closures. Saddler and her team did exactly what the Board asked them to do.

There were differing opinions about how to address the district’s fiscal challenges. The two former employees referenced in a news article supported a different approach that included pursuing a state loan and exploring school closures. Those proposals were presented to the Board alongside Saddler’s proposal.

The Board adopted Saddler’s recommendation because it reflected the direction we had established. Since I joined the Board in 2023, the majority of the Board has consistently opposed school closures and has worked to preserve local control by avoiding a state loan whenever possible.

The public records cited in the article demonstrate the countless hours Saddler, the Senior Leadership Team, and our consultants devoted to developing a responsible financial plan. Difficult decisions were made, ideas were debated, and ultimately the Board selected the proposal that best aligned with our priorities.

As a result of that collaborative work, OUSD has adopted its first balanced budget in 22 years, achieved a qualified Second Interim Certification, and submitted a positive Third Interim Report.

These are significant milestones that reflect disciplined leadership and a renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility.

While there is still important work ahead, I believe the relationship between the Board, Dr. Saddler, and the Senior Leadership Team has become stronger and more collaborative throughout this process. We are moving in the right direction—with honesty, integrity, and a focus on the needs of OUSD’s 34,000 students.

Jennifer Brouhard, a retired OUSD teacher was elected in 2023 to represent District 2 and has been Board president since 2025.

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COMMENTARY: Wong Kim Ark Kept Dred Scott Dead

In 1857, the Supreme Court’s infamous Dred Scott decision declared that Black people — enslaved or free — could never be citizens of the United States.

Published

3 weeks ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

The cover of the “Full Opinions” from the Dred Scott Case. (The Smithsonian Institution). Public domain.

By Emil Amok Guillermo

Donald Trump tried to deport Wong Kim Ark.

But the President was 128 years too late.

On the final day of its term, days before America marks its 250th anniversary, the Supreme Court reminded us who gets to call themselves an American.

It’s not determined by blood.

It’s determined by birth on American soil.

The Supreme Court rejected Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship by executive order. In doing so, he reaffirmed what the Supreme Court had already settled in 1898 in United States v. Wong Kim Ark.

The Court didn’t invent a constitutional right.

It refused to erase one.

If your mother’s feet were on American soil when you were born, you’re an American citizen.

You can’t defeat the feet.

That’s my story as a Filipino American.

THE HISTORY WE KEEP FORGETTING

America has a habit of forgetting the people who save it.

We remember the Gold Rush.

We forget the Chinese who built the railroads.

We remember César Chávez.

We forget Larry Itliong.

And now, when politicians tried to rewrite the Constitution, they forgot the Chinese American born in San Francisco who had already answered their question more than a century ago.

His name was Wong Kim Ark.

If you’ve never heard of him, don’t feel bad.

Asian Americans have spent generations as America’s footnotes.

Unless we’re nurses.

Then we’re indispensable.

Unless we’re applying to elite colleges.

Then we’re the problem.

Let’s also be fair.

Not everyone who opposes birthright citizenship is motivated by prejudice. Many sincerely argue the Fourteenth Amendment was written only to guarantee citizenship to formerly enslaved Black Americans and not to the children of immigrants.

That’s a constitutional argument.

It just happens to be the one that lost.

In 1898.

And again this week.

DRED SCOTT IS WHY THIS MATTERS

Here’s the history too many Americans skip.

Why was the Fourteenth Amendment written?

In 1857, the Supreme Court’s infamous Dred Scott decision declared that Black people — enslaved or free — could never be citizens of the United States.

Never.

The Civil War ended slavery.

But it took the Fourteenth Amendment to bury Dred Scott.

The Citizenship Clause wasn’t a loophole.

It wasn’t an accident.

That’s the history the Supreme Court relied on.

The Fourteenth Amendment first secured the citizenship of formerly enslaved Black Americans.

Then Wong Kim Ark established that the same constitutional promise belongs to every child born on American soil, regardless of race or ancestry.

Black freedom and Asian American citizenship are joined by the same sentence in the Constitution.

Different communities.

One constitutional promise.

OUR HERO

Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873.

Not born pending ICE approval.

Born.

His parents were Chinese immigrants legally living in California but barred by racist laws from becoming citizens themselves.

As a Filipino American, this debate isn’t abstract.

My mother was still legally an alien when I was born.

Her immigration status didn’t matter.

Where her feet stood did.

America.

That’s what made me a citizen.

Not ancestry.

Not bloodline.

Not race.

The Constitution.

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, news analyst, and comic monologist. He appears at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, July 16–26, at Ace Art Gallery. Subscribe to his micro-talk show at YouTube.com/@emilamok1.