Activism
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in S.F. to Campaign for President’s 2024 Bid
On Tuesday, June 12, First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, visited a packed and jubilant house at Manny’s, to support her husband’s presidential reelection bid. It was Biden’s second time at Manny’s, at 3092 16th St., having stopped in during Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
By Linda Parker Pennington
On Tuesday, June 12, First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, visited a packed and jubilant house at Manny’s, to support her husband’s presidential reelection bid.
It was Biden’s second time at Manny’s, at 3092 16th St., having stopped in during Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Founder Manny Yekutiel introduced the First Lady. “Dr. Biden chose to visit Manny’s today because San Francisco matters,” he said. “We are the crucible of civic life in this country. We make s–t happen.”
The atmosphere inside was euphoric, those assembled charmed by the First Lady’s warmth and grace.
“I am here in San Francisco because San Francisco matters” said Biden at the fundraiser where individuals paid from $100-$250 a plate to attend.
“Remember how hard it was last time? This time, it’s going to be even harder. The fight for freedom doesn’t end. This is the most important election of our lives.”
Manny’s is a social gathering space with a restaurant-cafe, bookstore and event space that opened in November 2016. In the run-up to the 2020 election, the venue hosted each of the 22 Democratic presidential contenders.
Yekutiel has hosted town halls with local civic leaders from Mayor London Breed to City Assessor Joaqin Torres; congressional representatives such as Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee; state leaders like Secretary of State Shirley Webber and national leaders like U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.); House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield; and most recently actress and activist Jane Fonda.
Yekutiel is the 33-year-old son of an Afghani father and Brooklyn-born mother, raised in Los Angeles, a practicing Jew and gay.
Before creating his wildly successful civic engagement salon, he served in a variety of civic and political advocacy roles, including Organize for America (Obama’s campaign), Hillary for America and FWD.us, a coalition of technology and business leaders to politically activate the tech community.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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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
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.
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.
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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