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OP-ED: Why We Should Keep On Marching

Published

12 years ago

December 17, 2014

The protests began in Ferguson, exploding after the prosecutor announced that the policeman who killed Michael Brown would not be brought to trial.

They spread across the country after the Staten Island grand jury refused to charge the policeman who strangled Eric Garner, killing him on camera. Now, as others –Tamir Rice, John Crawford III, Akai Gurley – are added to the list of casualties, the marches keep on building.

Professional and college athletes don shirts saying, “We can’t breathe.” Congressional aides go on strike to stand on the steps of the House, calling “hands up, don’t shoot.” From Boston to Denver to Miami, die-ins and protests tie up major intersections in big cities.

Non-violent protestors chain themselves to a BART car, declaring they want to stop the line for four and one-half hours, the time Michael Brown was left on the street in Ferguson. This weekend, tens of thousands marched in Washington, Boston, New York and elsewhere.

Why march? Marching is a public protest, a witness demanding attention be paid. Marching is a public classroom, teaching millions about what has long been true about police violence and racial injustice, but too seldom acknowledged.

Marching forges community, an evolving community of ordinary heroes who put their bodies on the line to call the powerful to account. Marching involves moving from spectator to participant in history, going from being on the sidelines to being on the field. It is exhilarating and frustrating at the same time.

These marches are spreading, in part because many share Eric Garner’s final plea, “I can’t breathe.” African American outrage is clear.

We experience police abuse as a daily reality. African American males are 21 times more likely to be shot by police than white males. To even out the disparity over the last three years, according to Propublica, police would have to shoot an additional white male a week — for three years.

But this isn’t just a Black male problem. According to Propublica, 44 percent of those shot and killed by police are white. And even this data is incomplete, since many police departments do not file fatal police shooting reports at all.

These marches reflect the reality that many can’t breathe in this current arrangement. The unjust judicial system reflects an unjust economic order.

The day after the first Garner demonstrations that shut down much of New York City, low-wage workers walked off their jobs in over 190 cities. They came from McDonalds and Wal-Mart, Dollar Stores and discount chains. They too can’t breathe in jobs that offer low wages, few benefits and less security.

The protests have now gained national attention. The White House has promised reforms in sentencing, in police practices and in police equipment, with millions promised for new cameras. Even conservatives have joined in speaking out against police abuse.

This is all good, but merely a first, baby step. We need fundamental reform not simply of police practices but of economic and educational policies if we are to meet the challenge exposed by Ferguson and Florida and New York and more.

And all of our history teaches that real reform comes only if the people are in the street demanding it. Those who are comfortable with the current arrangement will not lead the change. Those who can’t breathe must lead the change. And now, they are.

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Community

Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor’s Race

POST NEWS GROUP — Four candidates, including incumbent Mayor Barbara Lee, filed their papers to run for office by last Friday’s deadline, and the City Clerk issued a list this week of those who are qualified to run.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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View of downtown Oakland, California and City Hall. iStock photo.

By Post Staff

The four mayoral candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot are:

Brenda Grisham. A business owner in East Oakland and public safety advocate, Grisham led the successful recall campaign against Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. As part of her platform, she pledges to work with local, state, and federal partners to secure stricter gun control measures and investments in community violence intervention programs.

Barbara Lee. A former congressional representative and state Assembly member, Lee was elected by voters in a special election last year for a two-year term. Now running for a four-year term, she points out that her administration achieved major successes in addressing some of the city’s major challenges, including balancing the city budget, dramatically reducing crime, and making significant inroads into homelessness and illegal dumping.

Mindy Pechenuk. An educator and activist, Pechenuk is a registered Republican and supporter of Lyndon LaRouche, who has been described by observers as a conspiracy theorist and cult leader. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in last year’s special election and for the at-large council seat in 2024. She seeks to end Oakland’s police commission and MACRO and invest in more police while launching a new local war on drugs.

Julius Robinson. While little information is available so far about Robinson, he was quoted in a KTVU story about Thao’s recall, stating that people in Oakland want to come together as a community but lack infrastructure and leadership.

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Black History

Oakland Observes Black August with Block Parties, Film Showings, Workshops

POST NEWS GROUP — Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

Published

1 day ago

August 15, 2026

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George Jackson wrote two books: “Soledad Brother,” and “Blood in My Eye” before her was killed in an attempt to escape prison on Aug. 21, 1971.

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, “Soledad Brother” (1970), and “Blood in my Eye” (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party’s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids’ activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.

“We do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.” Combined with Youth Alive’s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.

“George Jackson/San Quentin” Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.