Activism

Local Organizers Demand Community Benefits Agreement for A’s Ballpark

Published

5 years ago

October 10, 2019

Over 100 Oakland residents and community organizers attended a public forum at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in West Oakland on Saturday Oct. 4, to discuss the Oakland Athletic’s plans to purchase and develop the Coliseum and Howard Terminal sites.

“This is urgent…and Oakland United wants you to know that the time is now to speak up,” said Jahmese Meyers, deputy director of the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE), who spoke to a crowded room.

EBASE is one of several organizations that joined to form the Oakland United Coalition five years ago when the talk of a new Coliseum development began, Meyers said.

The coalition has demanded a written community benefits agreement (CBA) — a legally binding contract that would ensure that the A’s meet community demands — before plans advance.

Community organizers and Oakland residents gathered for a Town Hall in West Oakland, demanding a community benefits agreement from the A’s. Photo by Saskia Hatvany.

“We have a choice, we can have a playground for the wealthy out-of-towners or we can have a community-centered project that represents and supports the needs of the existing community and uses public land for public good,” said Meyers.

The CBA would legally bind the A’s to a series of promises to the community, which include living-wage jobs for residents, significant affordable housing, anti-displacement measures, and a cleaner environment.

President of the Oakland Athletics Dave Kaval said that the A’s have long been “committed” to the community benefits agreement, but that the contract is largely in the hands of the City of Oakland.

“To date, in all our signed agreements both with the city and the county and the port, we’ve agreed to a framework around community benefits,” said Kaval. “We’ve made ourselves available to the meetings and we’ve agreed to the intent of what needs to be discussed, and we look forward to the city leading that effort.”

A CBA is usually negotiated between a local coalition and the developer. When the contract involves local government, the city is granted the power to legally enforce the terms of the agreement.

Despite the A’s verbal support, according to Meyers the team has not yet agreed to a CBA on paper, which concerns Oakland United.

”Oakland is working hard to keep the A’s in Oakland, but how hard are they working to keep us in Oakland?” said Alma Blackwell, Housing Rights Organizer at Causa Justa/Just Cause, who also spoke at the event.

“We want development that will serve the people who live in the neighborhood and a development that will keep public land in the public hands,” said Blackwell.

Former Oakland mayoral candidate Cat Brooks also made an appearance and declared her support for a community benefits agreement no matter where the A’s choose to build.

“I see pros and cons for both (locations). I’m very concerned about the Black community around the Coliseum that will be pushed out as a result of any development, and I’m very concerned about the remaining Black community in West Oakland that will be pushed out as a result of the (Howard Terminal) development,” said Brooks.

Cat Brooks speaks to the crowd at Taylor Memorial United Methodist Church in West Oakland. Photo by Saskia Hatvany.

While the A’s ambitions have the very public support of Mayor Libby Schaff, the City of Oakland filed a lawsuit against Alameda County on Sept. 29 in an attempt to block the sale of the county’s portion of the Coliseum for $85 million, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

In response to the suit, Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred warned that if the city does not drop the charges, Oakland will risk losing the A’s altogether.

“We love our team. We want them to stay. We’re proud that they’re rooted in Oakland and we want them to also be rooted in community,” said Meyers. “For Oakland United, ultimately, no matter where the stadium locates, whether it stays at the Coliseum or at Howard terminal it’s public land, it needs to be for public good.”

The Oakland Post will continue to provide coverage on this story. Stay tuned for next week’s article featuring A’s President Dave Kaval’s response to community concerns over the proposed ballpark development at Howard Terminal.

Saskia Hatvany

Posts by Saskia Hatvany

Up Next

Carper Hosts Roundtable at DSU to Discuss Critical Federal Funding for HBCUs

Don't Miss

Charles Patton Calls for 20 Million New Voters in 2020

Saskia Hatvany

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 17 – 23, 2024

Published

5 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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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.