Community

Man of Peace, Ronald V. Dellums Remembered

Published

8 years ago

September 23, 2018

Dylan and Sydney Ross with mom, Piper Dellums as they receive a pin from Rafael Jesús González, Berkeley Poet Laureate.

Sunday, September 9 was lovely—a gentle breeze waved its fingertips across the pavilion where chairs were set up in front of a stage where musicians paid tribute to the “Man of Peace,” Ronald V. Dellums, on the first International Day of Peace. How fitting for a man who made Nixon’s hit list early on in a career, for his stance against the Vietnam War, Barbara Lee noted in her comments later that evening.

Piper Dellums and her daughters’ Sydney and Dylan Ross joined their mother and other friends and family at the Block Party at Jack London Square. The family greeted friends and grooved to the music, something her dad would have loved, Piper said. Happy, yet grief stricken, occasionally we’d see the mom and daughter embracing one another, never more evident than when Rafael Jesus Gonzalez, Poet Laureate for the City of Berkeley, arrived giving Piper a big hug as he gave everyone his signature “Earth/Justice/Peace” button with a dove holding an olive branch, over an image of planet earth, encircled by sun rays, against a rainbow backdrop.

Funk ruled Sunday afternoon—the day hot enough for sunscreen, but not too hot to move by the end of the concert, which featured Ronnie Stewart and the Blues Caravan of All Stars, Oaktown Passions, Shirlee Temper, Kayla Marin’s Salt People, and Best Intentions. By the end of the afternoon, earlier sparsely filled seats were full and the audience was thick with folks on the grassy slope all the way back to

the dock, where Scott’s Seafood Restaurant Pavilion hosted the invitation-only tribute that evening.

In the gazebo, which was full with family and other dignitaries, the ceremony opened with an indigenous blessing and a Pan-African percussion procession. Later, speakers both present and prerecorded—including Dellums—spoke to this honored man’s legacy. Perhaps

Piper’s pastor, Warren Campbell (LA) said it best when he took his comments from Timothy 4.6 and said that Dellums poured his life out like Paul: there was nothing left.

“He was full of goodness, because he poured his life into the Berkeley City Council, [and House of Representatives, and City of Oakland].

He was a tall glass full of vision. Full of service. Full of sacrifice,” he said.

Dellums touched many lives—some present in the room, like Senator Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Lee (whose 20 years in Congress reflects her friendship with her mentor), and special surprise guest Stevie Wonder.

Lee’s eulogy included stories of Ron’s comedic impersonations of Richard Pryor, his short but brilliant film career as Frederick Douglass and his role in her life.

“Ron was my boss, mentor, and yet, like the brother I never had. He gave me personal advice and support as a single mom raising 2 boys.”

She remembered him telling his staff: “Let your conscience be your guide. If you are right—just stand on that street corner alone because sooner or later everyone must walk right to you.”

“Ron never backed down. Ron passed me a blue baton when I announced, in 1998, I would run for his seat upon his retirement. The baton, which I look at often, reminds me that all of us must carry that baton that Ron gave us and run our mile in this marathon for justice, for peace, and unity. So, when we pass our batons to the next generation, we know, as Ron said frequently, we have secured their future,” Lee said.

Dellums’ two granddaughters, also shared memories of “Pop Pop.”

The sisters both spoke of their revered grandfather as a role model, and more importantly as a man who had strong faith and belief in God and in the goodness of humanity. Both concepts were tangible in his life.

Dylan said, “My grandfather changed so many lives, and the best part is that he didn’t change them unknowingly or unwillingly, sitting idly by. He made it his life’s mission to change lives. He made it his life’s mission to change the world. He taught me to realize that it is such an absurd lie that one person cannot make a difference.”

Sydney, who fulfilled her grandfather’s academic goal of receiving a doctorate from Brandeis University, said that evening about her grandfather:

“The revolution is a collective and our shared interests in peace and justice for all are going to keep integrating this nation one social arena or place of business at a time.

“My Pop Pop has left us all with an enormous responsibility as well as the great honor to keep fighting to let love outshine fear, outshine despair, and outshine injustice. We must continue to divest from war and the politics of bigotry and we must continue to invest in the health, education, and environment of our communities.

“If you asked my grandfather what he does for a living, he called himself a social activist. In the spirit of social activism I’d like to use this opportunity to spread his desire for greater accountability and transparency in government by encouraging you to all use an app called Countable. Please take a minute to actually write this down. The app is called Countable C-O-UNTABLE. It’s very easy to use and allows you to notify your representatives of your vote on issues as they are being voted on and comes with small descriptions of both points of views. I also am encouraging you to challenge leaders that seek to silence America’s voice rather than encourage America to sing its truths out loud.

“Some say the civil rights movement failed but In the words of Pop Pop‘s Gram: nothing beats a failure but a try. If we keep trying we will succeed.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Related Topics:community Oakland Politics Ron Dellums

Up Next

Oakland Workforce Development Roundtable

Don't Miss

Opinion: Homeless Advocates Criticize Mayor’s Tuff Sheds

Oakland Post

Click to comment

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

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

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.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

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

3 days ago

August 15, 2026

bpusa-syndication

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.