Activism
Memorial to Honor Pedie Perez on Anniversary of Fatal Officer-Involved Shooting
The memorial, taking place at 3322 Cutting Blvd., will bring together members of the Perez family with local police, city officials and Richmond community members to “honor a life cut short [and] to support our advocacy for police accountability and reduced deadly encounters,” according to a family statement.
By Kathy Chouteau
The Richmond Standard
A memorial service for Richard P. Perez III — familiarly known as Pedie Perez — was held Sat., Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. in Richmond to mark the ninth anniversary of his police-involved shooting in the city.
The memorial, took place at 3322 Cutting Blvd., and brought together members of the Perez family with local police, city officials and Richmond community members to “honor a life cut short [and] to support our advocacy for police accountability and reduced deadly encounters,” according to a family statement.
The Perez family also intends for Pedie’s memorial — occurring at the scene of his shooting — to serve as a call for continuous reforms and a space for communal healing and reconciliation.
Pedie Perez, age 24, was killed in an officer-involved shooting at a liquor store/deli in Richmond in 2014.
Later, in a 7-1 vote, the Richmond’s Citizen Police Review Commission sustained a complaint that excessive and unreasonable force was used against Perez, per KTVU.
Among those honoring Perez at the memorial will be Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Richmond Police Chief Bisa French, Richmond Police Officers Association President Ben Theriault, Shawn Dunning, Reimagine Richmond Taskforce members, Richmond’s Community Police Review Commission and other community members, per the Perez family.
Since Pedie’s death, the Perez family has advocated for meaningful changes in policing throughout the state, helping enact laws — alongside other victims’ families — including SB 1421 “Peace Officers: Release of Records,” AB 392 “California Act to Save Lives” and SB 2 “Police Decertification Act.,” according to the statement.
The family said it has also helped establish Richmond’s Ordinance No. 29-20 N.S. to foster increased accountability and promote transparency within the City of Richmond.
A potential Richmond art project memorializing Pedie has bolstered his family: Two city-owned concrete trash cans that would be artistically decorated with Pedie’s name and likeness by artists John Toki and Jon Sances, along with volunteers, and placed at 3322 Cutting Blvd.
The project is currently pending recommendation by Richmond’s Arts and Culture Commission and the Recreation and Parks Commission to the City Council for approval, per the statement.
The Perez family indicated that they believe the diverse gathering for Pedie’s memorial reflects the community’s cohesion and collective commitment to establishing an accountable and highly respectable police force within the City of Richmond.
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
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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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