Activism

NAACP Warns Redistricting Commission Ready to Take Legal Action Over Mapping

“We believe that maintaining the integrity of Black community boundaries is integral to electoral representation of Black residents in California and urge the Commission to consider the long-term implications of weakening historically Black-led coalition legislative districts,” wrote Rick Callendar, president of the California-Hawaii NAACP. “The iteration of the latest maps erases the culture of diversity that is ingrained in the fabric of California.”

Published

2 years ago

December 8, 2021

Oakland Post

Rick Callender, NAACP California/Hawaii president. Courtesy photo.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌ | California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

The California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP has informed the state’s Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) that it is “prepared to take legal action” should the current iterations of maps stay the way they are currently drafted.

Rick Callendar, president of the California-Hawaii NAACP, said the Assembly and Senate maps the commission is proposing for Los Angeles County and areas of the East Bay will weaken Black political power.

Los Angeles County and the East Bay are regions in the state where the highest numbers of African Americans live.

“We believe that maintaining the integrity of Black community boundaries is integral to electoral representation of Black residents in California and urge the Commission to consider the long-term implications of weakening historically Black-led coalition legislative districts,” Callendar wrote. “The iteration of the latest maps erases the culture of diversity that is ingrained in the fabric of California.”

The California-Hawaii NAACP pointed out that while maps may seem to represent fair and equitable representation for communities of color, they will actually have unintended consequences in three areas of concern: minimizing Black representation, a loss of seats that will end Black political power and eliminating African-American voter influence.

“Due to rising housing costs, Black residents throughout the state of California are experiencing homelessness in record numbers and aren’t being counted in the Census. This means we lose much-needed political representation,” Callendar said in the statement released December 3.

Every 10 years, California must redraw the boundaries of its electoral districts so that the state’s population is evenly allocated among the new districts. In 2008, California voters passed the Voters First Act, authorizing the creation of CRC to draw new district lines.

On November 10, the CRC released draft maps for the state’s Congressional, Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts ahead of the California Supreme Court mandated November 15 deadline.

“These are not intended to be final maps and we strongly encourage Californians to continue weighing in until we get it right,” said CRC Chairperson Trena Turner. “A global pandemic and delayed census data would not stop this commission from delivering on its promise to create maps that encourage fair representation. We will have final maps completed and certified by the December 27, 2021, deadline.”

“This is not equitable and is a violation of the African-American community’s equal protection rights under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” Callendar wrote to CRC’s executive director Alvaro E. Hernandez. “It is also completely unnecessary and avoidable to dilute Black representation in Los Angeles.”

Callendar warned the CRC that if the maps are not equitable the next step would be litigation.

“The California Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP will not stand by and watch our communities suffer due to maps which will disenfranchise Black voters and representation,” Callendar said. “We are prepared to take legal action to ensure that our communities are protected, remain whole and strong, and our political power is preserved.”

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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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14 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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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1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

1 week 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.”