Bay Area

Oakland City Council Brings Resolutions for Muslim Awareness Month, Reparations Studies and Protection from Federal Occupation

Published

6 years ago

July 29, 2020

Kiki

Oakland City Council met virtually July 28 with many recommended resolutions.

City Council President Rebecca Kaplan recommended a resolution to make the month of August, “American Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month” in the city of Oakland. There are approximately 90,000 Muslims in Alameda County.

Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney recommended two resolutions to rename streets. One, in honor of Huey P. Newton, on 9th street between Center Street and Chester Street to be named “Dr. Huey P. Newton Way.” Former leader and founder of the Black Panther Party (BPP), Newton was slain in 1989 on the corner of Center and Chester streets.

FILE – This undated file photo shows former Oakland Tribune reporter Chauncey Bailey. A jury on Thursday, June 9, 2011 found Yusuf Bey IV, the leader of a financially troubled community group, and another man guilty of murder in the daytime shooting of Bailey, the first American journalist killed on U.S. soil for reporting a story in more than a decade. Bey, the former head of Your Black Muslim Bakery, also was convicted in the murders of two other men in a month-long spree of violence that culminated with the fatal August 2007 shooting. (AP Photo/Oakland Tribune, File) NO SALES, MAGS OUT NO TV NO INTERNET MANDATORY CREDIT

The other street rename is proposed for 14th between Oak Street and Broadway in honor of Chauncey Bailey to be named “Chauncey Bailey Way.” Bailey was murdered in 2007 and these are the streets where he worked at the Post News Group and where he was slain.

The Office of the City Attorney also recommended a resolution to settle the Ghost Ship cases for $9.2 million to Samuel Maxwell and $23.5 million to wrongful death plaintiffs.

Councilmember Dan Kalb recommended resolutions in support of Assembly Bill 3121 (Weber) to establish a task force to study and develop reparation proposals for Blacks.

Along with Councilmember Noel Gallo and City Attorney Barbara J. Parker, a resolution was made to direct and authorize the City Attorney and the City Administrator to “. . . take any and all lawful necessary steps to protect the rights of the people and the city of Oakland against President Trump’s threats to take actions that result in harm to the people of Oakland or the City of Oakland, and against any related actions Federal Officers take that result in harm to the People or the city of Oakland.”