Activism

Oakland Frontline Healers ‘Deep East Oakland Rising’ Rally June 27

Published

4 years ago

June 25, 2020

Deep East Oakland Rising, a rally for Black lives, is set for Saturday, June 27 2020. The event will show the community how participation for social justice must be tempered by sound social distancing practices and wearing masks.

Sponsored by East Oakland Collective, Adamika Village, OCCUR, Black Cultural Zone, Higher Ground, The Town Experience, Town Biz Oakland, Oakland Pillars, and Roots Medical Clinic, the rally will begin at 11 a.m. with a blessing at the corner of 73rd Avenue and Foothill Boulevard at the Black Cultural Zone lot.

Starting at noon, the march will proceed down 73rd Avenue to International Boulevard to 98th Avenue and B Street to Wilkins Memorial Park.

From 2:00–4 p.m., attendees will participate in a Black Joy celebration with art, COVID-19 education, DJ, Bike Rodeo, giveaways, free catered meals, produce box giveaways, motorcycle and car clubs and more.

“We are still here! Mobbin’ daily to plan and design better neighborhoods and provide resources for our Deep East Oakland neighbors,” said Marquita Price, director of Urban and Regional Planning for East Oakland Collective. “For East Oakland Collective, this action is meant to make our community aware that to survive CODID-19 this virus must be respected and taken seriously.”

It’s important “to show East Oakland Black residents that we’re all in this together and to everyone else that Black East Oakland is still here and we’re not going out that easy,” Price said.

Masks are required for all attending and will be available upon request.

With COVID-19 looming over African American communities, social inequities in America can no longer be tolerated. Oakland Front Line Healer Candice Elder and CEO of East Oakland Collective said “This is a march for everyone who can no longer be silent against racial injustices that plague our Black neighborhoods. This Saturday we will rise up and we’re inviting the community to join us.”

Oakland Frontline Healers recently sent a letter to the County Board of Supervisors by OFH representative and Roots Clinic Physician Noha Abolata regarding how Deep East Oakland will be impacted by the reopening of commerce, leisure and worship in Alameda County.

“It’s like we’re the guinea pigs regarding outcomes of this reopening,” said Daryle Allums of Adamika Village#stopkillingourkidsmovement. “We know a surge is coming in July and August and we’re still trying to get the word out to our youngsters regarding the importance of social distancing and wearing a mask. This reopening is a signal to them that it ain’t all that serious when it’s about to get more serious than anyone can imagine.”

Supervisor Wilma Chan responded saying, “During the past three weeks, the State has been messaging the need to reopen and has encouraged counties to file formal ‘attestations’ stating that they are ready to reopen at a rapid rate. Even Los Angeles, which is clearly a California epicenter of the epidemic, has filed an attestation. Meanwhile, seven health officers in counties with large outbreaks have been personally threatened and forced to resign.

“I am proud to say that Alameda County is one of the only counties that has not filed an attestation to reopen,” Chan said. “I personally believe, as you do, that a rapid re-opening will have a disproportionately large impact on Black, Latinx, Hmong and other communities of color who provide the workforce for the many businesses pushing to reopen. This along with years of health disparities puts our populations of color at an overall greater risk of illness and death from the virus.

Tanya Dennis

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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

Published

3 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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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.

Published

15 hours 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

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Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

2 days 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.