Activism

Oakland Knows the Difficulty of Police Reform

“We know something is wrong, when one side in the bargaining process eventually amasses such an imbalance of power that it seems to operate as an autonomous unit, almost independent of its employer,” said Henderson.

Published

3 years ago

May 26, 2021

Mia Lane

Photo Creds: Kyle Cleveland

On the one-year anniversary of the death of George Floyd, one is tempted to consider a sense progress. Perhaps if you’re hopeful and optimistic. For the realists, any report card of progress would have to be a bit delusional.

Yes, within a year, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin– who placed his knee on the back of the neck of George Floyd long enough to cause asphyxiation–has been convicted on all three counts of murder.

As expected, it’s on appeal while he’s imprisoned. But Chauvin was not defended by his chief, let alone the ranks of those upholding police standards and training in the Minneapolis Police Dept. And that was a big deal. To me, it was the reason the perp, a cop, was convicted.

That’s a lot in one year.

But does it herald a sustainable difference in policing anywhere, let alone Minneapolis? Will it radiate justice, or is it just a one-off?

It can’t be a one-off if indeed #BLM. But that’s where we appear to be one year after George Floyd.

We are still taking baby steps towards the promised land.

If you don’t think so, consider the history of policing in Oakland in just the last 20 years.

Consider the notorious Riders case around the turn of the millennium, where some Oakland cops were accused of kidnapping, planting evidence, kicking down doors, searching without a warrant. And all against East and West Oakland residents who posed no threat to the arresting officers.

There was a class action lawsuit against the police that ended in the largest negotiated settlement agreement (NSA) in Oakland municipal history on March 14, 2003.

It called for the city to pay $10.9 million to the class members. And it included 31 reforms to be made by the department, included policies on use of force, racial profiling, and updating technology like wearing cam-recorders.

Simple, right? Obtainable within a year or two, of course….not.

To this day, Oakland has had a new chief every two years, and many of the NSA’s reforms have not been fulfilled.

One chief, brought in from the internal affairs division, looked like he would make a breakthrough, but in 2006, a sex scandal within the department involving a victim of sex-trafficking snared 12 officers.

The real scandal, however, was that chief’s failure to disclose the scandal to the court’s monitor. That was his undoing.

This accounting all comes from the honorable Thelton Henderson, the now retired federal judge who oversaw that NSA. In a lecture given this Spring at Berkeley Law School, Henderson expressed his frustration that the NSA he oversaw had been passed on to a new judge.

But the fact that we are now 18 years trying to bring about police reform, show how near impossible it is.

“Herculean,” said Henderson. He believes it’s because policing has taken the “war on crime” idea literally, turning police into “soldiers, or an occupying force with battle armor and tanks and assault weapons ready to do battle with the communities they have vowed to protect and serve.”

Add to that the labor unions, who constantly remind the public of the dangerousness of the job.

But no one understands the danger the unions play in public safety.

This is from the judge who oversaw the negotiated settlement in the Riders case. Henderson’s indicating the real power that unions have to put the needs of the police above the city and its people.

The police unions have taken collective bargaining to the point where they harm our democratic society.

You see why to assess where we are one year after George Floyd is way too soon.

Police reform? America is hamstrung by labor policy.

Without labor reform we’ll be inching along toward the policing we deserve.

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. Twitter @emilamok; Watch his vlog on Facebook @emilguillermo.media ; Or on www.amok.com

Mia Lane

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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

Published

4 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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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

5 days 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.”

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WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

6 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.