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Oakland Seeks More Community Chaplains; New Classes to Start in June

Pastors of Oakland President Phyllis Scott and OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong are hoping to have 30 community chaplains by the end of the year. New classes are scheduled to start in June. For more information on how to become a volunteer chaplain, please call Pastor Phyllis Scott at (510) 688-7437 or send an e-mail to tolemsecretary@gmail.com

Published

2 years ago

April 4, 2022

Oakland Post

Christin Dale, Esq. and Rev. Antoné Hicks.

Two weeks ago, the Pastors of Oakland completed training of 11 Community Chaplains to assist the Oakland Police Department in helping families in the first throes of trauma after life-changing incidents ranging from car accidents to assault and battery, domestic violence and sudden, tragic death.

Pastors of Oakland President Phyllis Scott and OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong are hoping to have 30 community chaplains by the end of the year.

New classes are scheduled to start in June. For more information on how to become a volunteer chaplain, please call Pastor Phyllis Scott at (510) 688-7437 or send an e-mail to tolemsecretary@gmail.com

Below, in their own words, the new graduates share their reasons for becoming community chaplains.

Christin Dale, Esq.

I am a California-based attorney. My reasons to pursue Pastor Phyllis Scott’s chaplaincy training are three-fold. My first reason stems from my childhood. I grew up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Davenport, Iowa. My neighborhood was a low-income, high crime area. Like many of my neighbors, I regularly attended the local church where its community gave me an incredible sense of inclusion, support, and sense of belonging to something greater than myself. When I moved to the East Bay, I felt a similar sense of community.

My second reason for pursuing the chaplaincy program is service. I have been gifted with the tools to serve this community, both as a chaplain and an attorney. As a lawyer, I assist those overcoming various legal challenges. As a chaplain, I help those who are forced to deal with overwhelming trauma while making an effort to prevent others from enduring such pain. In both of these capacities, I provide my services to those I feel most connected to and identify with, the marginalized Oakland community.

Finally, I believe in Pastor Scott’s vision of hope for advancing and healing the Oakland community. Pastor Scott has made it her mission to uplift Oakland, to be on the front lines in responding to violent crimes so the community knows there are people offering support and actively taking actions to prevent violent crimes from reoccurring, not just from one day to the next but from one generation to the next. Pastor Scott’s chaplaincy program couldn’t come soon enough for Oakland. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to serve and promote this vision for the people of Oakland.

Rev. Antoné Hicks

I became an Oakland Chaplain because I want to serve the Oakland community. I was born and raised in Oakland and currently serve as a City of Oakland employee.

Violence was prevalent in the neighborhood where I grew up and resources were scarce. I know firsthand some of the difficulties families face in their daily lives. I also know firsthand the community bond that exists in Oakland. I am forever grateful for the people in my community who shared their time, love, and resources with me. I want to be a resource for someone else in need.

Serving as an Oakland Community Chaplain allows me the opportunity to be present for people who need help and might not know how to ask or don’t believe they are worthy of receiving. When I was struggling, I didn’t know how to ask for help, but members of my community saw my need and helped me.

Lastly, I want to share my faith by way of service. I want to fellowship with my community not just in the good times but in the difficult times as well. It is my honor and privilege to serve as an Oakland Community Chaplain.

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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

7 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

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.”

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WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

1 week 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.