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Oakland’s COVID Data Show Racial Disparities in 2021 Deaths

Of the 314 total Oakland residents the coroner’s bureau recorded as dying of COVID-19 in 2021, they listed 106 of them, or about 33.8%, as Black. This is a disproportionately high rate of deaths when compared to data from the 2020 census, which counted Black people as representing 23.8% of Oakland’s population.

Published

2 years ago

February 10, 2022

Oakland Post

The coroner’s data show Black people of all ages, along with Latinx people under 65, died at a rate disproportionately high when compared to their percentage of the population.

By Zack Haber

Data from a recent records request show that the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau attributed 314 deaths in Oakland to the COVID-19 virus in 2021.

Some studies and reporting have suggested that available information on total COVID-19 deaths, especially when it relies on coroners, tend to be undercounts. Still, unlike data listed by the Alameda County Public Health Department, the coroner’s bureau recorded the race, gender, and age of Oaklanders who died of the virus, as well as the dates on which these deaths occurred.

The coroner’s data show Black people of all ages, along with Latinx people under 65, died at a rate disproportionately high when compared to their percentage of the population.

Using the same two data sets, Latinx people accounted for 88, or about 28% of these deaths, while representing 27% of the population. White people accounted for 57, or about 18.2% of these deaths, while white people not also listed as Latinx represented about 28.3% of the population.

Asian people made up 42, or about 13.3% of these deaths while representing 15.5% of the population. One Native American, along with three Pacific Islanders were listed as having died of COVID-19. Two people were listed as mixed race, while about 6.5% of the deaths had no race listed.

Like elsewhere in the country and around the world, older people died of COVID-19 in Oakland at a higher rate than younger people in 2021. Oakland residents younger than 40 made up eight, or about 2.5% of the total deaths recorded. Residents older than 90 made up 36, or about 11.5% of the total deaths. People 65 and older made up 213, or about 67.8% of the total deaths.

People under 65 represented a total of 101, or about 32.2%, of COVID deaths last year in Oakland. Latinx people accounted for about 45 of these deaths, a figure that is disproportionately high compared to their share of the population. Black people accounted for about 31 of these deaths, which is also disproportionately high. White people accounted for about eight of these deaths. Asian people accounted for about five of these deaths.

By the middle of April, everyone in California who was 16 and older was eligible to book an appointment to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

After this point, COVID deaths in Oakland declined dramatically. From May through December 2021, the coroner recorded 125 COVID deaths in Oakland. In comparison, January and February alone saw 157 deaths.

While deaths of all races declined, the proportion of COVID deaths of Black people compared to the rest of the population rose. Black people made up 57, or about 45.2% of the COVID deaths in 2021 from May through December. Latinx people made up 24, or 19.2% of these deaths. White people made up 20, or 16% of these deaths. Asian people made up 12, or 9.6% of these deaths.

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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

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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.