Uncategorized

OP-ED: When Will Justice Come for Black and Brown Families?

Published

11 years ago

October 26, 2015

By Patrisse Cullors, reprinted from Huffington Post

Last weekend, we learned with further certainty what we have long known to be true: Black and brown families will not be granted justice by law enforcement.

New investigations into the murder of Tamir Rice concluded that the actions of the Cleveland police officer who killed him were “reasonable.” Authorities can justify police murdering a 12-year-old boy sitting on a swing in a park as being “reasonable” because police are praised for killing Black and brown people.

Last week, I traveled throughout California listening to the stories and trauma of family members who have lost loved ones to police violence.

Over eight days, the Caravan for Justice led by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and the ACLU of California stopped in Oakland, Sacramento, Stockton, Salinas, Fresno, Riverside, Orange County, and Los Angeles. In each city, family members of victims of police violence, in the U.S. and from the UK, shared their stories.

In Sacramento, there was Christina Arechiga, whose cousin Ernest Duenez Jr. was gunned down by police while exiting from the backseat of a truck. In Salinas, Angelica Garza shared the story of her brother Frank Alvarado Jr., killed by police who claimed to confuse his cell phone with a weapon. In Los Angeles during Politicon, Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles member Misha Charlton shared how an officer responding to a domestic violence call killed her sister Meagan Hockaday.

Over and over, I witnessed families shouldering the burden of the violence their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and children suffered at the hands of law enforcement.

The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Forward Together, Research Action Design, and 20 other organizations across the country recently released a report, Who Pays? The True Cost of Incarceration on Families, documenting the overwhelming debts, health challenges, and severed bonds that families face as a result of mass incarceration.

But I saw on this tour that those costs begin before people are even arrested–they begin when police first target a family member. And for black and brown communities, we live our lives as targets.

Family members described the many legal battles they have fought, the lawyers they have hired, the medical costs they have faced, all in the pursuit of justice for their loved ones.

But too often, these costly pursuits of justice end in frustration, disappointment, and more grief. We must equip families to take action and lead so that they no longer suffer these injustices.

As I write this, I am aware that 902 people have been killed by police this year. That 64 were black and unarmed. That in California, 155 have been killed and of those, 73 were black or brown victims. And there are many others who have not made it among the counted.

Black and brown families are in a state of emergency.

For most emergencies, we prepare communities. We teach people to put out fires, board up their homes, or drop under a desk if an earthquake hits. But what have we taught low-income communities of color about how to respond to the more frequent incidents of violence they face in the streets and inside of jails?

The Caravan for Justice marked the launch of Justice Teams in nine counties in California. Those teams will be local rapid response networks, building infrastructure to support victims and survivors of law enforcement violence and their families, teaching them how to prevent police brutality and how to respond effectively when it occurs.

One month ago, neighbors called the police when they heard my little brother, who was having a psychotic episode, yelling outside of my apartment. Aware of the many black people with histories of mental illness who are killed during police encounters, myself and five other witnesses recorded the police with the Mobile Justice CA app as they arrested my brother. The app allows people to record law enforcement abuses and automatically submits the videos to the ACLU of California for review.

More communities need to know these tools exist and how to use them. Because justice will come for families when we fight for ourselves.

Tamir Rice’s family has now demanded the appointment of a special prosecutor because of concerns that the grand jury presentation will be a “charade.” But justice for families won’t come only from a grand jury indictment, or an officer’s conviction.

Justice will come when we demand truth and reinvestment. An acknowledgement that people of color are brutalized, criminalized, and incarcerated because of hundreds of years of racist policies that have involved forced labor, segregation, disparate opportunity, and organized state violence against black and brown people.

It will come when we reinvest. We have poured billions of dollars into punishment-based responses–from police arresting children for absences in schools, to treating people’s drug problems in jails, to creating barriers to housing, employment, and education for formerly incarcerated people after they finish serving their sentences.

Families will receive justice when we end our addiction to policing and punishment, and resources are moved towards education, housing, healthcare, and employment for all communities.

Patrisse Cullors is one of the co-founders of #BlackLivesMatter and the Truth and Reinvestment Campaign Director at the Ella Baker Center.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Uncategorized

New Protections for Ticket Buyers: Gov. Newsom Signs Assemblymember Isaac Bryan’s Bill

OAKLAND POST — Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

Published

6 days ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). File photo.

By California Black Media Staff

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that strengthens consumer protections for Californians purchasing tickets to concerts, sporting events and other live entertainment.

Assembly Bill 1349 expands state regulation of original ticket sellers, resellers and online resale marketplaces. The law targets deceptive sales practices, ticket-buying software and speculative listings — tickets advertised for sale by sellers who do not possess them or have authorization to sell them.

“Buying a ticket shouldn’t come with hidden risks or unfair practices,” Newsom wrote on social media after signing the measure.

Under AB 1349, ticket sellers are prohibited from listing tickets before they have been officially released unless they have authorization or a legally enforceable right to receive them. Online marketplaces must also take reasonable steps to prevent speculative ticket sales on their platforms.

The law prohibits sellers from using bots, multiple accounts, email addresses or internet protocol addresses to circumvent ticket limits, presale restrictions, electronic queues and other controls. It also bans websites and advertisements designed to mislead buyers into believing they are purchasing tickets from an authorized seller, venue or event organizer.

Sellers who violate certain provisions and fail to provide a promised ticket may be held liable for twice the ticket’s contracted price. Buyers may also recover nonrefundable expenses incurred while attempting to attend an event, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

Pastor Tecoy Porter Sr., president of the National Action Network’s Sacramento chapter, said the law establishes needed accountability.

“Buying a ticket to a concert or show shouldn’t mean entering a marketplace where the rules are stacked against you. This year, we worked with a coalition of consumers, civil rights advocates, community groups, and businesses to make AB 1349 stronger. Consumers deserve enforceable rules that protect them. We thank Assemblymember Bryan for his leadership, and we will keep working to make ticketing fair for every Californian.”

Jose L. Barrera, national vice president for the Far West Region of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also praised the measure.

“Californian families deserve certain protections when they buy tickets. Assemblymember Bryan listened to communities across California and delivered a bill that puts fans first. We thank him and Governor Newsom for making it law.”

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Uncategorized

Zakiya Jendayi Arrested, Locked Out of Home by Sheriff’s Deputies

OALAND POST — On Tuesday, deputies followed Jendayi as she left her residence of 13 years to file documents in her case at the Appellate Court. Deputies arrested her upon arrival and transported her to Santa Rita Jail.

Published

6 days ago

October 4, 2026

Post News Group

By Tanya Dennis

Yesterday, more than 10 Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to take possession of Zakiya Jendayi’s home on behalf of a court-appointed administrator. Jendayi was arrested at the courthouse and transported to Santa Rita Jail around the same time.

Jendayi, who has been embroiled in a probate court battle to retain the inheritance bestowed on her by a longtime friend and colleague who passed away in 2013, had received a notice of eviction last month.

With help from neighbors, friends and clergy, she was able to fend off the eviction from 3614 Randolph Ave. in Oakland and even obtained a reprieve when her bid to file bankruptcy was approved by a county court.

But Philip Campbell, the court-appointed administrator, had already placed Jendayi’s home in his name in October 2025.

On Tuesday, deputies followed Jendayi when she left her residence of 13 years to go to the Appellate Court to file documents in her case. Deputies arrested her upon arrival and transported her to Santa Rita jail.

Undersheriff April Luckett-Fahini said Jendayi was arrested for “safety reasons.” At this time, it is unknown what charges were used for the arrest.

In Jendayi’s absence, Campbell came to her residence accompanied by deputies, had the property taped off with yellow crime tape, and had the locks changed.

Afterward, Campbell requested a police escort to his car amid several angry neighbors who had been advocating that officials pause the eviction pending Jendayi’s appeal.

“Zakiya Jendayi is a respected Black elder in our community,” said Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, who has been working with Jendayi to prevent her eviction. “It’s outrageous that she was arrested. There needs to be more justice and equity in our probate system.”

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Uncategorized

Ask California: Golden State Releases New AI Chatbot

Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced the prototype as part of the state’s broader effort to use artificial intelligence to make government services easier to access. The launch follows his March 2026 executive order directing state agencies to responsibly implement generative AI while protecting privacy, security and civil liberties.

Published

3 weeks ago

September 22, 2026

Post News Group

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California has launched AskCA, a new artificial intelligence-powered chatbot designed to help residents find and navigate state and local government services through a single online platform.

Developed by the state’s Office of Data and Innovation, AskCA is designed around major life events rather than individual government agencies. Californians can use the tool to find information about finding a job, starting a business, accessing family services and recovering from disasters.

“When a Californian needs help, they shouldn’t have to become an expert in government to find it,” said Newsom. “We’re using the best technology California has to offer to make the government more efficient, effective, and more engaged.”

The state is now seeking Californians age 18 and older to participate in the pilot and help test and refine AskCA’s responses. Officials said subject matter experts across state governments are helping inform the chatbot’s answers, which are designed to draw from verified government sources and provide actionable information.

The prototype grew out of California’s response to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. Early testing included more than 140 fire recovery leaders and Altadena wildfire survivors, a dozen job seekers and more than 100 general users.

Jeffery Marino, director of the Office of Data and Innovation, said the tool is intended to remove the need for residents to understand how government agencies are organized before they can get help.

“Californians should not have to understand how the government is organized just to get basic help,” Marino said.

AskCA’s technology will also be used in a new job-skills matching feature that the California Department of Human Resources plans to launch Sept. 30 on CalCareers. Job seekers will be able to upload a resume and receive potential matches to state job classifications.

The state said the CalCareers pilot will not store personal information or require users to have a CalCareers account. California plans to continue testing AskCA as officials evaluate its accuracy, performance and usefulness before expanding the system.