Activism

Opinion – ‘I Can’t Breathe’ COVID-19 in Prison

Published

4 years ago

July 8, 2020

I can’t breathe is more than just a statement. It’s a living reality, both literally and figuratively.

Literally it’s the actuality that you can’t breathe due to some form of physical restraint being applied which causes suffocation.

Figuratively it applies to an oppressed people existing in America who are not able to receive justice or equality.

Which is an essential component of life.

Racial discrimination can suffocate because it denies the life-sustaining necessities.

The “I can’t breathe” plea emphatically summarizes the nature and composition of suffering and denial figuratively.

A translation of the “I can’t breathe” chant signifies what a depressed people under the weight of tyranny oppression must endure.

People ridden with discriminatory treatment, disguised as racial justice, are dying daily as a direct result of not being able to breathe in a toxic polluted atmosphere of inhumane conditions.

But, to be fair, Black people are not the only targeted minorities shackled with the inability to breathe freely.

Other people of color also find themselves the subjects of repugnant treatment as Blacks are and have been the pre-eminent victims of racist behavior.

Racism permeates every element in life and gives breath to hateful suffering associated with day to day survival.

“I can’t Breathe” is an American narrative detailing an ongoing tactic approval of accepted silent practices that besmirch and degrade people of color

The damages of racism, done over time, undeniably cripples and destroys racial harmony.

Until I can’t breathe is vehemently replaced with, I can breathe America will continue to be the epicenter of race-based exclusion and dehumanizing practices against people who don’t share the racial genetics of most of the population that doesn’t look like them in America and around the world.

It is time for people to stand up and take “I can’t breathe” to its final resting place.

COVID-19

The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching implications in prison-like it has been on a worldwide basis.

Here in the prison complex of San Quentin, social distancing as it is designed by the medical experts is a meaningless concept and practice and, therefore, structurally because of cells and cellmates it is virtually impossible to implement.

For several months the practice of transferring inmates from prison to prison was halted in order to stop the transmission of the COVID-19 virus, but then apparently.

Someone in the front offices gave the okay to transfer inmates to San Quentin where no inmates had the virus even though it was reported that a few staff members had tested positive.

The logic of sending hundreds of inmates from another prison that experienced several deaths and multiple cases of positive virus tests is still baffling because it put all of us at San Quentin at risk.

Already dozens have been exposed with many showing symptoms. They are being placed in quarantine and possibly contaminating others in their immediate surroundings.

I have learned that many prisoners and some staff have died in the statewide prison system. These facts should be of concern to the public-at-large because any efforts toward the containment of the virus in this very close environment seem futile at best.

And since prisons release many of the inmates who have varying sentences, on a staggered basis, they will return home to many communities throughout the state, and it is ludicrous to think that some of them won’t be carrying the virus.

In order to decide, the entire prison population needs to be tested, because many could be asymptomatic.

Many inmates have underlying health issues which means aggressive action is required to minimize death and contamination.

The notion that if we separate inmates and move them around from place to place will minimize the spread is risky to us here and to the outside public as well.

COVID-19 has revealed that we are all truly in this situation together.

Without the combined efforts of everyone, we will lose this battle against the virus.

This health crisis struggle is a twenty-first-century Armageddon on several levels. On June 12 they started testing staff, which is a good sign. I will continue to report on the status of COVID-19.

May God bless us all.

Richard Johnson K- 53293

3 W.2

San Quentin, CA. 94974

Since the article was received, the family of Richard Johnson contacted The Post News Group to confirm Johnson tested positive for COVID-19.

Richard Johnson

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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

6 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

6 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

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.