Activism

Oscar Grant Coalition Moving Ahead With Recall Effort of Alameda County D.A. Nancy O’ Malley

It was that report that prompted Grant’s family to ask O’Malley to reopen the case.

Published

3 years ago

May 26, 2021

Mia Lane

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A coalition is moving forward with a campaign to recall Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley even though she has decided not to seek re-election.

O’Malley announced on May 18 that she will not seek a fourth term in 2023.

The Justice 4 Oscar Grant Coalition is moving ahead with the recall campaign following O’ Malley’s decision not to prosecute BART police Officer Anthony Pirone for his part in the shooting death of Oscar Grant III. Grant died after BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle shot him early on New Year’s Day 2009 at the Fruitvale BART station in Oakland.

“O’Malley does not deserve to be considered for the office of District Attorney, having demonstrated her willingness to disregard the law and morality when it comes to the police killing of black people,” the Rev. Wanda Johnson, Grant’s mother, said in a statement.

“There is a mountain of evidence to prove this case of felony murder, but O’Malley has refused to put that evidence before a jury,” Johnson said.

Mehserle was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the killing. Pirone knelt on Grant prior to the shooting and used a racial slur several times while pinning Grant to the ground. Pirone later said he was repeating what Grant was saying to him.

A 2009 report by former Oakland City Attorney Jayne Williams and then-attorney Kimberly Colwell of the law firm Meyers Nave that was released publicly a decade later arguedthat “Officer Pirone’s overly aggressive and unreasonable actions and conduct in violation of policy and acceptable standards contributed substantially to the escalation of the hostile and volatile atmosphere during the course of the incident.”

It was that report that prompted Grant’s family to ask O’Malley to reopen the case. The Grant family alleges that Pirone played a larger role in their family member’s death than just pinning the young man to the ground.

Pirone brutally assaulted Grant and held him down on the BART platform to let Mehserle shoot him in the back, according to the coalition.

The charge against Pirone would have to be premeditated murder because the statute of limitations has run out on the lesser charges of murder.

“While Pirone’s overly aggressive conduct contributed to the chaotic nature of what transpired on the BART platform,” the district attorney’s office said in a report on its decision not to charge Pirone, “there was no evidence that Pirone knew in advance that Mehserle was going to shoot Mr. Grant.”

Elected officials from all over the Bay Area have urged O’Malley to pursue charges, including state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Oakland, and now-state Attorney General Rob Bonta.

O’Malley told Johnson on April 29 that prosecutors would not seek charges against Pirone.

Once O’Malley’s term is up, her replacement could seek premeditated murder charges against Pirone as the statute of limitations does not expire on first-degree murder.

Other support for an investigation of Pirone has come from Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who is now president of the Board of Supervisors and the board itself, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, the Oakland City Council, the Oakland Police Commission and BART’s own board.

Still, the coalition said, O’Malley will not let a jury weigh in.

The coalition believes O’Malley is unfit for office and it does not want her to retire with benefits and potentially ordain her successor.

“The recall of Nancy O’Malley will not only guarantee O’Malley will never again be positioned to obstruct justice but also will send a strong message to all those who would seek to be Alameda County D.A., that the people of this County, the seat of which is Oakland, will not elect anyone not committed to bringing the Oscar Grant case to justice,” said Alicia Garza, Black Lives Matter co-founder and a long-time supporter of the Justice for Oscar Grant Movement, in a statement.

The coalition said the recall effort is gaining ground.

Mia Lane

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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

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

4 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

5 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.