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OSCAR GRANT FAMILY & ATTORNEYS MEET AGAIN WITH ALAMEDA COUNTY D.A. O’MALLEY URGE D.A. TO CHANGE DECISION CHARGE BART OFFICER PIRONE WITH FELONY MURDER OF OSCAR GRANT
The Oscar Grant Family and attorneys will announce results of today’s meeting with D.A. Nancy O’Malley in the murder case of Oscar Grant. The attorneys will present the D.A. with the laws and legal arguments that support the charge of felony murder against former BART police officer Anthony Pirone.


Wanda Johnson- Oscar Grant Mother, John Burris, Minister Rashidullah Muhammad at the mic, Uncle Bobby X Johnson uncle of Oscar Grant, Sister Beatrice X – Johnson, Charles Bonner civil rights attorney
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 19, 2021
CONTACT: Cephus “Uncle Bobby” X Johnson: cephusjohnson@yahoo.com; 510-706-7558
WHAT: Press Conference. The Oscar Grant Family and attorneys will announce results of today’s meeting with D.A. Nancy O’Malley in the murder case of Oscar Grant. The attorneys will present the D.A. with the laws and legal arguments that support the charge of felony murder against former BART police officer Anthony Pirone.
On January 11, 2021, O’Malley announced her decision not to prosecute Pirone. She stated in her report of January 7, 2021, that her decision was primarily based on the autopsy report by the Sheriff’s Department, that Oscar’s wounds were “superficial.” The Family and attorneys have engaged renowned pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu(Concussion) to review that autopsy thoroughly so as to encourage the D.A. to see that Oscar suffered, among other things, severe brain damage at the hands of Pirone.
O’Malley’s decision has been challenged by the BART Board itself in its Resolution of January 14, 2021, by the January 12 Resolution of the Oakland City Council, the January 14, 2021, Resolution of the Oakland Police Commission, as well as the MLK Day open letter appeal of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, which challenge is further supported by elected officials like Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, State Representative Rob Bonta, State Senator Nancy Skinner, Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
In a virtual town hall on Saturday, January 16, thousands of leaders and activists and families of blacks murdered by police joined the national cry to charge Pirone with felony murder of Oscar Grant. Among those in attendance were Rev. Al Sharpton, Alicia Garza and Patrice Cullers of Black Lives Matter, CNN personality Kamau Bell, Shaun King, Tamika Mallory, Rev. Charley Hames of Beebe Memorial and NAN, Dr. Mark Alexander of 100 Black Men of America, along with the families of: Jacob Blake, Sean Bell, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland,Mario Woods, Michael Brown, Sahleem Tindle, Kenny Harding, Jr., Amadou Diallo, Emmett Till.
WHEN: TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2021, 12:30 PM
WHERE: René C. Davidson Courthouse, 1225 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA
WHO: Rev. Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar; Oscar’s uncle and aunt, Cephus X and Beatrice X Johnson; Coalition Attorneys Charles Bonner and John Burris.
Bay Area
Gov. Newsom Requests Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Counties Impacted By Storms
Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a request Tuesday for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for nine California counties, including Monterey County. If approved, the move will pave the way for federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be provided to local governments and individuals impacted by storms in February and March.

By Thomas Hughes
Bay City News
Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a request Tuesday for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for nine California counties, including Monterey County.
If approved, the move will pave the way for federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be provided to local governments and individuals impacted by storms in February and March.
In addition to Monterey County, the request included Santa Cruz and San Benito counties, along with Calaveras, Kern, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.
Four other counties were added to a previous emergency declaration from the governor, including Alameda, Marin, Modoc and Shasta counties.
“Over these past months, state, local and federal partners have worked around the clock to protect our communities from devastating storms that have ravaged every part of our state. We will continue to deploy every tool we have to help Californians rebuild and recover from these storms,” Newsom said.
If approved, aid from FEMA can be used for individual housing assistance, food aid, counseling, medical and legal services. It will also cover some storm-related costs like debris removal.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors has requested additional state aid to help undocumented residents receive direct assistance that they aren’t eligible for from FEMA.
The governor said in a press release that funding from the state’s Rapid Response Fund would be made available to those residents and will ensure that families with mixed immigration status can access federal aid.
A local resources center opened Wednesday at the Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building at 215 E. Beach St. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 7. The center is staffed with personnel from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Monterey County emergency staff who will help guide Monterey County residents through the recovery process.
An eviction moratorium was passed by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will provide limited eviction protection for residents who lost income because of the storms. If the Presidential Disaster Declaration is approved, FEMA assistance could help some eligible residents receive money to help pay rent, which will not be forgiven during the moratorium.
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Activism
20 Years Later, Breast Cancer Emergency Fund a Testament to Faith Fancher’s Enduring Legacy
When a woman is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation often make her too weak to work. If she is working a low-paying job or unemployed, the mounting bills can become overwhelming. For 20 years, the Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) has provided a lifeline. The Berkeley-based non-profit organization administers the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, which gives cash grants of up to $595 to low-income women in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties who are battling breast cancer.

By Tammerlin Drummond
When a woman is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation often make her too weak to work. If she is working a low-paying job or unemployed, the mounting bills can become overwhelming.
For 20 years, the Women’s Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) has provided a lifeline. The Berkeley-based non-profit organization administers the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, which gives cash grants of up to $595 to low-income women in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties who are battling breast cancer.
Grant recipients have used the money to help pay for food, utilities, rent, car insurance, medical co-pays and other necessities. One woman who was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer said she used her $595 grant to buy an oxygen concentrator.
“You could say the air I breathe is because of your generosity,” she said. “I am so incredibly grateful to you and am feeling better every day.
The fund is named in honor of Faith Fancher, a popular television reporter at KTVU who died in 2003 after a valiant battle against breast disease, the web site says. Fancher saw her own cancer as an opportunity to use her public profile to raise awareness and educate others about the importance of early detection.
Fancher founded an organization called Friends of Faith that was dedicated to raising funds for low-income women with breast cancer.
It was 20 years ago this March that Fancher first approached the Women’s Cancer Resource Center about setting up an emergency grant program for women going through breast cancer treatment.
One of the earliest recipients was a 50-year-old homeless woman who used her $595 grant to pay for moving costs into housing she could afford.
“Faith understood the financial burden that low-income individuals faced when diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Dolores Moorehead, who oversees the fund at the WCRC. “This was the first fund dedicated to financial support being offered in the East Bay.”
Over the past two decades, the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency Fund has given out $992,000 in one-time cash grants. There have been 2,500 beneficiaries, including women and some men with breast cancer.
Ricki Stevenson, a founding member of Friends of Faith, reflected on Fancher’s legacy and the enduring impact of the emergency fund that she created.
“It says that Faith continues to be a presence and it wasn’t just about her,” Stevenson said. “It was so all of the other sisters who come behind us they now have help even though they don’t have the same resources.”
Rosie Allen, another founding member of Friends of Faith, said Fancher left a lasting impact. “Twenty years later Faith is no longer with us, but the breast cancer emergency fund lives on and the need is even greater than ever.”
The Friends of Faith used to host an annual 5K walk/run at Lake Merritt to honor Fancher after she died. It raised funds for the emergency fund and other Bay Area non-profits that provide services to breast cancer survivors.
After Friends of Faith disbanded in 2017, the To Celebrate Life Foundation, former Friends of Faith board members and community members have continued to support the breast cancer emergency fund.
Shyanne Reese used her grant to help pay her rent while she was going through breast cancer treatment.
“I often reflect on how I wish I could share with Faith the impact her life and friends made on me in a non-judgement environment, relieving the financial stress of simply paying the rent so that I could focus on healing,” Reese said.
“With your support, we are able to continue this fund and support our community members when they need us most, said WCRC Executive Director Amy Alanes.
To donate to the Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Emergency fund, visit https://tinyurl.com/FaithFancher.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of March 29 – April 4, 2023
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