Activism

Over 1,000 Bay Area March in Solidarity with Asians Against Hate and Violence

The protest began in the San Francisco’s Castro District at 17th and Castro streets, where LGBTQ leaders spoke out against the racist attacks. Mayor Breed said, We’re going to bring something back something similar to the Guardian Angels (in the 1980s).

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2021

Kiki

Over 1,000 people rallied in San Francisco last weekend to stand in solidarity with the Asian community against racist hate and violence. Photo courtesy of SF Mayor's Press Office.

More than 1,000 people demonstrated in San Francisco this past weekend, marching down Market Street to express outrage and call for united community action against Anti-Asian hate and violence.

Speaking at the rally, SF Mayor London Breed pledged citywide solidarity with the Asian community.

The protest began in the San Francisco’s Castro District at 17^th and Castro streets, where LGBTQ leaders spoke out against the racist attacks. Mayor Breed said, We’re going to bring something back something similar to the Guardian Angels (in the 1980s).

“In the neighborhoods, where we have our seniors, we’re going to protect them and look out for them,” she said.

In an interview, Mayor Breed said, “These attacks are devastating- because this community has already suffered enough, and the worst part about is that that they are elderly people, in pretty much every single instance,” she said.

Breed said that in the next few days, she will announce major new programs “to keep the community safe.”

While the city will increase police response in affected neighborhoods, she said, “We all have to take responsibility.”

“We have to hold the perpetrators of these crimes accountable for what they have done,” she said.

The rally in San Francisco was one of the largest of a number of protests across the country over the weekend.

In Atlanta, where six people died in a recent shooting at massage businesses, hundreds gathered near the Georgia Capitol to demand justice for the victims and condemned racism, xenophobia and misogyny.

In Chicago, about 300 people held a rally, and in New York City, hundreds marched from Times Square to Chinatown.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

16 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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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

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1 week ago

April 19, 2024

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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.”