Activism

People Speak Out Against Hate Violence at Mill Valley Vigil

“I hurt for what it must be like to watch all this racial hatred in the world. The thing about violence is that no one is immune. When one of us is unsafe, all of us are unsafe. We are all related in our fight against hate and racism.”

Published

3 years ago

April 13, 2021

Mia Lane

Activists with the Mill Valley Force for Racial Equity and Empowerment (MVFREE) held “A Vigil in Solidarity with Our Asian American & Pacific Islander Community” on the afternoon of Sunday, March 28.

The participants at the vigil, which was held at the Depot Plaza in downtown Mill Valley, responded to the recent violence against Asian Americans, and for the eight victims that were killed in Atlanta, Ga., last month.

Several hundred people came to the vigil, which was hosted by the Mill Valley Force for Racial Equity and Empowerment (MVFREE), which was formerly known as the Mill Valley Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force.

Participants brought fresh flowers and arranged them on the sidewalk to construct a community art altar.

“We need our community to stand strong like this every day. It takes action to create the change we need here in Mill Valley and in Marin County,” said Tammy Herndon, a member of the Mill Valley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. “We all have to work, and it will take all of us to create the change that all of us here wants today.”

Oshalla Diane Marcus, who grew up in Marin City, said “Our history in this country is what it is. We came to America as a wave. Yet the myth of equality had often lulled our collective mind into amnesia. And we were quick to move to the next place without really looking at what is going on around us.”

Marcus says that Blacks and Asians, especially the second-and third-generation Chinese-Americans, should look and recognize the connections that exist between their communities, and teach each other and their children about these connections and shared experiences. Both communities should also deepen their connections with each other and learn more about the strengths and difficulties that exist in each other’s communities.

“There is a lot of healing that we need to look at. There are many sides to the situation. If we are in a circle, there are no sides, there are only points of view. The issues are real and may be uncomfortable,” says Marcus, “but at the same time, we can come together in dance, poetry, art, and music. People can lead the way with their creativity.”

A senior at Tamalpais High School, who is an immigrant, said what meant most to him were people who took an interest in his heritage. “We all learn and listen to each other. We are all here to heal each other,” he said, “We must bring an end to this hatred.”

Another woman expressed her sense of hurt on behalf of children. “I hurt for what it must be like to watch all this racial hatred in the world. The thing about violence is that no one is immune. When one of us is unsafe, all of us are unsafe. We are all related in our fight against hate and racism.”

Mia Lane

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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

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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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

Published

1 week ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

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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.”