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In Memoriam

Remembering Ron Dellums:  A Leader for These Times

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As we approach the second anniversary of Ron Dellums’ transition, I’ve been thinking a lot about Ron.  The New York Times article about Ron’s life framed him as being 20 years ahead of his time, be it leading on South Africa anti-apartheid, national security, climate change, HIV/AIDs.

Many have spoken about Ron’s brilliant mind, his great courage, and his compassion for all.   Today, I want to talk about one of Ron’s magic powers and my relationship with him in order to uplift Black and Asian solidarity.  Ron had an uncanny superpower of seeing the inside of people, our true selves, our light.  And in that seeing, he would bring out the best in us.  A shy person would speak with eloquence and confidence.  A grumpy person would still emanate light and joy.  Ron’s magic power of seeing the best in people, lifting them up to their highest potential transformed my own life.

Ron Dellums changed my life even before I met him.  In my last year of law school, after years of struggle, I had a job offer from a big corporate law firm.  My mother, an immigrant single mom who was denied a college education and sacrificed so much for her children, was so proud of me.  Despite this, I couldn’t help but feel my soul leave my body on the way to work. In the midst of my inner turmoil, I came across an article about Ron Dellums where he spoke about the times of loneliness when he was following his conscience.   In that instance, I knew then that I wanted to be like Ron Dellums.  I wanted to be a person of courage, a person of conviction, a person who felt so passionate about justice.  Reading Ron’s words gave me the inner strength to pursue my dreams of justice.

As fate would have it, years later, serendipity struck and I met Ron Dellums, who changed my life again, this time in person.  I was serving as the attorney for an anti-displacement coalition during the Jerry Brown years in Oakland when fighting against displacement was a very lonely battle.  Ron flew across the country to come home and help us; I was assigned by the coalition to serve as his liaison.  Ron’s stance with the coalition turned the political tides and ultimately compelled City officials to address displacement impacts.

At a personal level, I experienced Ron’s magic powers at work.  During a heated meeting with the angry and privileged white developers who saw my role as a personal threat, Ron not only intervened but uplifted my leadership. Ron’s grace towards me enabled me to touch my own grace and rise above the attacks, rather than being taken down.

Later as mayor of Oakland, Ron and his wife Cynthia asked me along with others to join their City Administration.  I wanted to help them but was anxious about going into the inside of City Hall, a place I perceived as a den of back-stabbing and petty politics. Throughout the years, others have encouraged me to run for office or take on high profile jobs. I always declined because I held fear of holding power. I was afraid of going into the proverbial monster’s cave and becoming the monster.

Working at the City for Ron transformed my perspective.  I saw firsthand the power that government has to change the systems and structures of oppression, to heal the past injustices.  For example, despite the Great Recession, under Ron’s leadership, the Dellums Administration reduced homicides by 40%, created the national model Green Jobs Corp to fight poverty and climate change, and invested in re-entry jobs.

Because of Ron’s belief and trust in me and his other staff, I witnessed my own ability to hold power with honor, love, and integrity.  My transformation, of becoming into myself, of breaking bonds of racist and sexist conditioning that told me that I was not worthy, occurred because of Ron Dellums’ magic.

Today with so much at stake, we share many of Ron’s inspiring talks and images at The Dellums Institute for Social Justice.

May Ron Dellums’ magic power to bring out our best selves live on in you.

Margaretta Lin

Margaretta Lin

Margaretta Wan-Ling Lin is the Executive Director of Just Cities/Dellums Institute for Social Justice
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Bay Area

Nigerian Bank Chief Killed in Helicopter Crash on Way to Superbowl XVIII

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept., the crash occurred near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The poor weather conditions — rain, wind and snow showers—may have contributed to the accident, although the investigation is not complete. All six aboard were killed. Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

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Herbert Wigwe with his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, left, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, right. ENigeria Newspaper image.
Herbert Wigwe with his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, left, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, right. ENigeria Newspaper image.

By Post Staff

The co-founder of one of Nigeria’s largest banks died with his wife, son and three others when the helicopter transporting them from Palm Springs, Ca., to Boulder City, Nev. to attend the fifty-eighth SuperBowl at the stadium outside Las Vegas crashed on Feb. 9.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Dept., the crash occurred near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The poor weather conditions — rain, wind and snow showers—may have contributed to the accident, although the investigation is not complete. All six aboard were killed

Herbert Wigwe, 57, founded Access Bank in 1989, and it became the country’s largest competitor, Diamond Bank in 2018.

More recently, Wigwe was planning to open a banking service in Asia this year after making successful expansions to other parts of Africa, including South Africa, Kenya, and Botswana.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu described Wigwe’s death as an ‘overwhelming tragedy.”

Oakland resident and Nigerian immigrant Kayode Gbadebo agrees with Tinubu. He met Wigwe in Nigeria but crossed paths with him in London in 2006. Wigwe, he said, “took risks.”

He was young and people thought he couldn’t do what he intended, which was not so much about money but community.

“He was more like Jesus in washing the feet of the poor– Wigwe was culturizing community,” Gbadebo said.

“There will never be another like him. This is a deep, deep loss” and he hopes everyone will eventually “be comforted.”

He was also disappointed that a replacement has already been named even before Wigwe is buried. “It is not reasonable. You don’t want a vacuum, but it’s” not fair to the family, Gbadebo observed.

Wigwe had also been working to solve the migration issues from African countries, believing that “investing in higher education was key to controlling mass migration, which “is destabilising countries across the world,” BBC News reported.

“We need to take a holistic approach to address global migration, starting with our traditional framework for international development,” Wigwe wrote.

To that end, according to BBC News, Wigwe was preparing to open Wigwe University in Niger, where he was from.

“The best place to limit migration is not in the middle of the Mediterranean or the English Channel or the Rio Grande. It is in the home countries that so many migrants are so desperate to leave,” he wrote, saying his university was an opportunity for him “to give back to society.”

Besides Wigwe and his wife, Chizoba Nwuba Wigwe, and one son, two crew members and Bimbo Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, were also killed in the crash.

According to Wikipedia, three other children survive Wigwe.

In his statement reported in People magazine, Tinubu described Wigwe as “a distinguished banker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur.”

“I pray for the peaceful repose of the departed and ask God Almighty to comfort the multitude of Nigerians who are grieving and the families of the deceased at this deeply agonizing moment,” the president said.

He added, “Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension.”

Besides feeling the tremendous loss, Gbadebo fears the disorder and greed that will follow. “It’s a mess,” he said.

People magazine, BBC News and Wikipedia were the sources for this report.

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Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

Renowned Texas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, 88

In response to the passing of former Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies issued the following statement: “We mourn the loss of Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a true trailblazer in the House of Representatives and a dedicated public servant. As the first Black woman to be the chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, former state legislator, and first Black woman elected to office in Dallas, TX, she left her mark on history,” the statement read.

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Eddie Bernice Johnson. Official congressional photo.
Eddie Bernice Johnson. Official congressional photo.

By Chandra Hayslett

Washington — In response to the passing of former Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies issued the following statement:

“We mourn the loss of Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a true trailblazer in the House of Representatives and a dedicated public servant. As the first Black woman to be the chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, former state legislator, and first Black woman elected to office in Dallas, TX, she left her mark on history,” the statement read.

In a statement released Sunday night, U.S. President Joe Biden praised the late lawmaker’s tenure in Congress, saying she displayed “immense courage and a commitment to the promise of America.”

“Throughout her long career in public service, she was always clear-eyed about what she was fighting for: the right of every person in Dallas and across the country to live free from discrimination and to have the opportunity to live up to their full potential,” Vice President Kamala Harris said.

Johnson, the first Black woman elected to any seat in Dallas and the first Black Dallasite to serve in Congress, was a towering figure in Texas politics. She was only the third woman from Texas to serve in Congress – after Lera Thomas and Barbara Jordan, both deceased.

Born in 1935, Johnson was first elected to the Texas state Legislature in 1972 and the state Senate in 1986. While serving there, her position on the redistricting committee led to the creation of a congressional district which seat she won in 1992.

She was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus from 2001-2003 and she retired in 2022. Johnson passed away on Dec. 31, 2023. She was 88.

Because of racial segregation rampant in the 1950s, Johnson had to leave the state to receive training as a nurse at St. Mary’s College at the Indiana’s University of Notre Dame, went on to receive a Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration at Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University respectively.

Eventually, according to the Texas Tribune, Johnson became the first Black female chief psychiatric nurse at the Veterans Administration hospital in Dallas.

Rep. Johnson vigorously worked to improve the lives of Black Americans nationwide and in the state of Texas. She was instrumental in the recent passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and CHIPS and Science Act, was a proponent in fighting climate change, and built a strong rapport with the Joint Center, further exemplifying her tireless advocacy over her 30 years in Congress,” said Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Interim President and VP of Policy Jessica Fulton.

Fulton continued: “As a dear friend of the Joint Center, Rep. Johnson presented a resolution to the Joint Center for our 50th anniversary recognizing our relevancy and reaffirmed the House’s commitment to working with us. Her commitment to Black priorities, including equity in technological advancements and economic development, were inspirational and impactful.

“We are beyond grateful for her commitment to public service and dedication to advancing the needs of Black communities. We mourn her loss with her family, colleagues, and former district.”

Chandra Hayslett is part of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies communications team. Wikipedia, The Hill, and The Texas Tribune were sources for this report.

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Activism

Survivors, Officials Attend State Memorial Honoring 35 Firefighters Who Died on Duty

The state formally presented a United States flag to each of the families of the honorees, whose names are being added to the Fire Fighter’s Memorial Wall in Capitol Park on the east side of the State Capitol.

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The family of Ronald Yale Wiley visits the California Firefighters Memorial Wall to trace his name engraved on the monument. Wiley, who died in the line of duty in 2007, was a deputy marshal for Richmond’s Fire Department. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
The family of Ronald Yale Wiley visits the California Firefighters Memorial Wall to trace his name engraved on the monument. Wiley, who died in the line of duty in 2007, was a deputy marshal for Richmond’s Fire Department. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

The California Fire Foundation hosted its 2023 Annual California Firefighters Memorial and Procession Ceremony on Oct. 14 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond attended the event, which was organized to honor 35 firefighters who died in the line of duty. Among the honorees was Ronald Yale Wiley, an African American deputy fire marshal from Richmond who died on duty in 2007.

The state formally presented a United States flag to each of the families of the honorees, whose names are being added to the Fire Fighter’s Memorial Wall in Capitol Park on the east side of the State Capitol.

“We’re recognizing and celebrating the life and times of people who tried to make the world a little bit gentler,” Newsom said of the fallen. “They stood tall because they bent down on one knee to help lift other people up. People that came from every conceivable walk of life, political background, and different generations. The 35, we memorialize here today — all with a singular love, and that is a love for public service.”

Thomas Jay, retired Fire Battalion Chief for Riverside, leads the indoor procession at the California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. The event honored 35 firefighters who died in the line of duty. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Thomas Jay, retired Fire Battalion Chief for Riverside, leads the indoor procession at the California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento. The event honored 35 firefighters who died in the line of duty. Photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Nearly 1,000 people attended the ceremony. The procession showcased firefighting apparatuses and was marked by the presence of hundreds of active-duty firefighters from all over California, forming a “sea of blue.”

Accompanying them were the Pipes and Drums of California Professional Firefighters, honor guards from dozens of fire departments, the families of fallen firefighters from across the state, and various state officials and guests.

The ceremony commenced with a bagpiper playing at the Memorial Wall, a monument built in Sacramento in 2002 to honor the memory, sacrifice and bravery of firefighters who paid the ultimate price while keeping Californians safe.

“When they were called to duty … they came through and they gave as much as anybody is expected to give for their community,” said Brian K. Rice, the president of California Professional Firefighters. “This ceremony is a tribute to that selfless dedication, and more than that, a tribute to the families that stood behind these men.”

In 2007, honoree Wiley was returning to his office from a meeting in Vallejo when the city-owned vehicle he was driving crashed and burned on the Carquinez Bridge on I-80. Wiley, 47, was 16 years into the profession when the incident happened, his son Dante told California Black Media. Dante Wiley attended the ceremony with his wife, children, uncle, and other family members.

“This was a powerful event,” the younger Wiley said of the ceremony. “I brought my three children out here with me so that they can have a better understanding of who my father was.”

Dante Wiley is one of the 20 Black firefighters among Richmond’s 97 firefighters. He said his uncle also spent 30 years as a firefighter in Oakland.

Nationwide, the number of Black professional and volunteer firefighters is relatively low. According to Data USA, there were 324,149 firefighters in the United States in 2021. Of this figure, 4.38% were women and 95.6% were men. Black firefighters represented 7.4% and Hispanics made up 11.2%. White firefighters were 82.2% of the total.

California has around 35,000 firefighters, Rice said at the ceremony. In many jurisdictions, the workforces do not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. During a 12-year stretch from 1993 to 2005, for example, the San Bernardino City Fire Department (SBCFD) did not hire any Black firefighters.

Now, SBCFD, one of the oldest and largest fire departments in San Bernardino County, has hired a total of 19 Black firefighters, according to Factors Affecting the Hiring of Black Firefighters, a report by James M. Fratus. The late Jimmy Jews became San Bernardino’s first Black firefighter in 1971.

Dante Wiley is actively involved in recruiting efforts.

“I do believe representation matters, and so does education,” Wiley said. “When I mean education, I mean outreach.

“I was fortunate because I saw it every day with my father and, before him, my uncle. A lot of people don’t have that exposure,” Wiley continued. “One of my goals is to get out there and talk to people at high schools, junior colleges, or colleges. Is it for everybody? No. But there are different ways you can go out there and help people. For me, I just want to be of service for my community.”

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