Activism
Standing up for Inclusion and Empowerment: Six Questions for the National Black Justice Coalition
Since its inception in 2003, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) has been America’s premier civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+, and same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.
By Edward Henderson
California Black Media
Since its inception in 2003, the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) has been America’s premier civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+, and same gender loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.
Operating out of Los Angeles, the NBJC supports Black individuals, families, and communities.
Black LGBTQ+/SGL Americans constitute a significant subset of Black families with 3.7 percent of all Black Americans (more than one million people) identifying as LGBTQ+/SGL, according to the Williams Institute in 2013.
California Black Media spoke with Jeffery Wallace, President and CEO of Leaders Up, which is a member of the NBJC.
What does your organization do to improve the lives of Black people in California?
Despite California being a progressive state, when we look at economic outcomes, we still see a major gap between us and our White counterparts. Leaders Up looks at how to build an anti-racist and inclusive economy where there is no racial disparity in the areas of education, employment, compensation and benefits. Beyond that, how do we normalize psychological and physical safety in the labor market, equal opportunities for pathways to leadership and sharing power.
We know that the queer and trans community are under full frontal assault. NBJC has allowed us to do is to incorporate an intentionality, a level of consciousness, where we can work with our employers and our development partners around identity and inclusion. Ensuring that when we think about Black folks, we’re thinking about Black queer folks, too.
What was your greatest success over the course of the last year?
Our greatest success has been defining how we shift from employment and placing folks into careers to transforming the conditions of the economy and the workplace and education system. Over the last 10 years we’ve been able to place 70,000 people into employment.
In your view, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?
Systemic racism. I think that when we think about a system that has been designed even in California for African Americans to not win, that’s the biggest challenge that we’re facing.
The biggest challenge is also ourselves. For us to organize in a way for us to consolidate our power and shift the conditions under which we operate.
What was your organization’s biggest challenge?
It’s capital. Finding out how to amass the capital that frees us up to do the work in a more impactful way. So, we’re no longer concerned about sustainability and more concerned about transformation.
Does your organization support or plan to get involved in the push for reparations in California?
Absolutely. The more that the movement incorporates organizations like ours, it becomes important for us to dream big around the capital for Black folks to build economic power.
How can more Californians of all backgrounds get involved in the work you’re doing?
You can visit our website at leadersup.org. We are always looking for professionals who want to give back through career coaching. You can also visit nbjc.org to connect with the work we are doing nationwide.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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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
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Activism
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.
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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