Activism

Thousands of California Students to Earn Cash for Community Service

College Corps represents the first and largest state-level investment in a college service program in the country, with $146 million earmarked for up to 6,500 students over the next two years. About 80% of fellows are students of color, 58% are first-generation college students, 68% are Pell-Grant eligible, and 500 fellows are AB 540 Dream Act.

Published

2 years ago

October 23, 2022

Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

Sacramento State University College Corps students’ swearing in ceremony Oct. 7, 2022. Photo by Antonio R. Harvey.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media

On October 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom, California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, educational leaders, community organizations, and the California Volunteers Commission administered the service oath to the first #CaliforniansForAll College Corps Fellows.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, more than 3,200 student fellows will receive up to $10,000 for completing a year of community service. College Corps is a statewide paid service program that provides meaningful work to college students that helps them graduate on time with less debt while benefiting the local community.

The oath is a solemn promise to perform voluntary work with the intention of helping people and improving communities.

“Part of the California way is giving back to help uplift others, and that is a core principle of the #CaliforniansForAll College Corps,” Newsom stated. “College Corps is about restoring the social contract between the government and its citizens. This public investment builds upon California Volunteers’ army of service members, which is larger than the Peace Corps and exemplifies the spirit and idealism I see in young people across California.”

The oath was taken in front of Newsom at the California Natural Resources Agency Building in downtown Sacramento, a few blocks from the State Capitol.

Tony Thurmond, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was in attendance.

Over the next four years, College Corps will engage 13,000 California undergraduates to make a positive difference in their communities. This service and career development program will help build a diverse class of leaders set to transform California for the better.

Funding was made possible by the efforts of Newsom and the Legislature. The program is the first opportunity for Assembly Bill (AB) 540 CA Dream Act students to earn support for college in a state service program.

“I decided to apply because I am pursuing a career in education, and #CaliforniansForAll College Corps is a way for me to earn as I learn,” said Tia Rowe, a College Corps Fellow from Sacramento State University. “I’m looking forward to working in my community and playing an active role in bringing people together.”

Rowe, along with other College Corps fellows, will take part in community service projects across the state. Fryday said College Corps is an opportunity to “begin a life of service” to benefit the masses. The program is a collaboration of over 600 community organizations, including 46 partnering colleges and universities across the state.

The objective is to address issues pertaining to climate change, tutoring and mentoring, low-income students, and distributing meals to those facing food insecurity. Once the fellows finish their assignments, they stand to receive $7,000 for 450 hours of community service. An additional $3,000 is provided as an education award.

“You and I are going to be part of a movement toward change,” Rowe said before the oath was administered in the auditorium of the California Natural Resources Agency Building. “We’re going into our own communities and playing an active role in building them up.”

A virtual briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media was held on October 11 featuring Fryday, President and CEO of FIND Food Bank Debbie S. Espinosa, and student fellows. The discussion centered around the vision that inspired the program, how it works, who is eligible, how to apply, and where students will do their community service.

“This is a win-win-win: Helping to pay for college, gaining valuable work experience, and having a meaningful impact on your community,” Fryday said.

Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

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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

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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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.

Published

7 days 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.”

Oakland Post

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Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Juanita Matthews

Sister Juanita Matthews

55 Years with Oakland Public School District

The Teacher, Mother, Community Outreach Champion, And Child of God

Juanita Matthews, better known as “Sister Teacher,” is a walking Bible scholar. She moved to California from the great state of Arkansas in 1971. Sister Teacher has a passion for teaching. She has been a member of Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church since 1971. She followed her passion for teaching, and in 1977 became the lead teacher for Adult Class #6. Her motto still today is “Once My Student, Always My Student”.

Beyond her remarkable love for the Lord, Sister Teacher has showcased her love for teaching by working for the Oakland Unified School District for 55 years, all but four of those years spent at Emerson Elementary and Child Development School. She truly cares about her students, making sure they have the tools/supplies needed to learn either at OUSD or Bible Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church.

She’s also had a “Clothes Closet Ministry” for 51 years, making sure her students have sufficient clothing for school. The Clothes Closet Ministry extends past her students, she has been clothing the community for over 50 years as well. She loves the Lord and is a servant on a mission. She is a loving mother to two beautiful children, Sandra and Andre. This is the impact this woman of God has on her church and the community.