Activism

Town Nights Events for Oakland Families Living in Violent Hot Spots

Adamika Village founder Daryle Allums explains why their Town Nights event at Sunnyside Park is unique and different. “Adamika Village is a victim-led organization, so everything we do is in honor of loved ones lost to violence or to honor their families,” Allums said. Last winter, their event was hosted at Castlemont High School, and paid tribute to Michael Franklin, Castlemont’s star basketball forward who lost his life in a double-homicide on Edes and 90th Avenue in 2018. They dubbed the school, whose mascot is the knight, “Mike’s Knight’s.”

Published

2 years ago

June 8, 2022

Oakland Post

The Allums Family (left to right): Jairee Allums, Maria Allums, Jacari Allums (Yellow T), Daryle Allums and Amour Allums

By Tanya Dennis

Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) is sponsoring a second round of Town Nights events beginning June 16 throughout the city of Oakland to support community and family-oriented activities in areas that have been identified as hot spots for violence. Town Nights’ successful outreach began last November, kicked off with free turkey dinner giveaways, basketball tournaments, COVID-19 services and much more.

The mission of the DVP is to decrease violence in specific communities that have been identified as hot spots in Oakland. The events are hosted by grassroots community organizations.

Adamika Village founder Daryle Allums explains why their Town Nights event at Sunnyside Park is unique and different. “Adamika Village is a victim-led organization, so everything we do is in honor of loved ones lost to violence or to honor their families,” Allums said. Last winter, their event was hosted at Castlemont High School, and paid tribute to Michael Franklin, Castlemont’s star basketball forward who lost his life in a double-homicide on Edes and 90^th Avenue in 2018. They dubbed the school, whose mascot is the knight, “Mike’s Knight’s.”

This year, Allums says, “I chose Bernice Carter Park, also known as Sunnyside Park, because this is the place I sold my first piece of crack. I’m back to build up what I destroyed and tore down.”

Allums has orchestrated beautification and restoration of Sunnyside Park in anticipation of the four weeks of activities. “We’re replacing basketball rims, weeding the community garden that now has weeds 8 feet high, we’re painting over graffiti, and giving stipends to the community to assist us [in cleaning] out the sand box on the 15^th [of June] from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. I’m going back to my community to clean it up because I left a toxic residue,” Allums said.

The Sunnyside Park Town Nights event is unique from the others, Allums says, because they plan to give away cash money and prizes. “We are asking people to dress in African attire, and we’re giving away free dashikis to the first twenty people that come.”

Each night will begin with what Allums terms the “African Way,” with a blessing of the park and activities with libation, African dancers and drummers. Games and activities will feature the city’s biggest obstacle course for “Wipe Out” with Whipple balls and water guns, with one winner walking away with a $100 prize. Double Dutch, dance contests and a DJ challenge are other activities participants can look forward to. Red, black and green liberation peace flags will be mounted at each corner of the park and Adamika Villages’ Credible Messengers will patrol for safety.

The main attraction of each Town Nights event will be a basketball tournament with people bringing their five-on-five team for a chance to win $1,000, winner take all. Free food will be provided by Amazing Bar Be Cue, a group comprising mothers and fathers that have lost their children to community violence. Town Nights are from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. and will be hosted four consecutive Fridays, June 17, June 24, July 1 and July 8.

Allums, in reflection, shared that, “at Town Nights, we honor our lost loved ones. Last year it was Michael Franklin. This year, Evry Season Town Nights is in honor of my son, Keandre Allums. Sunnyside Park is where he grew up at, this was his safe place because everybody knew him. He was little D.”

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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

7 hours 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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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

18 hours 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.”

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WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

2 days 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.