Activism

Vice-Mayor Rebecca Kaplan Advocates for H.R. 7910 Following Oakland Youth Rally Demanding Gun Control

Oakland’s Vice-Mayor Rebecca Kaplan said her research has shown that “ghost guns” account for 30% of guns recovered in California. Although these guns function and cause harm like traditional guns, their manufacturers and retailers are largely unregulated.

Published

2 years ago

June 18, 2022

Oakland Post

Oakland’s Vice-Mayor Rebecca Kaplan

Oakland’s Vice-Mayor Rebecca Kaplan has asked her colleagues on the City Council to join her in uplifting the voices of Oakland youth leaders and the community to join with her to call on Congress to take immediate action to impose common-sense gun control laws. The Rules and Legislation Committee voted to approve the scheduling of Kaplan’s item for the July 5, 2022, City Council Meeting.

Kaplan’s resolution would declare the City of Oakland’s support of House Resolution 7910 (Nadler), the “Protecting Our Kids Act,” and calls upon the California Congressional Delegation to endorse the bill and advocate for its passage in Congress.

Kaplan said. “The City of Oakland has enacted some of the strongest firearms safety laws in California and has a compelling interest in protecting its residents from gun violence. However, Oakland’s strong gun violence prevention laws are being undermined by weak national and neighbor state gun laws, illegal gun trafficking, and ghost guns – firearms constructed with component parts that can be obtained anonymously and without a background check. When these firearms, ghost guns, are recovered at crime scenes, they cannot be traced due to the lack of a serial number. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).”

Kaplan said her research has shown that “ghost guns” account for 30% of guns recovered in California. Although these guns function and cause harm like traditional guns, their manufacturers and retailers are largely unregulated.

The ‘‘Protecting Our Kids Act’’ is a comprehensive federal bill that contains numerous measures focused on addressing gun violence, gun safety, responsible gun ownership, regulation of certain firearms and components, gun trafficking, and public safety. H.R. 7910 would employ a variety of strategies to effectively reduce gun violence across the country by:

Prohibiting the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to people under 21 years of age;
Prohibition on straw purchases of firearms;
Prohibition on gun trafficking;
Establishing a federal statutory framework to regulate ghost guns;
Establishing a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels;
Subjecting bump stocks to regulation under federal firearms laws;
Generally, prohibiting the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices; and
Requiring the Department of Justice to report on the demographic data of persons who are determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on a background check performed by the national instant criminal background check system.

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Calif. Anti-Sex Trafficking Advocates Discuss Competing Bills, Strategies

Advocates from across California are challenging state officials and community leaders to support legislation that provides resources and services for survivors and victims of human trafficking, as well as assistance as they transition back into civil society.  Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

Published

10 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Some of those advocates are also calling for more effective state policy to curtail trafficking, a crime that has an outsized impact on Black children, particularly girls.

According to the FBI, a report covering a two-year period found Black children accounted for 57% of all juvenile arrests for prostitution. In addition, 40% of sex trafficking victims were Black and 60% of those victims had been enrolled in the foster care system.

“It is time to hold the perpetrators who take advantage of our children accountable,” said the Rev. Shane Harris, a San Diego-based activist, former foster youth and founder of the Peoples Association of Justice Advocates, (PAJA), a national civil rights organization and policy think tank.

“It is time to send a thorough message that if you seek to buy a child for sex, you will pay the highest criminal penalties in this state,” added Harris who was speaking at a rally at the State Capitol earlier this month. Harris was speaking in support of Senate Bill 1414, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (D-Bakersfield), which calls for people who buy sex from minors to be punished with a felony. The punishment includes a two-year prison sentence and a $25,000 fine.

Harris said the PAJA is the only civil rights organization in the state that supports SB 1414.

Harris urged other Black-led groups who favor anti-trafficking legislation more focused on criminal justice reforms (as opposed to stiffer penalties), to “join the movement.”

Many of those civil rights groups fear that SB 1414 could lead to the incarceration of more Black youth.

Those sentiments were echoed in a panel discussion organized by Black women advocates on April 26 to examine the cause and effects of human trafficking in California’s Black communities. The virtual event was hosted by the Forgotten Children, Inc, a faith-based nonprofit that advocates for survivors and victims of human trafficking through anti-trafficking campaigns and initiatives.

Panelists shared the psychological impact of sexual exploitation on youth and children in the long term.

Author and educator Dr. Stephany Powell shared statistics and information revealing that African American women and girls are the most trafficked nationwide.

Powell, who serves as the senior advisor on law enforcement and policy at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said that national data indicates that sex trade survivors are disproportionately women of color. She stated that male survivors often go unnoticed because boys rarely report trafficked crimes.

Powell said that decriminalizing prostitution in California could increase human trafficking. She argued that Senate Bill 357, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), which was signed into law in 2022 and legalized loitering for prostitution, caused a surge in street-level prostitution.

Panelist and psychologist Dr. Gloria Morrow shared opposing views on decriminalizing prostitution. She said that decriminalizing prostitution could help survivors gain access to state resources and support.

Despite opposing views, Powell and Morrow agree that the Black community needs resources and educational programs to address human trafficking.

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Obituary: Social Justice Leader, the Rev. Cecil Williams, Passes at 94

On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family. He was 94 years old.

Published

11 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Oakland Post

The Rev. Cecil Williams, civil rights activist and social justice leader was the head pastor of San Francisco’s non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church.

By California Black Media

On April 22, community leader and social justice advocate Reverend Cecil Williams died at his home in San Francisco surrounded by his loved ones, according to his family.

He was 94 years old.

The reverend was a civil rights leader who advocated for the equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in the Bay Area.

Williams was the head pastor of the non-denominational GLIDE Memorial United Methodist Church. The church welcomed individuals from the queer community and people struggling with homelessness, housing instability and substance use disorder (SUD).

Through his work, Rev. Williams attracted national attention. Prominent political and cultural leaders such as Maya Angelou, Bono, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Clinton all attended church services at Glide.

Congressmember Barbara Lee (D-CA-12) said she is deeply saddened about the passing of her dear friend.

“The Reverend changed the lives of millions through radical love, support, inclusivity, and a commitment to service to the most marginalized,” Lee said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said that the reverend inspired people across California to embody the values of generosity and acceptance.

Rev. Williams was, “a visionary leader whose legendary compassion and love for his community transformed the lives of people from all walks of life,” Newsom said.

Rev. Williams served as the chief executive officer of the Glide Foundation until his retirement in 2023.