Activism

Opinion: Why Fund Empty Prisons Instead of Full Schools?

Published

4 years ago

October 31, 2019

Zach Norris

Zach Norris was one of the protesters arrested at the Oakland Unified School District board meeting on Oct 23.

While attending an Oakland school board meeting on Oct. 23, I was placed in handcuffs. This is only the latest attempt by the school board to silence the protests of parents and teachers regarding highly controversial school closures.

Things have clearly escalated. But I am committed to continue to speak out to ensure that OUSD hears from parents about ways to free up resources for all of our schools and keep public education in public control.

Thanks to chronic budget shortfalls, OUSD has closed 18 schools in the past 15 years — 16 of which served predominantly Black students. The students impacted by these school closures are the same ones at disproportionate risk of ending up in the juvenile justice system.

As the district closes school sites, state law mandates that charter schools have the first chance to use that site for a charter as opposed to, for example, leaving the site vacant or selling the property. So, when OUSD votes to shut down schools, it effectively votes to permit the further privatization of public education in Oakland at the expense of Black students.

Today, 30 percent of Oakland students are in charter schools, compared to 10 percent in neighboring districts like Berkeley and Hayward. As OUSD plans to close more schools, it pits parents from charters, small schools, and larger schools against each other as everyone tries to assure their children get a decent education at a school where classrooms have supplies and the teachers know their names.

Why should parents who want the same things for their kids be at odds? The answer to this question lies in California’s tax code and how our state budget is allocated.

From 1980 to 2000 after voters passed Proposition 13, California built 23 new prisons and just one new university, —prioritizing locking young people up rather than lifting them up.

Alameda County is now replicating this statewide failure with plans to spend $75 million to build a new probation camp for young people. The existing facility, Camp Sweeney, is virtually empty, holding only 15 young people. The new camp would house between 90 and 120 children.

By building a new probation camp while doing nothing to prevent the closure of Oakland schools, Alameda County officials are sending a clear message about how they value education in Oakland and how they value our children. Ultimately, they are setting children up for prison.

No matter how you feel about the current school closures, we can all agree that all students deserve equitable, adequately-resourced and expertly-staffed schools.

OUSD should put a moratorium on school closures and Alameda County should shelve its plans for prison expansion while we work together to get more resources for all of our schools.

One way to do this is by supporting the California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act, which will be on the state ballot in November 2020.

Certain OUSD decision makers may not value our children’s education, but my fellow parents and I do. We can come together to fight this prison expansion, and demand those resources be spent where they are needed: on educating our young people.

Zachary Norris is the executive director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, a native Oaklander, father, activist and organizer. He is the author of the upcoming “We Keep Us Safe,” a book that aims to replace the “us versus them” approach to criminal justice with a community driven, comprehensive way to reduce harm and increase safety for all.

Zach Norris

Posts by Zach Norris

Up Next

Unhoused Wood Street Residents Prepare for Vehicle Clearance

Don't Miss

Bulk Commodity Terminal Operator Agrees to “Oakland Protocol” Phase-in Plan to Ban Coal

Zach Norris

Click to comment

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.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

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

Posts by Oakland Post

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.