Community

Wood Street Residents and Advocates Host Memorial for Those Who’ve Died While Homeless

Published

4 years ago

February 20, 2020

More than a dozen unhoused Oakland residents and housing justice advocates gathered on the afternoon of Feb. 15 just west of Wood and 24th Streets to memorialize unhoused local residents who’ve passed away.

While the memorial specifically focused on two people, Gary Rosenquist and Benjamin Choyce Jr, attendees also honored all local unhoused residents who’ve died recently, many of whom suffered premature death due to homelessness.

“We’re here today to honor the lives of two very important people,” said housing justice activist Dayton Andrews at the memorial. “But I think it’s important to be clear that Gary and Ben were not the only people to die in the last couple of months and they won’t be the last ones to die while homeless. We’re here to honor all those that we didn’t meet as well.”

In addition to Rosenquist and Choyce, at least three other unhoused Oakland residents have died so far in 2020. While Rosenquist lived to be 74, and Choyce was 58, two other residents died in their 40s and one died in his 60s. All five people, all men, died before the average age of death for males living in Alameda county, 79.

“Housing is so important to health that those without a home die decades younger than those with a home,” wrote Seiji Hayashi in a 2016 article for The Atlantic. Hayashi is a graduate of Harvard’s School of Public Health and is currently medical director of Mary’s Center, a community health center in Wash., D.C.

In an interview with The Oakland Post, Rosenquist’s wife, Martha, explained that Gary had been dealing with pneumonia and a broken bone when he passed away and that it was difficult to cope with his medical conditions well while homeless.

“It wouldn’t have been as intense and I think he would have still been alive,” said Martha, when The Oakland Post asked her if having stable housing would have helped Gary. She then emphasized how difficult it is to live in a safe, clean way while homeless and that she and Gary had no regular access to water.

Both Gary and Martha Rosenquist were about two weeks away from moving into a permanent housing complex set aside for veterans called Embark Apartments before Gary’s passing. But now that Gary, who was a veteran, has passed, Embark Apartments has so far prevented Martha from securing housing. She claims they’ve refused to let her sign a lease even though before Gary’s death, they clarified that family members of veterans were also allowed to live in their complex.

Homelessness causes additional burdens on those who wish to care for those who are sick, and also makes mourning more difficult for those who lose loved ones. Benjamin Choyce’s daughter, Ramona, would visit and care for him as he was suffering from cancer but eventually had to stop.

“When he was alive I would leave here, go to East Oakland, be with my Dad, help him and see what he needed” said Ramona during the memorial to the crowd. She then said that her visits stopped after The City of Oakland towed her vehicle that she’d been using both to live in and for transportation in late September, 2019. After that she wasn’t able to visit anymore.

“They took me from my Dad. When he died I wasn’t there,” said Ramona.

Unhoused residents and housing justice advocates set up a garden, which they’ve called “Gary’s Garden,” that will serve as a memorial both to Gary and all unhoused people who suffer from premature death.

As the memorial observance wound down, people watered the garden and spoke fondly of both Gary and Benjamin.

“My father was outgoing and he didn’t judge. He was fun. He loved his music,” Ramona said.

“Gary was always for the underdog. He was always helping someone else. He had a good heart,” said Martha, as a song by Prince played.

Like Benjamin, Gary was also passionate about music. He had owned a nightclub in downtown Oakland from the 1980s to the early ’90s called The Old Warehouse Cabaret that once hosted Prince and The Rolling Stones.

“He put his heart and soul into that place. It was a beautiful nightclub,” said Martha.

Zack Haber

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Activism

WOMEN IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Published

15 hours 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.

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

Vivian Coit, 98

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

Published

15 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Vivian Coit

Celebrating A Life Well Lived

Sept. 15, 1925 ~ March 30, 2024

Vivian Coit, a proud Dallas, Texas native made her way to the great state of California in 1943. She was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother.

In her 98 years, she had various jobs – San Francisco Naval Shipyard, elevator operator, housekeeping, a salesclerk, and supervisor for the United States Postal Service. After 27 years of service with the United States Postal Service, she retired with numerous commendations. She was a lifetime member of the National Council of Negro Women. and a devoted member of the Washington/Lincoln Alumni Association of Dallas, Texas.

On April 20 at 10:00 a.m., a life well-lived will be celebrated at Beebe Memorial Cathedral CME Church, 3900 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA under the leadership of Rev. Antoine Shyne.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Commentary

Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

Published

15 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!