Early this morning, Oakland police officers killed a man who they say was attempting to "speed away from arrest with an officer in his car" downtown at 14th and Jefferson. The officer who killed the driver was placed "on routine paid administrative leave pending investigations by Oakland police and the Alameda County district attorney's office." The police had approached the car, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, because "the officer smelled marijuana."
The Uhuru Movement has always challenged the police violence against the African community throughout this country that is carried out under the guise of a "war on drugs" and a "war on crime." Although we don't have the details about the background of the man who was killed. It is highly likely that he was African. How many white people in Oakland are arrested for smelling like marijuana?
It is time now for us to have the courage in the white community to stop supporting and silently participating in this violence and stand up for economic development and justice for the African community!
Think of Casper Banjo, a 70 year old African man, famous in the Black Arts Movement, who was shot dead by OPD in front of his home while having an epileptic seizure in March of this year. Remember young Jose Luis Buenrostro Gonzalez who didn't have a chance, killed while only 16 years old near his home in East Oakland while on spring break from school. He had dreams of being an airplane mechanic. What about Jody Woodfox, whose two children will grow up without their father because Oakland Officer Hector Jimenez made the decision to shoot Woodfox in the back while he was running away? And what about Andrew Moppin, also killed while running AWAY from the same police officer who killed Woodfox and was shot dead on New Year's Eve of last year. He was a teenager.
This type of police violence is rampant against the African community through the U.S. Think of Sean Bell murdered on the night before his wedding by New York City cops. Just google "police shootings,"wrongful death" +police, "taser deaths," just to see how many African people have been brutalized or killed by the police.
The Uhuru Movement has been waging a campaign called Justice for Javon. Javon Dawson killed on June 7th of this year while attending a graduation party. Dawson was killed by St. Petersburg police officer Tom Nemeth, having just come from committing crimes against the Iraqi people through his military service in Iraq. On last week, August 11th, a Grand Jury under the State Attorney Bernie McCabe, acquitted Nemeth of all charges. The Uhuru Movement upped the ante and took the case to Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the form of a demonstration in Tallahassee. As a result of the pressure from the campaign, which includes family and friends of Javon Dawson, the governor has called for a review of the State Attorney's findings. This is the kind of campaign and action we need here in Oakland. Join the Uhuru Movement!
Come to our Uhuru Solidarity Movement rally to build the events with Diop Olugbala coming up on September 8th and 11th, "What About the Black Community, Obama?" this Monday, August 25th from 6 to 7:30pm at the Temescal Library Community Room at 5205 Telegraph Ave in Oakland. For more info, call Wendy at 510-295-7834
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Justice for Jody Woodfox!
I just posted a YouTube video with footage from the demonstration held a couple weeks ago to protest the killing of Jody Woodfox on July 25th by Oakland police officer Hector Jimenez. This police officer also killed Andrew Mopin, a 20 year old Native American man.
Both young men were pulled over in a traffic stop. Both men were running away from the police. In both instances, Jimenez thought the victim had a gun.
The conditions in the African and oppressed communities of Oakland are deplorable and the press and media just wants to cover the "takeover" robberies and the problem of "crime" in Oakland. Well the problem of crime is the problem of poverty!
The police run roughshod over the African and Mexican communities of East and West Oakland. Meanwhile, Rockridge, Temescal, Montclair, Grand Lake, other neighborhoods pretend that we can simply enjoy our lifestyles with the poverty that exists right night to us and we ask for more police to protect us from the crisis!
Come to a meeting on Monday to stand for economic development, not police containment of the African and Mexican communities in Oakland. We are building for two events with International Organizer, Diop Olugbala, who raised the question to Barack Obama on August 1st, "What About the Black Community?"
Our meeting on Monday, August 25th will be at 6pm at the Temescal Community Room at 5205 Telegraph Ave, Oakland.
Let's build solidarity with the African community struggle for justice!
Both young men were pulled over in a traffic stop. Both men were running away from the police. In both instances, Jimenez thought the victim had a gun.
The conditions in the African and oppressed communities of Oakland are deplorable and the press and media just wants to cover the "takeover" robberies and the problem of "crime" in Oakland. Well the problem of crime is the problem of poverty!
The police run roughshod over the African and Mexican communities of East and West Oakland. Meanwhile, Rockridge, Temescal, Montclair, Grand Lake, other neighborhoods pretend that we can simply enjoy our lifestyles with the poverty that exists right night to us and we ask for more police to protect us from the crisis!
Come to a meeting on Monday to stand for economic development, not police containment of the African and Mexican communities in Oakland. We are building for two events with International Organizer, Diop Olugbala, who raised the question to Barack Obama on August 1st, "What About the Black Community?"
Our meeting on Monday, August 25th will be at 6pm at the Temescal Community Room at 5205 Telegraph Ave, Oakland.
Let's build solidarity with the African community struggle for justice!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Uhuru Solidarity Movement Meeting on Mon, Aug 25th
"What about the Black community, Obama?"
Uhuru Solidarity Movement Event
Monday, August 25th, 6 to 7:30pm
Temescal Community Room, 5205 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
You saw the Uhuru Movement challenge Obama with "What about the Black community?" - the question heard around the world. Until the real truth about race in America is dealt with, there can be no peace and unity. Debunking the myth of "post-racial America".
Presenting video from the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, facts about Obama's backers and policy positions and what it will take to make social change.
Uhuru Solidarity Movement Event
Monday, August 25th, 6 to 7:30pm
Temescal Community Room, 5205 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
You saw the Uhuru Movement challenge Obama with "What about the Black community?" - the question heard around the world. Until the real truth about race in America is dealt with, there can be no peace and unity. Debunking the myth of "post-racial America".
Presenting video from the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, facts about Obama's backers and policy positions and what it will take to make social change.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
"What about the black community, Obama?" Uhuru Movement challenges Obama on unwillingness to speak to African community interests
from UhuruNews.com
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — On Friday, August 1, the Barack Obama presidential campaign hit a serious bump in a St. Petersburg, Florida town hall meeting as members of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) challenged Obama on his unwillingness to speak to the interests of the African community.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — On Friday, August 1, the Barack Obama presidential campaign hit a serious bump in a St. Petersburg, Florida town hall meeting as members of the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement (InPDUM) challenged Obama on his unwillingness to speak to the interests of the African community.
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