Support for Oscar Grant’s family

January 10, 3:19 PMRace & Justice ExaminerNikki Jones

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Family and friends of Oscar Grant during attorney's press conference

The Oakland-based Ella Baker Center for Human Rights released an email update on the pursuit of justice in the wake of Oscar Grant’s death.  Included in the email was a statement on the recent violence that followed a day of mostly peaceful protests:

Several Ella Baker Center staff members -- and many of you -- attended the January 7th rally at the Fruitvale BART Station. We were joined by hundreds of other activists from all over the Bay Area, a crowd that mirrored the incredible diversity of our region. Youth read poetry inspired not only by their pain, but also by their hope for justice; elected officials stood with the community; activists led chants and local performers shared their souls through song. It was a sight to behold.

As you may have heard, some people then led a march from Fruitvale to the Lake Merritt BART station. While most of the march was peaceful -- and at times even beautiful -- a small number of participants succumbed to their overwhelming anger, rooted in a long history of police misconduct and lack of accountability, and lashed out with inexcusable behavior. The Ella Baker Center believes the fight for justice must sometimes be taken to the streets, and does not condone vandalism or the destruction of property while speaking truth to power.
   

-- Jakada Imani, The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (email 1/10/09)

The Ella Baker Center, which was founded in 1996 by Van Jones, is calling for a “thorough, independent investigation into the training, supervision, and arrest procedures of BART police” and “a full criminal investigation to be conducted by the State Department of Justice of all officers involved in the shooting that evening.”

The Center is also supporting legislation to create a civilian oversight board for BART police.

Donations for Oscar Grant’s family can be sent to Wanda Johnson, the mother of Oscar grant, c/o Ella Baker Center at 344 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609.