Berkeley

Supporters of Black Friday Protesters Demand That BART Drop All Charges

Published

10 years ago

January 23, 2015

Protesters who took over the West Oakland BART station and shut down the trains on Black Friday received an outpouring of support on Thursday as community members rallied outside the BART Board meeting demanding that the transit agency drop all charges against them.

The “Black Friday 14” protesters are facing misdemeanors and a $70,000 restitution fee for shutting down service at the West Oakland BART station for several hours on Nov. 28.

They chained themselves together to a train car handrail to disrupt “business as usual” on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Their action was in solidarity with Ferguson and New York, where Michael Brown and Eric Garner were killed at the hands of police officers. Both officers were not indicted in the deaths.

BART General Manager Grace Crunican has expressed an “interest in community service as an element of restitution,” as a possible way to drop the restitution penalty, according to a statement released by BART earlier this month.

However, the protesters attended the BART Board meeting Thursday to call on the directors to rescind the “ransom” and drop charges against them.

“BART needs to pick what side of justice they want to be on, the righteous side or the side that prosecutes students, women, farmers, people who contribute to the Oakland community for standing up and demanding that the war on Black lives comes to an end,” said Cat Brooks, one of the 14 protesters and co-chair of the Onyx Organizing Committee, speaking in an interview with the Oakland Post.

Many local organizations including the Third World Resistance Coalition are standing in solidarity with the Black Friday 14 and demanding that BART drop all charges.

Organizations like Movement Generation, Youth Together, and The BlackOut Collective took to social media to show their solidarity with the 14 charged protesters, posting photos of individuals and groups of people holding signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and “I Stand with the #BlackFriday14.”

The Berkeley City Council this week unanimously passed a resolution urging the BART Board of Directors to “withdraw their criminal complaint against the 14 protesters” and to “suspend the restitution.”

The resolution also notes that “most protesters who have disrupted traffic or public transit service have merely been cited and released or charged with minor infractions.” It says the prosecution BART is seeking on the Black Friday 14 “could have a chilling effect for those who wish to exercise their First Amendment Rights to free speech.”

Brooks says they’re going to “continue to engage the community around supporting the right to assemble and protest.”

The protesters are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 4. They are asking the community to come support them at the Alameda County Courthouse.

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Activism

Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

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April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

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Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

Published

1 month ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.

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Lawsuit Accuses UC Schools of Giving Preference to Black and Hispanic Students

The lawsuit also alleges UC is violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars racial discrimination by federally funded institutions. In response, UC stated that race is not a factor in admissions, as per state law, and that student demographic data is collected only for statistical purposes.

Published

2 months ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

A lawsuit filed in federal court accuses the University of California (UC) of racial discrimination in undergraduate admissions, alleging that Black and Latino students are favored over Asian American and white applicants. The lawsuit, filed by the group Students Against Racial Discrimination, claims UC’s admissions policies violate Proposition 209, a state law passed in 1996 that prohibits the consideration of race in public education.

In response, UC stated that race is not a factor in admissions, as per state law, and that student demographic data is collected only for statistical purposes.

Stett Holbrook, a spokesperson for the UC system, said the entity had not been served with the lawsuit.

“If served, we will vigorously defend our admission practices,” said Holbrook.

“We believe this to be a meritless suit that seeks to distract us from our mission to provide California students with a world-class education,” he said.

The complaint criticizes UC’s use of a “holistic” admissions process, arguing it replaces objective academic criteria with subjective considerations that disadvantage certain racial groups. It cites admission rate disparities at UC Berkeley, noting a decrease in Black student admissions from 13% in 2010 to 10% in 2023, compared to an overall drop from 21% to 12%.

The lawsuit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning affirmative action in college admissions, which has prompted challenges to race-conscious policies nationwide. The plaintiffs seek a court order preventing UC from collecting racial data in applications and request a federal monitor to oversee admissions decisions.