News

Community Joins Hands and Prayers to Remember Nia Wilson

Published

6 years ago

July 27, 2018

By Lauren Richardson and James Burch

An Oakland #SayHerName vigil was called Monday, July 23, by the Community Ready Corps (CRC) and the Anti Police-Terror Project (APTP) to honor the life of Nia Wilson, the 18-year-old African-American woman who was murdered at the MacArthur Street BART station in Oakland Sunday.

More than 1,000 community members gathered at the vigil at the MacArthur BART station to demand justice for Nia Wilson. A gathering of flowers, stuffed animals, candles, posters and balloons remains erected in her memory at the station.The event page for the vigil read:

“Nia is the second Black woman brutally murdered in the Bay Area over the last couple of days. We are inviting community to come hold space, light a candle and be together in our collective grief. We also know that we are each other’s best defense…We stand in solidarity with and in support of Nia’s family. We know who we are as a City. Let’s stand together in our love for each other and protection of each other.”

Many expressed concern about how to remain safe, and many were concerned that the murder may have been racially motivated.

“Now, I know we don’t know what the motivation was, but I can’t ignore the fact that for a year, we have been fighting back white fascists and Nazis from coming into our town,” Cat Brooks said as she opened the vigil. “And I can’t ignore the fact that a Black child was murdered by a white man. I will not stop talking about what happens to Black female bodies in this city.”

Police identified and later arrested John Lee Cowell, a 27-year-old white male with a documented history of violence and mental illness, for the murder.

The assailant also stabbed Wilson’s sister Latifah, who survived the incident.

Wilson, the youngest of six sisters and two brothers, was an Oakland High School graduate. She had plans to become a lawyer or maybe pursue another criminal-justice-related career. She also loved makeup and fashion and one day hoped to have her own cosmetics line.

Wilson’s murder comes in the wake of the murder of Kishana Harley, a Black mother of four who was found dead in her Richmond apartment last Friday.

News spread quickly Sunday night of the fatal stabbing at the MacArthur BART Station. BART officials began investigating the incident but did not release detailed information about the suspect until 12:35 p.m., Monday afternoon, at the BART Police Headquarters.

At the press conference, BART Police Chief, Carlos Rojas informed the public that the suspect had been identified as 27-year-old John Lee Cowell, a transient man with a violent criminal record.

Although the surveillance video was not released, Rojas described a “Prison styled attack” that lead to the injury of 26-year-old Latifah Wilson and the fatal attack on Nia Wilson.

Surveillance video shows the suspect also boarded the same train on the same car as the sisters. Rojas said that Cowell was “not acting erratic or animated” before the attack and had not had any interaction with the young women prior to the incident.

As the young women transferred trains at the MacArthur street station, Cowell is seen attacking both of the sisters from behind. Nia Wilson succumbed to her injuries on the MacArthur Station platform. Latifah, who was also stabbed in the neck, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Most of the riders on the train were unable to identify the suspect because the attack happened so fast. However, the video footage showed Cowell fleeing the scene through the BART parking lot where he changed clothes and discarded the weapon at a construction site before leaving BART premises.

After the release of the Cowell’s photo, a BART rider called in to report that the suspect was aboard a train leaving the Coliseum BART station. That train was intercepted at the MacArthur Street station, while protests were being held below, but Cowell escaped to another train.

Another tip was received from another BART rider led officers to Cowell on a train at the Pleasant Hill Station. Officers approached him and escorted him off of the train in an uneventful arrest.

Cowell, a felon with a violent record who was only released from prison four months ago, was scheduled to be arraigned at the Wiley M. Manuel Courthouse in Downtown Oakland on Wednesday, July 26. His arraignment on multiple charges was rescheduled for Aug. 22. He is represented by the public defender’s office.

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

5 days ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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#NNPA BlackPress

OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me

NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

Published

5 days ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.

A Familiar Disappointment

I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.

In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.

The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough

On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.

I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?

Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.

One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.

A Call for Action Beyond Words

White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.

If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.