Barbara Lee

Congresswomen Lee, Bass Bills to Probe COINTELPRO; Remove Hoover’s Name from FBI Building

Calling the FBI’s activities and methods under Hoover “government-sponsored harassment,” Cohen said “COINTELPRO was not just violent and illegal. What made it so pernicious is it undermined our Constitution and democracy.”

Published

3 years ago

July 16, 2021

Isabelle Price

J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building photo courtesy of California Black Media

California’s U.S. Congresswomen Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and Karen Bass (D-CA-37) are backing legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to remove former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s name from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Another bill they are supporting calls for probing the racially motivated counterintelligence programs that Hoover organized and oversaw known as COINTELPRO. Under Hoover’s watch, the FBI often relied on extra-legal tactics to accomplish its aims.

Last month, representatives Bobby L. Rush (D-IL-01), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) hosted a virtual forum focused on the activities of COINTELPRO. Several African Americans with direct knowledge of COINTELPRO programs testified, including 1960s activists Bobby Seale, Ericka Huggins. The widow of Fred Hampton, Akua Njeri, and their son Fred Hampton Jr. also testified.

COINTELPRO is the moniker used to describe a series of covert projects the FBI coordinated between 1956-1971. They were aimed at surveilling, infiltrating and disrupting several domestic political movements and individuals that the agency deemed subversive or critical of the United States. Targeted groups and individuals included the Communist Party USA, the Black Panther Party, the Nation of Islam, anti-Vietnam war organizers, feminist organizations and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The 2021 Oscar-nominated film “Judas and the Black Messiah” depicted the strategy COINTELPRO used to infiltrate the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, which led to the assassination of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton Sr.

The lawmakers hosting the virtual forum condemned the COINTELPRO programs and J. Edgar Hoover’s leadership over the operation and, more broadly, the FBI. Hoover was the first and founding director of the FBI and he ran the agency from 1935 until his death in 1972.

Hoover was also the head of the Bureau of Investigation, a government agency founded in 1924 and the forerunner to the FBI.

They are also calling for the uncovering of the still-classified history of COINTELPRO.

While the forum was mostly focused on testimonies, Lee stressed the need to learn about the past COINTELPRO operations in case similar efforts are used again in the future. She cited the FBI’s “Black identity extremism” report, which was written by the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Analysis Unit in 2017, and claimed that “perceptions of police brutality against African Americans” had spurred “an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement.” Lee criticized the idea of a “Black identity extremist,” saying that such a thing “did not exist.”

“This was another way for the FBI to surveil the Black community. So, we must be vigilant now, this briefing is so important, because we all have to understand what a COINTELPRO 2 looks like now,” Lee said.

Isabelle Price

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Activism

Surge of Support for Vote ‘No’ on Recall of Mayor Sheng Thao

Prominent local political leaders have issued strong statements urging voters to oppose the recalls, including Rep. Barbara Lee, State Senator Nancy Skinner, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, and Sandré R. Swanson, a former member of the California State Assembly (see their statements elsewhere in this issue of the newspaper).

Published

3 weeks ago

October 15, 2024

Oakland Post

Mayor Sheng Thao spoke Sunday, Oct. 6 at a campaign rally to reject the billionaire-backed recall on the Nov. 5 ballot. Photo courtesy of Oaklanders Defending Democracy.

By Post Staff

Since its official launch on Sunday, Oct. 6, the campaign to reject the recall of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has received a surge of support. Many local organizations with deep roots in Oakland and very prominent elected officials are getting the word out, saying Oakland is not for sale.

Oakland City Councilmember Carroll Fife also condemned the recalls. “The financial and morale cost of these recalls is more than our city can bear. In the face of a budget deficit, a $10-million-special election would be painful in more ways than one. Ten million (dollars) could go a long way to addressing some of the issues in Oakland people care about.”

Said William Fitzgerald, campaign spokesman of Oaklanders Defending Democracy, which opposes the mayor’s recall, “One rich guy in Piedmont thinks he could buy himself a mayor of Oakland. What we’re seeing this week is a tidal wave of support rejecting the premise that the ultra-wealthy can hijack the democratic process. The facts are clear: Mayor Sheng Thao has massively reduced crime in Oakland and is bringing business opportunities to the Town.”

Pastor Servant BK Woodson, a steering committee member of the “Respect Our Vote – No Recalls!” coalition, said, “It is entirely reasonable to fear the continuing accumulating of power into fewer and fewer hands. History is replete with examples of the despotism, destruction and harms that oligarchs, dictators and demigods bring into the lives of ordinary people.

“The privilege to struggle to make these United States of America a more perfect union has taken the form of this consequential election. In Alameda County we must reject the recalls and elect our forward-thinking and progressive candidates,” Pastor Woodson said.

Oakland Rising Action wrote on its website, “(The) recent recalls have been led by a small group of millionaires and conservatives, and their agenda is to undermine our democracy.”

The Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club wrote on its Facebook page, “Deny the Lies.”

“Crime increased during the pandemic, and Oakland and Alameda County were not spared. Both recalls have claimed otherwise and placed the blame on District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao, even while crime is on the decline,” the club wrote.

Other organizations opposing the recall of Thao include the Alameda County Democratic Party, SEIU 2021, Alameda Labor Council, Oakland Tenants Union, Nor Cal Carpenters, East Bay for Everyone, Local 21, Oakland Firefighters 55, eVolve California, National Union of Healthcare Workers, John George Democratic Club, Latine Young Democrats of the East Bay, APEN Action, Block by Block Organizing Network and East Bay Young Democrats.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Rep. Barbara Lee Hosts Roundtable on Public Safety, Congratulates AASEG on Oakland Coliseum Deal

Congresswoman Lee’s roundtable united community leaders across her district and strengthened relationships while fostering collaborative solutions to their common challenges. Attendees were city leaders from Alameda, Communities United Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), the Peralta Community College District, Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), Live Free USA, and numerous Oakland community and nonprofit leaders.

Published

3 months ago

August 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12), left, and Jonathan Paul Jones, African American Sport & Entertainment Group (AASEG). Photo by Conway Jones.

By Post Staff

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-12) hosted a transformative community roundtable at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on Ninth street. The gathering brought together leaders from various sectors to unite around a shared mission: to address public safety, gun violence prevention, and social justice in the East Bay.

By connecting leaders from across the East Bay, the roundtable facilitated meaningful dialogue on combating crime and promoting public safety. The event underscored a collective commitment to addressing violence and fostering social justice in the region. The event was hosted by Francis Lan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce (OCCC) and Carl Chan, president of Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation.

After the roundtable, Congresswoman Lee set up some time to talk to Jonathan Paul Jones from AASEG to congratulate them on the Coliseum deal and express her excitement saying “It’s a major deal and I am excited to see African Americans leading this deal. It’s been long overdue!”

The AASEG Coliseum purchase and development initiative has garnered support from leaders including OCCC and has inspired optimism about the potential for homegrown entrepreneurs and businesspeople to create opportunities and restore the community.

As the momentum for change builds, Oakland stands on the brink of a new era of community empowerment and revitalization. The city’s leaders and citizens are coming together, exemplified by initiatives like Congresswoman Lee’s roundtable and the efforts of AASEG.

It’s time for Oakland to rise above its challenges, embrace its potential, and become a beacon of hope and progress. With unity and determination, Oakland can transform its future and inspire communities everywhere.

Oakland Post

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Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Statement on 80th Anniversary of D-Day

Representative Barbara Lee (CA-12) released the following statement on the 80th anniversary of D-Day. “80 years ago, one of the largest invasions in historical warfare—and the start to the end of World War II—took place. Today, we look back to the over 2,400 American lives lost on the beaches of Normandy, remember their stories, and honor their immense bravery.

Published

5 months ago

June 13, 2024

Oakland Post

“D-Day will forever live on in history. May we honor their lives and all who have served by investing in veterans’ health care, economic security, and opportunity when they return home.”

Washington, D.C. – Representative Barbara Lee (CA-12) released the following statement on the 80^th anniversary of D-Day.

“80 years ago, one of the largest invasions in historical warfare—and the start to the end of World War II—took place. Today, we look back to the over 2,400 American lives lost on the beaches of Normandy, remember their stories, and honor their immense bravery.

“My father, Lt. Col. Garvin A. Tutt, was a Buffalo soldier in the 92^nd infantry, a racially segregated and Black-only division that was instrumental in the success of Normandy and the Allied advance. Today and every day, I think of him and all of the brave servicemembers who sacrificed for our country, even when our country didn’t love them back.

“D-Day will forever live on in history. May we honor their lives and all who have served by investing in veterans’ health care, economic security, and opportunity when they return home.”