Featured

Faith Confronts Economic Reality in Fate of Jahi McMath

Published

11 years ago

January 9, 2014

For many families of color who do not have deep pockets and friends and families in high places, interactions with police, the judicial system and even the hospitals are often problematic – even at their best.

Instead, people rely on their faith, their belief that God, not money and not officials or experts, makes the ultimate decisions that determine everyone’s lives.

People survive because they believe what others say is impossible is often possible.

The actions of Nailah Winkfield, mother of 13-year-old Jahi McMath, represent this truth. They fought for their daughter all her life, and they continue to fight for her because they rely on their faith.

Jahi underwent tonsil surgery at Children’s Hospital in Oakland on Dec. 9 and soon after experienced complications and went into cardiac arrest.

Three days later, on Dec. 12^th, the hospital declared she was brain dead.

An Alameda County Superior Court Judge allowed numerous outside doctors to conduct tests, and all came to the same conclusion that Jahi could not breathe on her own and all brain activity had ceased.

Therefore, she was legally dead.

This is where the ethical debate begins. Though her heart is still beating, the declaration of brain death made it a coroner’s case, supporting Children’s Hospital stance that the young girl should be removed from the ventilator.

The family of Jahi did not accept the verdict of those who were responsible for their daughter’s condition and prays that with proper nutrition and time, she might possibly recover.

The battle between Children’s Hospital and Jahi’s family intensified because of Winkfield’s faith and unwillingness to pull the plug.

Sam Singer, spokesperson for the hospital, said, “No amount of hope, prayer or medical procedures will bring her back.”

But the questions remain: Can a hospital infringe on someone’s religious beliefs if they do not accept a medical decision? What is a hospital’s responsibility to confer and attempt to reach consensus with the family?

And why was the hospital in such a hurry to pull the plug?

Some of these questions were raised by Oakland, Civil Rights Attorney John Burris, speaking Tuesday at a forum called “Race Matters” sponsored by the Oakland Unified School District.

Having dealt with a similar situation in his own life, Burris said he understands what the family of Jahi McMath is going through.

He said the family was not properly advised and that the hospital was probably “quick” to end Jahi’s life without working closely with the family.

According to Burris, at least part of the driving force behind ending Jahi’s life support so quickly is “economics.”

If a child dies from medical malpractice, the hospital is limited to a maximum payout of $250,000, he said, but if the child were to live and needed continuing care, the cost to the hospital potentially could be unlimited.

The hospital’s position in essence, he said, is that, “You can have your religious belief, but you can’t make us pay for it.”

Further, the hospital’s perceived insensitivity to Jahi’s family has become a major issue among many in the community.

Chas Jackson is a former after school instructor teacher at the school Jahi attended and said he noticed the hospital’s defensiveness when the family did not accept the hospital’s decision.

It was as if the hospital administrators “threw up their hands” and tried to remove themselves from the situation, Jackson said.

“It came off as tacky and tasteless on Children’s Hospital’s part, and only damaged my shining image of their establishment,” he said.

Children’s Hospital seemed to be more worried about a pending lawsuit than the fate of Jahi and the grief of her family, he added.

Christopher Dolan, the family’s attorney, says Jahi’s body is in very bad shape and is deteriorating. Medical experts say this commonly occurs in brain dead patients.

However, Winkfield has said that as long as Jahi’s heart is beating she is alive, and the family will continue to fight.

“God has the final say, not the doctors,” she said.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

‘The Beacon Deacon’: Watts-Andrews Takes Kids From the Streets to the Stage

Don't Miss

Amiri Baraka, 79, Author and Activist

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

7 days ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”