To Fix Past Wrongs, History Holds the Truth; We Hold the Power

Paul Cobb | Publisher, the Oakland Post

In the last edition of the Impact Alameda Resource Guide, we began by taking a look at how our government — at the federal and state levels — orchestrated the War on Drugs through a series of policies over decades that were detrimental to Black Americans. In it, we featured minority entrepreneurs who are trying to get a foothold, with some help from the State of California, in the once illegal but now promising and profitable legal cannabis business here in Alameda County.

For this edition, we take a look at another side of the story, community-based organizations dedicated to repairing some of the social, psychological and financial harm the War on Drugs had on our families.

Across Alameda County, there are a number of organizations that are committing their hearts, hands and money to save the lives of people impacted by the War on Drugs and get them back on their feet.

We have more than an opportunity as Americans, Californians and Alameda County residents to come together and join hands to address past injustices by implementing policies, taking action and correcting historical wrongs. This is our obligation and, collectively, we have the power to make an impact.

No matter what your racial, social or economic reality is, we are all Californians and Americans united by our pursuit of the things we think are best for this state and country. And we are equally bound by the failures of our past. Whether you are a new immigrant, or your ancestors have been here for centuries, as Americans we all collectively benefit from the prosperity of this country and state. We must also share the burden of our collective inheritance, a past that has at times been unjust and cruel.

We are no longer trying to prove the injustices African Americans have faced for centuries. The truth is well documented in our history. Its inescapable. It’s there for all of us to see.

We must know acknowledge it.

Avoiding hard truths for the sake of comfort or convenience will not erase them.

We must unite around correcting our historical wrongs as California and Alameda County have begun to do through programs that provide restorative justice for past wrongs like the War on Drugs that destroyed Black families and set our communities back by decades.

Our staff here at the Post News Group hopes you are as touched and inspired by these articles as we are encouraged when we witness the hard work and selflessness of so many organizations and individuals here in Alameda County.

Please share with family and friends as well. Not too many of us were unscathed by the harm of War on Drugs. We have relatives, friends, children, grandparents, cousins and neighbors who got caught up the vice and violence that characterized those painful decades in our country’s history.

We also hope you are inspired to make a difference in someone else’s life.