Crime
Bay Area LGBT Community Proclaim “Black Lives Matter”
Carrying black and white signs, adorned with pink triangles, members of the Bay Area Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community took to the streets on Christmas Eve to make a point that Black lives matter, all Black lives.
The protests briefly blocked Highway 101 at the Octavia Boulevard entrance with nearly 100 protesters chanting and holding signs that read silence = violence. Police followed the march down Market Street towards the Castro District closely behind on foot.
Janetta Johnson, who is a transgender leader, says she joined the protest because if Black men’s lives don’t matter, Black Transgender lives are thought of as even less.
“In our society there is a hierarchy of class and privilege,” said Johnson. “There have been a lot of unsolved murders towards Black and Brown transgender women and it seems nobody really cares.”

Janetta Johnson says if Black men’s lives don’t matter, then Black Transgender lives are thought of as even less”.
“Transgenders are being attacked for solely being transgender and being put in jail for only being victimized and protecting themselves.”
The transgender community is afraid of the police, said, Johnson explaining that if she were ever attacked, she would not call the police to protect her. “For what? To be further victimized? I came out to be visible, to say our lives matter.”
Samson McCormick, popular standup comedian, writer and activist who is openly gay, said that issues related to race and the history of police brutality against minorities, particularly Black folks, have gone on too long and have not been confronted in a manner that leads to change.
“Nobody knows the anxiety that it feels to be a Black person and have to interact with a police officer. We (can’t) just sit around and twiddle our thumbs hoping for some magical change – we have to be visible,” he said.
There will be a San Francisco Black Lives Matter Community Building Symposium at SF City College (So. East Campus: Alex Pitcher room) at 1800 Oakdale Ave., Sunday, Jan. 4 from noon to 3 p.m.
Activism
Learning Life’s Lessons
Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.

“California’s three-strike laws gave me 2 life sentences for drug possession. After serving 28 years, mostly in solitary confinement, I am free to lead a movement to get the formerly incarcerated to give back.”
By Richard Johnson
I have written this book in hopes of being able to help others from not traveling down the path that leads to imprisonment or a cemetery. At the very beginning of writing this book, it began as a message to my son Fati Yero Gaidi, who was only two years old at the time that I was given two life sentences in prison for drug possession, under the newly implemented three-strikes-you-out law. The more that I wrote, the book began to evolve beyond its intended purpose for my son; it became something that any and everyone could utilize on their separate journeys through life challenges that we encounter. The book helped me put my thoughts, reasoning, perceptions, and views on display, while opening doors that, for the most part, were closed. The book can be purchased via Amazon. Learning life lessons.
About the Author
By Post staff
Richard “Razor” Johnson, 74, is a man whose life journey is marked by hard-earned wisdom, redemption, and an unshakable commitment to guiding the next generation. Once sentenced to life under California’s Three Strikes Law, he was released through what he calls nothing short of divine intervention. His time behind bars, particularly in Pelican Bay State Prison, gave him a new raw and unfiltered understanding of life’s hardest truths.
With the realization that time is precious and the future is shaped by the lessons we learn, Richard writes with urgency and purpose. His book—a 300-page labor of love—is dedicated to young men who may not have a father to teach them the meaning of life’s most important words. Through definitions filled with wisdom, experience, and deep personal insight, he offers direction to those who find themselves lost, just as he once was.
Since his release over five years ago, Richard has committed himself to making a difference, particularly by reaching out to women and families who lack the presence of a father or husband. He knows he cannot undo the years lost behind prison walls, but he is determined to use his past to build a better future for others. His story mirrors that of many who have walked a similar path. Yet, it remains uniquely his own – a testament to the power of change, resilience, and the belief that even from tragedy, something good can emerge.
His words are not just lessons; they are a call to action. He hopes that by investing in young minds with wisdom and insight, they will be better equipped to navigate life’s trials, learn from their mistakes, and find their path to success. Richard “Razor” Johnson writes not just to be heard, but to help – because he knows firsthand that sometimes guidance can make all the difference.
Post publishers Paul and Gay Cobb visited Johnson in San Quentin and attended his graduation while he was in prison. He became a columnist with the Post News Group and has continued his advocacy for the formerly incarcerated by urging them to “give something back”. Johnson says he will be speaking at prisons, colleges, and media outlets to help organize voter registration and community service projects.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025

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Activism
Oakland Post: Week of June 4 – 10, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 4-10, 2025

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