Activism

Marin City Celebrates Juneteenth

Published

5 years ago

June 25, 2020

A Juneteenth Festival was held June 19 at the Rocky Graham Park in Marin City. The event was organized by community members and was attended by over 200 people, many of whom were wearing masks and practicing social-distancing.

Brittney Burton, whose grandmother is Alberta Roary, challenged the audience to all to come together in unity to be aware of what is happening in their community. She says that her generation and age group is the force for change and equality and that it’s time for them to step up and become more involved. “Let’s continue coming together to fight for change, equality and justice for all,” said Burton.

Ayana Morgan-Woodard, a recent graduate of Tuskegee University, mentioned a few basic things that Black people need: partnership, police reform, justice, education and health care systems, reparations, economic inclusion, environmental justice, job opportunities and peace.

After a break to visit the vendors, several people spoke and shared their poems.

Alexis Wise, the director of Wise Girls, said that it overwhelms her heart to see people came out to support the event.

“I want you guys to know that it is not only going to take us, but it will take you to make some changes. Ultimately, my business is to change the Constitution. Because the Constitution was written when we were three-fourths of a human being. It was not meant for us, but my ultimate goal is to help change policy.”

Wise introduced her daughter, Lea Mixon, a 22-year-old who is currently attending California State University Northridge. Wise said that “Activism has always been in (Lea’s) heart. She is a community leader devoted to changing the world in any way she can, big or small. She has been a part of every community organization in Marin City, and is also a part of the Black Lives Matter movement at CSUN.”

Mixon took the stage to share her poem, and some of her reflections on the recent uprisings. “So much has been going on across this nation and this world that people don’t even understand the power that we have when we stand together. A couple of weeks ago, the whole of the United States protested on the same day, and the police officers that killed George Floyd were arrested. So, I realized that we need to understand that there is power in numbers,” Mixon said.

Godfrey Lee

Posts by Godfrey Lee

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 14 – 20, 2025

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

The Best Advice for Raising Children: Discipline That Makes Sense

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2025

Oakland Post

Headshot of Dr. William A. Thomas. Photo courtesy of Dr. William A. Thomas.

By William A. Thomas, Ph.D.

In many African societies, the primary aim of socialization is to raise children to be socially responsible and eventually provide economic support to their parents and extended families. Ghanaian philosopher Kwame Gyekye taught that children are raised to be respectful of the wishes of their parents and extended adult family members.

In his book Developing Positive Self Images and Discipline in Black Children, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu suggests that primary aims for socializing Black children should be: establishing goals related to God and the church; familiarizing children with religious texts like the Bible or Quran; educating them of Black culture like Khemetic (Egyptian) Civilization; enlightening them about Black leaders like Malcolm X and Sojourner Truth; and teaching them to strive to be employers, not employees.

Effective disciplinary strategies appropriate to a child’s age and development teach them to regulate their behavior; keep them from harm; enhance their cognitive, social, and emotional executive functioning skills; and reinforce the behavioral patterns taught by their parents and caregivers.

Below are some specific guidelines for disciplining children.

Listen to what children are talking about with interest and show them you understand their feelings. Remember, children mirror and learn about their emotional selves by hearing their feelings reflected back to them. Staying on target also means avoiding labels. When children fail to do what is expected, discussing it is helpful rather than saying how stubborn, lazy, dumb, or bad they are. By the same token, more positive labels can be helpful.

Dependability is another essential component of the discipline process. When parents are dependable, their children learn what to expect and are helped to feel secure. When parents are consistent, children learn to trust, that is, predict their parents’ behaviors with certainty. A child thinks, “When I spill something, I will always be asked to wipe it up.” A child thinks, “If I use foul language, I will always be corrected.” A child thinks, “If I take something that doesn’t belong to me, I will always have to give it back.” The ability to predict with certainty leads children to rely on their parents and the village/community in which they live. Children feel safe when they know what to expect.

Conclusions

It takes a village/community to raise the divine gift that is the Black child. Parents look to therapists for guidance concerning a variety of parenting issues, including discipline. Keep in mind that evidence suggests that corporal punishment is both ineffective in the long term and associated with cognitive and mental health disorders. When parents want guidance about the use of spanking, a child therapist can explore parental feelings, help them better define the goals of discipline, and offer specific behavior management strategies. In addition to providing appropriate education to families, the Bay Area Association of Black Psychologists (Bay ABPsi) can refer them to community resources, like parenting groups and classes.

About the Author

Dr. Thomas is a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice in the SF/Oakland Bay Area and Beaumont. He is a member of Bay ABPsi, a healing resource committed to providing the Post Newspaper readership with monthly discussions about critical issues in Black Mental Health. Readers are welcome to join us at our monthly chapter meetings every 3^rd Saturday via Zoom and contact us at bayareaabpsi@gmail.com.