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New OC NAACP President Seeks More Black Teachers

PRECINCT REPORTER GROUP NEWS — In his new seat, he is ready to tackle some of the harder to reach places in higher education settings.

Published

6 years ago

February 28, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dianne Anderson

It may come as no surprise that the recently installed Orange County Branch NAACP President Dr. Fred C. Calhoun has his sights set on getting more African American representation of teachers into local school districts, colleges and universities.

In his new seat, he is ready to tackle some of the harder to reach places in higher education settings.

“I am excited and very fortunate to get the position, and that’s one of the things we want to be working on now,” he said.

Not long ago, Calhoun sent notices out to local community colleges and universities, explaining how the shrinking representation of Black educators and administrators is having a negative impact on Black students – and all students for that matter.

In attending functions at local high schools and colleges over the years, he said he still hardly ever comes in contact with Black staff or educators. It’s an ever-repeating pattern that he’s personally experienced throughout his own educational journey.

“I went all the way through the community college district and I never came in contact with a Black instructor until I went to UC Irvine,” he said. “I had no role models in these schools.”

This year, he has alerted one of the academic districts that they intend to march to protest if their isn’t a greater push to recruit more Black teachers. He said about 130 teachers or more retired in the North Orange County Community College District last year, which has opened up potential hiring opportunities.

Calhoun said the local branch NAACP would like to see stronger recruitment to get, and retain, African American teachers into some of those positions. To date, he’s not aware of an authentic effort on the part of colleges and universities.

“They might have it on paper, but I don’t think it’s actually happening,” he said.

Because Black teachers aren’t historically welcomed, they frequently leave for places where they can be supported, or promoted.

“They go to other districts that are a little more hospitable,” he said.

Since the late 1970s, Dr. Calhoun has served with the ACLU, the National Associaton for Equal Justice in America, and varying times on the NAACP-Orange County Branch board. He also led the fight to keep the Johnny Rebel confederate statute from being reinstalled that had stood tall in the quad area at Anaheim Savanna High School.

Calhoun also has a long history in education. He holds a doctorate in education from Nova University, and a master’s degree Community-Clinical Psychology from California State University, Long Beach. From the 1970’s, he served as Director, Student Educational Development Center/Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (SEDC/EOPS), and Dean of Student Services at Cypress College.

But much of his focus on education stems from his own upbringing.

He was born in Macon County, Georgia, where Martin Luther King Sr., was his mom’s Sunday School teacher.

Through his childhood, his great grandmother who cared for him had been a slave. He said his father figured prominently in the fight for equal education, having filed a school desegregation case in the 1950s that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

It was the first civil rights case for education desegregation filed in Atlanta.

Going forward, Calhoun is also looking to develop more partnerships to train prisoners and get them connected to education programs. He said he has met with representatives from UC Irvine that are doing similar types of outreach already.

In the past few weeks, membership has been growing significantly, and they’ve welcomed many people into the fold. Everyone is welcome to come in, attend, and join in the effort.

NAACP meetings are held the second Saturday of every month from 12:30-2:30 p.m. at Second Baptist Church, located at 4300 Westminster Avenue in Santa Ana.

The local branch NAACP is also ready to work with partners to address the need both inside the prison, and after they get out. He said they are in the process of reaching out to the employment office and talking about alliances with churches that are working within the prison system.

“I’m going to try to put together a conference so we can discuss this more,” he said.

The organization also hopes to reach younger students.

“We’re going to be working with youth, and offering scholarships for young kids in elementary school. We want to inspire them to go on in education,” he said.

For more information, or to join, see www.oc-naacp.com/

This article originally appeared in the Precinct Reporter Group News.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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May 30, 2025

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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

3 days 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.”