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Oakland Rallies for Sonya Massey, Police Slaying Victim

When Sonya Massey was killed by police in Illinois last month, her death prompted outrage, grief, and terror across the nation. Oakland responded with not one, but three rallies held during the last week of July. Massey met an unfair and unjust death on July 6 near Springfield, Illinois. Fearing a possible intruder in her home, Massey had called 911 for help. In the ensuing exchange, Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson shot and killed her.

Published

10 months ago

August 19, 2024

Oakland Post

People place flowers and other items on the altar for Sonya Massey in front of the mural of police victim Breonna Taylor at 15thand Broadway at the Anti Police Terror Project’s response to a national call for action on July 28. Photo by Daisha Williams.

COMMENTARY

By Daisha Williams

Massey met an unfair and unjust death on July 6 near Springfield, Illinois. Fearing a possible intruder in her home, Massey had called 911 for help. In the ensuing exchange, Sangamon County Deputy Sean Grayson shot and killed her.

Massey was a 36-year-old Black woman, a mother, and a person suffering from a mental health crisis. She was exactly the type of person that communities should support, not destroy.

The In Our Names Network issued a national call to action for Sunday July 28. On this day, cities across the country rallied in Massey’s name. Oakland has never been quiet when it comes to police brutality, and this was no different.

In Oakland, the Anti Police Terror Project (APTP) held a vigil in response to this call. People gathered in Downtown Oakland in front of the mural of police victim Breonna Taylor on 15th Street and Broadway. People were quiet, somber as they gathered. APTP provided supplies for people to write notes to place on the altar. Cat Brooks, co-founder of APTP, shared powerful testimony.

She detailed the horrendous situation while driving home the fact that Massey had done nothing at all. At no point had Massey been threatening, Brooks said, she was only asking for help. Brooks revealed that even after 15 years of organizing for people lost under similar circumstances, this situation hit her a little harder.

After speaking, Brooks performed libations, a ritual intended to invite ancestral spirits into a space. People called out the names of dozens of activists, children, and family that our communities have lost.

From the Breonna Taylor mural the group walked to Oscar Grant Plaza while chanting ‘Say Her Name.’ At the plaza, Brooks called up a number of speakers to the mic, including Oscar Grant’s mother, father, and uncle. After the speakers were done, they transitioned into an open mic segment, inviting anyone who felt moved to speak.

The APTP vigil was an incredible demonstration of community support. There was an ASL interpreter present to ensure that the space was accessible for everyone. There were healing justice coordinators there to support as well.

People from every race and background were present, including many people wearing keffiyehs, a Palestinian scarf symbolizing resistance. There were people of all ages, children there with their grandparents. This felt like a group made up of every part of the community.

The next day, Monday July 29, the second rally for Massey occurred at Lake Merritt Amphitheater from 6-8 pm.

After a short statement from one of the unnamed organizers, and a ceremony performed by Awon Ohun Omnira (Voices of Freedom), the remainder of the event prioritized the voices of the community. Most of those people were not polished speakers, they were regular community members sharing how Massey’s killing had affected them.

This grassroots event felt more raw, shining a light on the ways that brutality ripples through our community. When one Black person is murdered, that pain is shared with the community. It showed the unique ways that we are all affected, but also the similarities, the common fear, grief, and anger.

Jumia, one of the organizers said that “It healed something in me but opened something up at the same time.” I think that describes how many people at this vigil were feeling.

Black women take on a lot of this pain, especially because they often carry the burden of consoling the community as well as themselves while trying to keep themselves safe in a world that is unsafe.

Later last week on Friday, Aug. 2, the third vigil held to honor Massey was held at Fruitvale Village in Oakland at 1 p.m. The event began with this writer, as the organizer of the event, sharing some words and performing libations.

I then called up some speakers including Nairobi Barnes, the 2023 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate and representatives from CURYJ. The event closed after holding space for an open mic section.

Three events in one week shows how much the murder of Sonya Massey affected the Black community. In the two weeks following her death a dozen more lives were lost to the hands of police brutality nationwide.

As long as this keeps happening, Oakland will keep chanting, filling the streets, screaming, and crying for lost brothers and sisters.

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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

15 hours 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.

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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

Published

3 days ago

May 30, 2025

Oakland Post

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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.”