Black History

The Way West: Reparations Task Force Looks at Black Migration to California

During its third meeting, California’s Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans looked at reasons formerly enslaved Black people migrated to the Golden State — and detailed setbacks they faced after arriving.

Published

3 years ago

October 13, 2021

Christy Price

"Scott and Violet Arthur arrive with their family at Chicago's Polk Street Depot on Aug. 30, 1920, two months after their two sons were lynched in Paris, Texas. The picture has become an iconic symbol of the Great Migration. (Chicago History Museum)"[1]/ Wikimedia Commons

I was leaving the South

to fling myself into the unknown…

I was taking a part of the South

to transplant in alien soil,

to see if it could grow differently,

if it could drink of new and cool rains,

bend in strange winds,

respond to the warmth of other suns

and, perhaps, to bloom.

- Richard Wright, the author of Black Boy, 1945

During the period historians dub the “Great Migration”– which lasted from the early 1900s through the 1970s – approximately 6 million Black Americans relocated from Deep South states to Northern, Midwestern, Eastern and Western states. Significant numbers ended up in California, escaping Jim Crow laws and racial violence and seeking economic opportunity.

Isabel Wilkerson, author of “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, “described the movement as “a redistribution of Black people.”

“It was the only time in America’s history that American citizens had to flee the land of their birth just to be recognized as the citizens that they had always been,” Wilkerson said, pointing out that no other group of Americans has been displaced under similar conditions.

After President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the Reconstruction era began. It was a period of prosperity as some Blacks in different places began to establish businesses and communities; contest for (and win) political office; establish schools, and more.

But it was short-lived because of white backlash, Wilkerson said.

By the early 1900s, racist white Southerners began to terrorize freed Black people with cross burnings, and racial violence — and discriminate against them by instituting Jim Crow laws.

There was a spike in lynchings, and a sharecropping system that mirrored the conditions of slavery began to take form in the 11 former slaveholding states.

Under those policies, opportunities for Blacks were almost nonexistent.

After World War World I began in Europe in 1914, there was a shortage of labor. Factories started luring Black people North to fill vacancies. By 1919, an estimated 1 million Southern Blacks had departed for the North.

By the 1930s, the Great Depression had slowed Black migration. But the revival of the exodus from the South, a period historians call the “Second Great Migration,” started around 1939.

This time around, California was a major destination.

As Black people left the South, Wilkerson said, they “followed three, beautifully predictable streams — pathways to freedom.” The first two led to Eastern and Midwestern states. The “West Coast stream,” Wilkerson told the task force, “carried people from Louisiana and Texas out to California and the entire West Coast.”

World War II created an expansion of the country’s defense industry, according to the Southern California public television network,. During this time, more jobs were available to African Americans. California cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland began to see an influx of Black people.

According to KCET, a Southern California public television network, the Black population in Los Angeles grew from 63,700 in the 1940s to 763,000 in 1970. The migration was largely fueled by job openings in industries manufacturing automobiles, rubber, and steel. The presence of Blacks became evident along Central Avenue between 8th and 20th streets in California’s largest city.

“(Black southerners) were recruited to the North and West to fill labor shortages in the steel mills, factories and shipyards,” Wilkerson said. “It turned out that they wanted the labor but did not want the people.”

The response to the Great Migration was “structural barriers of exclusion,” Wilkerson said. Restrictive covenants required white property owners to agree not to sell to Black people and many areas in large and mid-range cities were redlined to deny services to Blacks.

“By law and by policies, parents, grandparents or great-grandparents of almost every African American alive today (were denied) the greatest source of wealth in this country: homeownership, the American Dream itself,” Wilkerson said.

“With all the testimony I’ve heard, I don’t see how any person of conscience, character and civility could not understand that the facts have been given,” said Task Force vice-chair, the Rev. Amos Brown, pastor of Third Baptist Church in San Francisco and president of that city’s NAACP branch.

The purpose of the nine-member task force is to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans and recommend appropriate ways to educate the Californians about the task force’s findings.

Sanctioned from 1619 to 1865, legalized slavery in the United States deprived more than 4 million Africans and their descendants of citizenship rights and economic opportunity. After it was abolished, government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels perpetuated, condoned, and often profited from practices that disadvantaged African Americans and excluded them from participation in society.

“On those sugar, rice, and tobacco fields (in the deep south) were opera singers, jazz musicians, novelists, surgeons, attorneys, professors, accountants, and legislators,” Wilkerson said. “How do we know that? Because that is what they and their children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren have often chosen to become.”

Wilkerson first gained national attention in 1994, when she became the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing in 1994, while employed as Chicago Bureau Chief of The New York Times.

Wilkerson’s parents are both from Southern states, but they stayed in Wash., D.C., where she was born, after meeting at Howard University. It was her parents’ migration northward, she says, that inspired her research on an era that helped to shape the country’s current demographics.

“Slavery has lasted so long that it will not be until next year, 2022, that the United States would have been a free and independent nation for as long as slavery lasted on this soil,” she said.

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Activism

Living His Legacy: The Late Oscar Wright’s “Village” Vows to Inherit Activist’s Commitment to Education

Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO), a nonprofit organization that works to improve educational and life outcomes for Black boys and men, stated that “Oscar Wright is one of the most prolific, consistent, and committed advocates of equity for Black students and Black Families here in Oakland for the past six decades.”

Published

18 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oscar Carl Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was still involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Activists mourning Oscar Carl Wright’s death, have pledged to continue his lifelong mission of advocating for Black students and families in Northern California.

Wright, 101, who passed away on Nov. 18, was involved in Oakland’s educational affairs until his death.

Now, friends and admirers acknowledge that carrying on his legacy means doubling down on the unfinished work that Wright dedicated his life, time, and resources to, according to Y’Anad Burrell, a family friend and founder of San Francisco-based Glass House Communications (GHC).

“Mr. Wright did a lot of work around equity, specifically, for Black students based on their needs — whether it was tutoring, passing classes, or graduating,” Burrell said.

Wright became a champion for his children’s education, recognizing the disparities between their school experiences and his own upbringing in the Mississippi Delta.

Burrell told California Black Media (CBM) that the crisis of unequal access to resources and a quality education continues to affect the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD).

According to Oakland Reach, in the city of Oakland, only 3 in 10 Black and Brown students are reading at or above grade level. In addition, only 1 in 10 are doing math at or above grade level.

Oakland REACH is a parent-run, parent-led organization. It aims to empowers families from the most underserved communities to demand high-quality schools for their children.

Wright’s work as an activist had impact across the state but he was primarily known in the Bay Area. Alongside the Black United Front for Educational Reform (BUFER), he filed a complaint against OUSD for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 2000, the OUSD school board proposed an action plan to address educational inequity, but it was never implemented.

Wright later founded the African American Honor Roll Celebration at Acts Full Gospel Church, an award that recognizes Black students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.  Each year, more than 1,000 students are honored at this ceremony.

Burrell said that one of the main reasons Wright’s work was so essential for families and children in Oakland that is the direct relationship between acquiring a quality education and affording quality housing, maintaining food security, achieving mental wellness, and securing stable employment.

Wright was the child of sharecroppers from Coahoma County, Mississippi. He attended Alcorn State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

In the late 1950s, Wright and his family relocated to the Bay Area where he worked as a contractor and civil engineer. He later became an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Burrell said the people who will carry on Wright’s work are part of a “village” that includes KOO’s CEO Chris Chatmon.  Wright was a mentor to Chatmon.

“It will not be one entity, one person, or one organization that picks up the baton because it was a village effort that worked alongside Mr. Wright for all these years,” Burrell said.

Burell says that legacy will live on.

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Activism

Celebrating East Bay Leaders Keith Carson and Federal Glover at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle

Several leaders were in attendance including fellow Alameda Supervisors Elisa Marquez and Lena Tam, Superior Court judge-elect Terry Wiley, and African American Sports and Entertainment Group’s founder Ray Bobbitt, along with many other guests.

Published

18 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Keith Carson, John Gioia, Federal Glover, Nate Miley Left to Right.

By Magaly Muñoz

After decades of public service in the East Bay, community members and leaders came together to celebrate Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson and Contra Costa Supervisor Federal Glover at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle Thursday afternoon.

First elected in 1992, Carson has served District 5 for 24 years and announced his decision to step away from his seat earlier this year, just before the deadline to submit new candidate applications.

He dedicated his long career to bringing access to health care, addressing homelessness, lowering crime, improving business retention, and growing job opportunities in Alameda County.

Glover began his tenure as Contra Costa Supervisor in 2000 and previously served as mayor of Pittsburg in 1998. During his time as Supervisor, he supported initiatives on public transportation, created committees for public safety, and supported task forces on health.

“These two distinguished leaders have dedicated their lives to improving the lives of so many people across Alameda and Contra Costa (counties). Their work has touched every corner of the East Bay,” Alameda County Supervisor and President Nate Miley said.

Leaders from both counties spoke on the supervisors’ legacies and their dedicated years of service.

Contra Costa Supervisor John Gioia said that Glover was the type of person that grew with each challenge that crossed him, especially after he had major surgery in 2020. But Gioia said that the treatment did not deter Glover.

“He’s had tougher races for reelection than any member of our board that I can recall, and he’s always come back stronger than before,” Gioia said.

Sharing a county border, Gioia complimented Carson on his ability to sway leaders from both sides of the political aisle to listen on the issues affecting locals and residents across the nation.

Shannell Scales Preston, who is taking over Glover’s D5 seat in 2025, told event attendees that Glover was a mentor to her for many years. He often would call Preston after Pittsburg City Council meetings with remarks about her performance and how well she spoke up on certain issues.

With Glover spending years as the only Black elected official in local government, Preston would ask him how he managed to not feel lonely about the job. She then congratulated him on being the only supervisor in Contra Costa to have all Black mayors under his district in 2023.

Preston said he’s been a leader to many diverse groups and his tenure has seen leaders of all backgrounds, but particularly paving the way for Black leaders in predominantly white areas.

Miley, who has shared his entire 24-year tenure on the Alameda Board with Carson, tearfully wished the exiting supervisor luck and said he would miss him dearly.

Carson said that as we embark on a “dark time” for everyone across the nation and worldwide in 2025, it’s important to continue communicating and working with groups from all backgrounds because that is the only way things will get done.

“There have been many lonely nights, but then the sun comes out in the morning when you continue to think, ‘I can make a difference,’” Carson said.

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Activism

Through Two Programs, Shuja Helps Others Get a Second Chance at a First-Class Life

Damon Johnson, a peer counselor who serves as the executive director of Black Men Speak and Men and Women of Color will be affected by the state’s new rules. Living with a behavioral health condition, he is an advocate and a leader. Damon, best known as Shuja, was incarcerated for 34 years and today is advocating for the rights of persons with similar lived experience and for the survival of peer-led programs like the one he manages.

Published

19 hours ago

December 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Damon “Shuja” Johnson at an Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services Holiday Cultural Event for the Office of Peer Support Services. Courtesy photo.

By Melody Parker, Gloria Woodson, Jaleah Winn and Damon Shuja Johnson
Special to The Post

Under recently passed Proposition 1, California’s behavioral health services will be allocated $1 billion for services for the unhoused in 2026-27, Governor Gavin Newsom announced last summer.

Although some of the funds from the Mental Health Services Act were diverted to Proposition 1, individuals living with behavioral health conditions and housing challenges are maintaining hope for wellness and recovery.

Two days after his reentry to the community, Shuja began work as an outreach coordinator for Black Men Speak. Within a year, Shuja was promoted and later appointed to director after the loss of former Black Men Speak Executive Director Joe Anderson.

A native of North Oakland, Shuja was raised in an all-women household after his grandfather was murdered. Though dealing with his own grief, the loss caused Shuja to become the “man of the family.”

His grandmother’s nurturing helped him to overcome the trauma of his grandfather’s death which, “gave him a foundation as a child.” He recalls fond memories of his childhood, like riding a new bike he received for the holidays. “My friends and myself spent meaningful time together as children,” he said. “Together, we would build go-carts, climb trees, have rock fights and find worms, crabs and bees.”

But his trauma impacted his childhood and led to his being impacted by the system. Shuja grew up mostly in detention halls and prison.

Besides directing Black Men Speak! (BMS!)/Men and Women of Color (MWOC), he is also the director of a self-help center in Oakland. There, Shuja and the peer workers provide support to the unhoused. He coordinates a digital literacy program, co-facilitates trainings for peer support specialists, organizes a service animal resource, provides peer support and directs speakers’ bureaus.

BMS! and MWOC are programs increasing wellness and recovery by sharing stories of hope and journeys to meaningful living. Members have authored presentations and spoken to audiences on topics such as post-traumatic stress disorder, family, community violence, self-worth, spirituality, and mental health, alternative therapies, eight dimensions of wellness, reentry, single parenting and health.

The members have been featured nationally and locally, at trainings and conferences and throughout Alameda County Behavioral Health Care services. The organization has been in operation for over a decade.

It all began in 2009 and received nonprofit status in 2012. The group developed from Peers Organizing Community Change, formerly known as Pool of Consumer Champions (POCC), originally established as an all-men’s committee.

The committee co-founders Dewitt Buckingham and Darnell Livingston organized men with experience in the public mental health system for a speaker’s bureau. This was the consensus of the committee after a process facilitated by Katrina Killian, Steven Bucholtz, Sally Zinman and Jaleah Winn.

The committee and facilitators composed the following mission. The BMS!/MWOC mission is “to inform and enlighten the mental health community and the general public about issues concerning men and women of color suffering from mental health and substance abuse challenges, through storytelling thereby promoting ad increasing wellness, recovery, and freedom.”

Shuja has a vision and plans for the organization. “BMS!/MWOC will be sustained with the funding of $1.5 million for capacity building to hire people to pay salaries for staff.”

Currently, BMS!/MWOC has volunteers assisting the programs. Funding will enable the enhancement, increase in self-help services and provide for outings and meals. “We want exposure as when adults and children have taken the free BART rides to go to places outside of Oakland that they never traveled,” Shuja said. “We want to go to Africa. More influential communities can travel, and we need the same opportunity.”

Despite several barriers that are facing Shuja and the organization, he is determined to fulfill the nonprofit’s mission. “There is money. Children wear $200 shoes. We want to teach financial literacy, not to be a slave but how to buy and how to keep. BMS! needs some rich friends and we also need friends who have know-how. We need support from private and public sectors.

“BMS! is one of the only Black organizations in ACBHCS. Today we have the SB 803, Peer Support Specialist bill that will enable us to bill Medicaid/Medi-Cal and only two full-time staff. We do not have the support of the community.”

Shuja is honored to be a participant in advocacy for legislation to improve the lives of peers and is not discouraged by changes to statewide policies. The current changes coming down the pike with Prop 1 are motivating him to work more diligently for the rights of behavioral health clients.

“This is about employment and empowerment and authenticity. The unhoused can be asked about hope and faith. I had to have faith and hope every day that I awakened in prison. I would have died in prison, but I had hope, faith and peer support and it manifested.

“My first reentry job is to go back to my family and save them and if this is repeated among families then we will have wellness and community. Kids raise themselves today. Today, grown folks cannot be in kids’ business. We want to do better. How can we bring back the good of the past?”

Today, the good of the past is coming back with the work of Black Men Speak! Men and Women Of Color. All support is welcome. Black Men Speak and Men and Women of Color welcome contributions and invitations to collaborate. In order to contact the program staff please reach out to 510-969-5086 or shuja@blackmenspeak.org.