May 4, 2020

Dear Elected & Appointed Officials,

Two weeks ago, over 50 Black community leaders and dozens of our allies, reached out to you with our concerns for how COVID-19 is currently impacting Black people inequitably in Oakland and what the long-term consequences will be. We know that just in a week, Black people in Alameda County have become the most impacted group of people with regards to COVID-19 infections and deaths.

And yet, to date, with the exception of Councilmember Nikki Bas who has signed on to the demands, we have heard no response from you.

While any Oakland resident should expect a speedy response from its government officials, the list of signatories include some of Oakland's most visible activists, advocates, policy experts, medical officials and formerly elected persons.

We understand that there is a Racial Taskforce to pull together some kind of plan and we also understand that there is only one Black person on that Task Force.  There should be at least four Black people on this Taskforce and they should be chosen by the community, not appointed by the Mayor.

While remaining committed to all of the demands in The Black New Deal for Oakland, we are putting out four areas that we believe require immediate attention and resolution: 

Testing: The Mayor of Los Angeles has committed to free testing for all of its 10 million residents.  Oakland has 400,000 people.  We want free and immediate testing for all of Oakland; beginning with the Black residents in Oakland - and specifically beginning with the impacted zip codes that were released around East and West Oakland. These testing sites should also provide free masks and hand sanitizer for all who want them. And be equipped to do proper contact tracing so we can end this pandemic.

Housing: Every unhoused person in the City of Oakland needs to be sheltered immediately in hotels where they can quarantine safely and have their basic and medical needs met. FEMA will replace up to 75% of the funds necessary to make this happen so financial strain is not an arguable issue. Additionally, we need rent and mortgage forgiveness for Black renters and homeowners.

Incarceration: Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the Black community and the disproportionate number of Black people in jails; Black peoples incarcerated in Alameda County must be released immediately. Upon release, they must be tested, provided with medical care and housing and other necessary services.  Redirect the $106 million each year for three years asked for by Sheriff Ahern, as well as, the dollars asked for by Parole and Probation, to organizations providing vital services like housing, healthcare, public education, healthy foods, testing, community-lead safety systems and other essential needs to people coming home.

Education: As schools continue to engage in distance learning, the County, the City and the Oakland Unified School Board must work together to immediately provide internet access and computers to impoverished children who do not have this privilege. Failing to do so is reinforcing the already existing learning gaps and school to prison pipeline. The Governor called for a practice of social distancing when schools reopen. Class size reductions and additional classroom space will be needed to accommodate that safety protocol.  Therefore, to meet the additional space needs a moratorium on school closures and co-locations must occur in Oakland.

We, your constituents, expect an acknowledgement and  response from you within seven days of the receipt of this letter.  Our people’s lives are on the line.

While we need to move urgently on the four demands listed above, we remain committed to addressing all the demands we have raised in the near future.  They are here for your reference.

Signed,

Black Leadership:

Cat Brooks - Anti Police-Terror Project/Justice Teams Network

Carroll Fife - ACCE Action 

Tur-Ha Ak - Community READY Corps/Anti Police-Terror Project

Desley Brooks - Community Citizen

Harold Mayberry - Senior Pastor, First AME Church

Patrisse Cullors - Co-founder Black Lives Matter

BK Woodson - Faith in Action

Jackie Byers - Black Organizing Project 

Saabir Lockett 

Zach Norris - Ella Baker Center/Oakland Not For Sale

Mama Ayanna Davis - MXGM-Bay Area/Kongo Angola Kapoeira Institute Oakland

Keith Brown - Teacher/President OEA 

Derrick Muhammad - ILWU

Esther Goolsby

Ayodele Nzinga - BAMBD CDC/LBP, INC 

Dr. Noha Aboelata - ROOTS Clinic

Candice Elder - East Oakland Collective

Allyssa Victory - Afrikan Black Coalition

Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, OEA - Black Women’s Caucus 

James Burch - Anti Police-Terror Project/St. James Infirmary

Jakada Imani

John Jones III

Pastor Anthony Jenkins

Jahmese Myres - Oakland Resident

Kev Choice - Musician/Educator/Activist/Oakland Arts Commissioner/Recording Academy-SF Chapter Secretary 

Lateefah Simon

Melina Abdullah - Black Lives Matter Los Angeles

Black Lives Matter California

Gerald Lenoir - Other & Belonging Institute

Sonia Lewis - Sacramento for Black Lives

Asantewaa Boykin - APTP Sacramento

Nana Gyamfi - Black Alliance for Just Immigration

Kweli Tutashinda - Owner of Imhotep Chiropractic/Board Member of Brotherhood of Elders Network

Beatrice X

Uncle Bobby X

Young Women's Freedom Center

Peace Out Loud

Tonya Love - California Dem Party AD18 Delegate/2021 Alameda County Central Committee Member

Ethi Love - Oakland Resident

Ryan Nicole Austin

Eric Arnold - BAMBD CDC/CCED-Oakland

Marc Philpart - Alliance for Boys and Men of Color

Michael McAfee - PolicyLink President and CEO

Rasheed Shabazz - Habari Ummah

Allies

George Galvis - Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice

Annie Banks - Anti Police-Terror Project/Justice Teams Network

Daniela Kantorova - Healers for Abolition/Psychologists for Social Responsibility/Anti Police-Terror Project

Dan Siegel - Attorney, Siegel & Yee

Tony Douangviseth - Youth Together

POOR Magazine

National Brown Berets

Reverend Deb Avery

WeCopWatch

Anand Subramanian - PolicyLink

Neighbors for Racial Justice (N4RJ)

Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR)

Rebecca Kaplan, Council President, Oakland City Council

Nikki Fortunato Bas, Councilmember, Oakland City Council