East Oakland paying the price for cop killings one year on

Jennifer Inez Ward Tue, 23 Mar at 3:42pm
East Oakland continues to deal with fallout from cop killings

East Oakland continues to deal with fallout from cop killings

Today, as we mark the anniversary of four police officers gunned down in Oakland, let us also show support for the community where that tragedy took place.

East Oakland is where Lovelle Mixon killed those police officers, and that long-suffering district continues to pay the price for those deaths.

Many East Oakland residents openly supported police during and after the tragedy. But, almost immediately following the shootings, fingers pointed at the community as if it was responsible for the rampage.

Afterward, no one from the city really went to bat for East Oakland or went public to diffuse tension between police and citizens. Instead, for months, East Oakland was swarmed Oakland police patrol vehicles coasting up and down streets and parked quietly on corners, ratcheting up tension even higher.

Even to this day, some voices in the media blame East Oakland and label it a place that nurtures criminals, where cops are one car stop from death.

It is true some folks, not necessarily East Oakland residents, celebrated the killer Mixon, and justified his homicidal rampage as a payback for police brutality in the city.

Those voices came from a small crowd. The majority of the community and city never felt Mixon, a career criminal, was a hero. But you’d never know that from the intense media coverage the pro-Mixon folks received.

The furor against East Oakland came at a time when the area was still reeling from the Oscar Grant murder in January 2009 at the Fruitvale BART station. It was one more burden to bear for an area that carries the highest concentration of city murders, unemployment and other serious stresses.

Oakland Police Department Chief Anthony Batts had made improving community relations one of his goals. Starting in East Oakland today would be a great step.

 

Note: Read OL's analysis of the OPD report on the shootings.

About Jennifer Inez Ward
A writer and photographer, Jennifer Inez Ward has been documenting Oakland neighborhoods for more than 10 years. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, she focuses on the uniqueness and beauty of everyday life in a city that is too often overlooked for its treasures and pleasures. Throughout the years, Jennifer has had the honor of showcasing her work at a number of venues, including a permanent loan of images that are displayed on the front wall of Barnes and Nobel in Jack London Square. Jennifer is a featured artist documented in “Images of America: Black Artists in Oakland."
Wendy Snyder commented Array ago

This short, paltry article does little to enlighten readers looking for an analysis as to why the Mixon incident occurred in the first place and continues the criminalization of the impoverished and beseiged community of East Oakland.

I just attended a community forum at the Uhuru House in East Oakland where there was thoughtful, intelligent discussion about the police violence that has continued relentlessly ever since organizations like the Oakland Police Department were founded. 

I suggest that readers look to this video to start thinking more deeply about the role of the state historically as it relates to African people in this country. 

http://uhurunews.com/video/play?resource_name=the-state-the-background-behind-the-killing-of-lovelle-mixon-video

Anthony Batts was brought in to deepen this contradiction. He has openly stated his mission to carry out a war on "drugs, gangs, and guns."  Even the most ill informed liberal must be able to see the militarization of what is the social problem of poverty. Take it one step further and you can understand that this poverty has a history connected to slavery and ongoing colonialism. 

No the "community relations" will not improve, not until the people have justice and the African and other oppressed peoples can not get true justice under this system as it now stands. 

Let's look for deeper solutions but let's start by seeing from the perspective of the East Oakland community, especially the young people who are under seige by the Oakland Police Department, who see no economy, who suffer from the imposition of a drug economy not controlled by East Oakland but that benefits the white community. 

Read further. Get out of Rockridge and listen to the voices of the people who are suffering in Oakland. Support economic development, not a police solution. 

Join the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and embrace another vision of the future:

http://apscuhuru.org/usm/joinusm.xhtml

 

Susan Mernit commented Array ago

Wendy--as the writer of the Uhuru Solidarity blog and an organizer in that movement, I understand why you are urging people to join you, but for me personally, such calls to action have more resonance when they don't belittle another's view, and when the posters are clear in identifying themselves as organizers in a movement. Having said that, we will have a post by someome who attend a memorial meeting tonight about that event live by tomorrow.

Wendy Snyder commented Array ago

Thanks for commenting back. I am an organizer with the Uhuru Solidarity Movement and that is why I posted info about how people can join us.

I have nothing personal against the writer of the article. However, I tried to make a brief criticism of her article because I didn't think it shed any light on the matter. I appreciate that there is a discussion going on about the role of the police and of course want to people to join in the discussion having been informed by our views as well. 

I look forward to seeing a piece that shows the human face of Mixon and his family. They spoke at the Uhuru House on Sunday. "He was not a monster, " was again the quote from his sisters and cousins and their pain and outrage at the slander against their family and slander against their community remain. 

It would be wonderful if Oakland Local could cover the event tomorrow. It will address the Mixon incident in the context of the war here and wars abroad. 

Here is the link and yes, I am the organizer of this event:

http://uhurunews.com/event?resource_name=oakland-teach-in-stop-u-s-colonial-wars-here-and-abroad

Susan Mernit commented Array ago

Wendy, we did cover the memorial--Reginald James attended and wrote a piece for us that is more of an opinion/reflection piece than a news article, but that is very powerful. Here is the link to that story: http://oaklandlocal.com/blogs/2010/23/remembering-lovelle-mixon-community-voices