As grief and fear seize the country, Congresswoman Barbara Lee champions to take on the NRA (National Rifle Association), gun violence, racism, and President Donald Trump’s administration at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, CA on Tuesday, August 13.
Congresswoman Lee held a “Night of Healing” community gathering meant to give youth leaders and community partners a chance to speak out against gun violence and white supremacy. Lee is from Oakland but her hometown is El Paso, Texas where a recent mass shooting at a Walmart took place killing 22 people on August 3. Within the same week, mass shootings occurred in Dayton, Ohio killing 27 people on August 4, and in Gilroy, California where three people, including a 6-year-old, were killed at the Gilroy Garlic Festival on July 28. Two of the 3 mass shooters have been confirmed to have white supremacist ideology posted on their social media.
“Healing can only happen through truth-telling,” Lee said. “Tonight we come together to recommit ourselves to bold and progressive action to end this violence in America.”
Outlining a need to stop gun violence across the country, Lee emphasized the problems with domestic terrorism to worshipers, immigrants, and people of color as well as violence in homes and on the streets. She stressed the importance of letting the NRA know, “we are more powerful than they are.” The NRA has lobbied against gun reform for decades. Background checks and supporting a ban on assault rifles meant for war are a few gun reform legislations Lee wants to pass in congress.
Taking white supremacy, racism and hate speech head-on is also necessary for the stability of the future of the country according to Lee. Lee said domestic terrorism, white supremacy, racism, and gun violence create a toxic environment. If not recognized and defeated, the toxic environment will create a country that will no longer be recognizable.
“Our children deserve better,” she said. “Generational trauma and racism has continued today, leading to crimes against humanity on our borders.”
Hosted by social justice advocate John Jones III, other speakers included Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza, and youth leaders from MLK Freedom Center.
Photo by Michelle Snider
Garza spoke on a current movement of white nationalism that has given rise to domestic terrorism across the country. She said movements do not always go progressively forward. Movements also happen with people who want to take the nation back, in particular, she spoke of the radicalization of white men who believe that people of color are taking their place in the country.
“Let us be clear that what it will take to defeat hate is to show that we are unified in love,” Garza said. “We (Oakland) have shown the rest of the country how it gets done. That means lifting our voices. That means recommitting to standing together. That means showing what love in action can look like.”
This article was published in print for the Oakland Post.