On January 30, Oakland Unified School District marked Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution by reflecting on the life and legacy of Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native and Castlemont High School graduate. The day honors Korematsu’s resistance to injustice during World War II and his continued advocacy for civil rights.
Korematsu was born in Oakland in 1919 to parents who operated a floral nursery. He faced discrimination when he was denied entry into the National Guard and Coast Guard because of his race. After losing his job as a welder following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Korematsu resisted Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced relocation of over 120,000 Japanese Americans.
He attempted to avoid internment by altering his appearance and using a false identity but was arrested in May 1942. With support from the American Civil Liberties Union, Korematsu challenged the government’s order in court. Although his conviction was upheld by lower courts and ultimately by the Supreme Court in 1944, decades later it was vacated by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. President Gerald Ford rescinded Executive Order 9066 in 1976, and President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 apologizing for internment and providing reparations to survivors.
Korematsu continued advocating for civil rights throughout his life. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton who said: “In the long history of our country’s constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls… To that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu.”
After September 11, 2001, Korematsu spoke against discrimination towards people of Middle Eastern descent.
Within Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), one elementary school is named after him—Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy (KDA) in East Oakland. In 2022, KDA commissioned a mural honoring Korematsu; more information about its creation can be found through KDOL TV.
Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler wrote: “I still remember, 40 years ago, when I was shackled and put in prison… Being an American citizen didn’t mean a thing.” She added: “Perhaps now more than ever his brave stance against injustice, his conviction to do what is right no matter the consequence and his commitment to using his voice to help others can serve as powerful reminders to us all. We too can take a stand, we too can use our voices.”
She also quoted Korematsu: “If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up.”
Dr. Saddler concluded: “I wish you a peaceful Fred Korematsu Day.”
