SAN JOSE —?The seventh annual commemoration of Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution will be held online on Sunday, Jan. 30.
11:30 a.m. (PT): Video messages and remarks by Prof. Renee Billingslea of Santa Clara University
12 p.m.: Live panel discussion on “Building Resilience in the Fight for Racial Justice: Learnng from the Past to Build a Better Future.” Panelists:
? Dr. Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu and founder of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute
? Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Johnny Cepeda Gogo, organizer of flag-signing project for Japanese American incarcerees
? Zahra Billoo, executive director of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), San Francisco Bay Area
? Adena Ishii (moderator), Santa Clara University School of Law
1:15 p.m.: Rebroadcast of video messages
One hour of MCLE credit provided by Asian Pacific American Bar Association-Silicon Valley
Register to attend: https://bit.ly/3Kb3Npo
Almost 80 years ago, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which resulted in the forced removal and incarceration of approximately 120,000 men, women and children because of their Japanese ancestry. Fred Korematsu, a young man from Northern California, fought against that injustice.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court, in a decision that was later acknowledged to be “gravely wrong,” upheld his conviction in 1944, his renewed legal challenge in the 1980s was a historic milestone in the fight for justice for all Americans, regardless of race or national origin.
Supporting organizations include Asian Law Alliance and Japanese American Museum of San Jose.