Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, New York City January 30
Fred T. Korematsu Day, 2022
Sunday, January 30th, 2022 marks Fred T. Korematsu’s birthday and the 4th annual recognition of Fred T. Korematsu Day in New York City. Join us in honoring his legacy of protest against anti-Asian and state violence.
Learn about the history of having this day recognized in NYC from community organizer Mike Ishii. Enjoy performances from artists Kai Naima Williams and Taiyo Na. Hear words from federal judge Kiyo Matsumoto who, through the Asian American Bar Association of New York, has been part of a team that re-enacted trials involving Asian Americans including Korematsu v. United States. Come together to share what this legacy means to you and how it informs our collective action today.
Against a backdrop of racial and state violence in our country against Asian Americans and other BIPOC groups, we gather to acknowledge the importance of speaking up against injustice. Let’s honor Fred T. Korematsu and the many Japanese Americans who have resisted violence and continue to inspire us to continue our fight for collective liberation.
Fred T. Korematsu Day, 2021
Please join us virtually on Saturday, January 30th at 11:00am ET for the 2021 Korematsu Day program, hosted by the New York Day of Remembrance Committee. This year's program will be titled: "We Keep Us Safe: Korematsu's Legacy and Fighting Anti-Asian Violence Through Solidarity." Our program title is inspired by grassroots movements led by Black and Brown organizers and groups, such as Zach Norris of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, that seek to build safe, secure, equitable, and life-affirming communities.
This past year brought many challenges for our community. We witnessed and endured significant injustice, pain, and loss from the COVID-19 pandemic, state violence, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian sentiment, and more. 2020 also revealed the incredible strength and resilience of our community, as we mobilized and came together to support each other and those around us through mutual aid and protest. We embodied the spirit of Fred Korematsu’s legacy by engaging in resistance through community care and solidarity.
As we begin 2021, we invite you to join us in a dialogue on reimagining safety against state and racial violence through community care, resistance, and solidarity. As a community that has experienced over-policing, surveillance, and mass incarceration, we understand that these systems often fail to provide individual and collective safety, security, and support. We understand that we keep each other safe. In this year’s program, "We Keep Us Safe: Korematsu's Legacy and Fighting Anti-Asian Violence Through Solidarity,” we will discuss the history of policing and surveillance in New York City and Japanese American communities, what collective safety means and looks like, and how to build radical community care networks to support each other.
Fred T. Korematsu Day, NYC 2021
Please watch our 2021 program here