and his voice still is heard across this world. when oscar grant was killed, it really felt like an oakland story at the time, but it s a testament to the bay area, a testament to the activists, a testament to oscar s family that they kept his name out there so that he would not be forgotten. the bay area is a beautiful place. oakland is a beautiful and powerful place. every day, people are creating incredible art and ideas that will change the world, but more importantly, change our world. imagine how many more amazing pieces of art and world-shaking ideas could be created if we just didn t have to focus so much on our survival, if we
elected president of the bay area rapid transit, or bart, board of directors. and while bobby has visited this spot before, i find out when i get there that this is the first time that mama wanda has come to the place where her son was shot in the back and killed. just imagine what s going through her mind and what she s sacrificing to be here. i mean, i just recognize that you re here, mama wanda. it s incredibly powerful for you to be doing this work. there s no reason you should have to do it. we would all understand if you just needed to mourn your son and not continue to stand up for him and others. it s very difficult being at this spot, but i do want people to know that oscar did not die in vain, that he was the start of a catalyst movement of what s going on today. you know, i remember years ago, oscar and i had prayed unto the lord and the lord showed me that oscar and i would be in ministry together.
i am trayvon martin. i am alan bruford. i am sean bale. i am jamaal crawford. i am. there are so many i am. there is such a racial divide in this country. we have to work together to unify. does it ever get too frustrating that we haven t learned the lesson that we should have learned from oscar? if i get frustrated, i m going to get blind and won t be able to do it. so i have to keep that clear focus to be able to remind myself, no matter what, you can t give up, wanda. you ve got to keep on sharing what happened to oscar and what we need to do to end these type of things from happening again. we have an obligation to love others as we love ourselves. that s what our nation needs. this whole thing is about love. oscar brought to the world what love looked like. oscar didn t just die here. he was resurrected here.
i didn t realize that until him losing his life. and even though he s not here today, we still are in ministry together because it s because of him that i m able to stand even before you today and to be able to share his life and to share with others that there still is hope even in the midst of situations like this. wanda, in our movement, we always say you changed the world, you and oscar. you know, you helped develop a new voice for black women in this country who were ignored for decades and decades, some might say centuries, who had lost their children to the state. there s a grace and a power that only a black mother exudes. and so, wanda, i know it s tough to be here, but you have no idea what you ve done and what you ll continue to do. i am oscar grant.