Richard Masato Aoki Memorial: Richard's 70th b-day Nov 2008

Richard Masato Aoki, 1938-2009. Fearless Leader and Servant of the People

Richard Aoki passed away on March 15, 2009. Born on November 20, 1938, Richard was a righteous fighter and a warrior in the truest sense – he dedicated his life to his beliefs and the struggle for human rights. He was a field marshal in the Black Panther Party, a founding member of the Asian American Political Alliance, a leader in the Third World Liberation Front Strike at UC Berkeley, co-ordinator for the first Asian American Studies program at UC Berkeley, an advisor for Asians for Job Opportunities, a counselor, instructor and administrator at Merritt and Alameda Colleges.

We will remember him for the personal impact he made on our lives and the social impact he made on the community movements of people of all colors:

“…Based on my experience, I’ve seen where unity amongst the races has yielded positive results. I don’t see any other way for people to gain freedom, justice, and equality here except by being internationalist.” – Richard Aoki

Courtesy of Carole Hyams

AOKI now available for purchase on DVD

DVD copies of the film AOKI are now available for purchase from Eastwind Books, the official store of AOKI.

Eastwind Books is located on 2066 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704. Visit Eastwind’s site http://www.asiabookcenter.com
to order online ($20 + shipping/handling).

Institutional copies of the DVD which grant license to educational institutions for screenings of AOKI in classes and campus events can be purchased by contacting AokiFilm@gmail.com.

See http://aokifilm.com for more information about the film and screenings.

Statement on the anniversary of Richard Aoki’s passing.

March 15, 2010

During the immediate aftermath of Richard's passing, Richard's friends and comrades focused on a public honoring of Richard's legacy while respecting his personal privacy which he was known to value. At this one year anniversary of Richard's passing, the sufficient grieving time has enabled his friends to share more details about the medical conditions that led to Richard’s death.

To the very end, Richard, like many of us, was far more willing to trade stories with his friends about the country’s latest economic disasters, revolutionary politics, and, of course, the odds on weekly football games than to talk about his poor health. He couldn’t avoid the topic when he was literally stopped in his tracks a few years ago by a major stroke. When he collapsed in his bathroom his recovery was further complicated by a heart attack, kidney failure and multiple painful leg fractures. In the years following his stroke Richard credits his recovery to the steady stream of support from his friends who called him daily, gave him rides to his appointments and filled his refrigerator with home-cooked meals.

Despite his close network of support and his best efforts to stop smoking, Richard’s health continued to deteriorate. The very same disease process that led to his stroke made it painful for him to walk and was slowly shutting down his kidneys. He was embarrassed to admit that for more than a year, he had trouble eating. Hospitalized in January, Richard checked himself out of the hospital to be at his mother’s bedside when she suffered a fatal heart attack. Still unable to eat, exhausted, and feeling ill, Richard managed to arrange a quiet loving funeral service for his mother. A few weeks after her funeral, on March5, 2009while with friends, he collapsed at the local drug store and was taken by ambulance to Alta Bates hospital.

It was a rocky hospitalization. Dialysis was proposed to treat his failing kidneys, but in his debilitated condition his body couldn’t tolerate even his first run of dialysis. When they tried again, on his second run, his heart stopped momentarily, and still he continued to lose fluids. Saturday afternoon on March 14, 2009 Richard asked to be discharged and returned home. He knew his next dialysis treatment was scheduled for Monday. He awoke early Sunday morning, got up and collapsed. Assisted to the couch he was asked if he wanted to return to the hospital. Instead, less than five minutes later, when he was alone, Richard shot himself and passed away in the emergency surgical unit.

Throughout his life, Richard carefully made decisions on what paths he decided to take, whether it was joining the army, participating in the formation of the Black Panther Party, enrolling at UC Berkeley, joining the Asian American Political Alliance, or becoming a leader in the UC Berkeley Third World Liberation Front Strike. He weighed his options and carefully deliberated all his decisions. His final decision to end his worsening medical condition was consistent with his wish not to return to the hospital.

Although Richard did not have an immediate family after the death of his mother, he had a large extended family of loving friends and comrades whom were very close to him. He lived a full and accomplished political and social life. His caring thoughtfulness and ever present sense of humor gave him an ever widening circle of close friends wherever he went, even at his physical therapy class. He will be remembered not only for his revolutionary leadership, but also as a tender friend, for his willingness to listen and share his knowledge with all he met, and his wonderful wit and hilarious stories that kept us rolling off our chairs.

On May 3, 2009 over 500 of his friends, family, and community celebrated his life and contributions in a memorial on UCB campus. Honor guards from the Black Panther Party Alumni and Black August Organizing Committee lined the memorial stage. Heartfelt tributes filled the program from old and new comrades with music and performance. A community of artists constructed a people’s altar adorned with over 1000 paper cranes made by bay area community members, while drummers performed a Korean ritual ceremony.

On May 4th at the Chapel of the Chimes a memorial service of 200 crowded into the chapel to bid Richard a final personal farewell. A large portrait of Richard from a photo taken of him at a Bobby Hutton BBP Alumni commemoration was placed in the front of the assembly. The two hour program included added farewells from his friends and family. A third honor guard, the United States military corps, presented a formal veteran’s honor taps and salute with a flag to his family. While some attendees were critical of this show of respect, the majority in attendance were not lost to the irony of this military veteran’s recognition from a government he fought against for civil and human rights. The memorial concluded with a Panther alumni leading all in singing Power to the People.

Other formal tributes given to Richard were recognition from the Oakland City Council, SF Board of Supervisors, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Additionally the Asian American Pacific Islander UCB Alumni Chapter awarded Richard Aoki Scholarships to two Eastbay youth for community service in the organizations Youth Together and Serve the People.

Richard will always be remembered for his legacy as a revolutionary, a fighter for all people, an educator and mentor for youth, as one of the Black Panther Party founding members, a leader of the TWLF which helped give birth to Ethnic Studies around the country, and as a leader in uniting Third World struggles in America.

We miss you Richard,

Richard Aoki Memorial Committee

Former Asian American Political Alliance members

Serve The People

Friends of Richard Aoki

Remembering Richard Aoki (1938-2009) Programs

May 2, 2009, Saturday 1:00-4:00 pm
Wheeler Auditorium, UC Berkeley Campus
Program to Celebrate the Life & Times of Richard Aoki

Featuring:
Bobby Seale, of the Black Panther Party & friend of Richards
Other speakers: AAPA, TWLF, friends & colleagues
Video: "Tribute to Richard Aoki" by TWF Films
Reception afterwards at Multicultural Student Center

Co-sponsored by Asian American Studies/Ethnic Studies Dept., UCB. Ethnic Studies Undergraduate Collectiva, Multicultural Center. Free & public invited.

Reception 4:00 pm at the Multicultural Center Heller Lounge, MLK Student Union Building hosted by the Ethnic Studies Undergraduate Collective. Refreshments and showing of the Peralta TV documentary: "Merritt College: Home of the Black Panthers."

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May 3, 2009 Sunday 2pm
Chapel of the Chimes, Memorial Service
4499 Piedmont Ave, Oakland.