Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties

Time: 4:00 pm

Description:

Please join us for this historical day honoring the late Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American who fought for civil rights during World War II.

In 1942, Fred Korematsu was arrested for refusing to go to a WWII incarceration camp for Japanese-Americans. He appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled against him. The court said the incarceration was justified due to military necessity. Forty years later, the discovery of new evidence allowed Korematsu to re-open his case with pro-bono lawyers. In 1983, a federal court in San Francisco overturned Korematsu's conviction. It was a pivotal moment in civil rights history.

In 1998, Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Bill Clinton, the nation’s highest civilian award. Mr. Korematsu passed away in 2005 at the age of 86.

In 2010, California passed a bill marking every January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties. It is the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American.

4:00 - 4:15 - Welcome & Introduction
4:15 - 5:30 – Documentary: “Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story”
5:30 – 6:45 – Documentary: “Searchlight Serenade” and Amy’s animation
6:45 – 7:30 - Panel with survivors, Naomi Inouye Meyer, Aiko and Edwin Uyeki

Presented by the MultiCultural Center and Associated Students.

Price: Free