Fred Korematsu

In 1942, 23-year-old Oakland native Fred Korem-atsu refused to go to an internment camp on the basis of his Japanese heritage and challenged the U.S. incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. He was subsequently arrested and convicted by the Supreme Court. 40 years later, with the help of attorneys, Korematsu reopened his case and was found not guilty. he was able to produce previously concealed legal documents that demonstrated that Japanese Americans have committed no acts of treason to justify mass Incarceration. This was a huge civil rights victory. Korematsu continued to fight for civil rights and against prejudice in all forms until the day he died. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton. His legacy is upheld by the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education