RON DELLUMS: DEAD AT 82.

ICHEOKU says he was an equal justice warrior, who in fact was first a real-life warrior, a United States Marine, before turning to politics in 1970. He served two years in the military; served three years as City Council man for Berkeley and then won election to Congress, where he served a  thirteen 2-year terms, 27 years, before retiring from politics in 1998. But he came out of retirement to run for Oakland mayoral seat and won in 2007; and served for only one 4 year term, retiring again in 2011 as Mayor of Oakland, California. 

Ronald Vernie Dellums was 82 years old. He died of cancer and other ancillary infirmities of old age. He was fiery and he was feisty; his oratorical skills were acknowledged by friends and foes and he used it maximally to achieve great laurels including a successful 13 terms in the United States of America House of Representatives as a Congressman from East Bay, 9th Congressional District of Northern California. 

He was once called a "dirty black African" as a child and later as an adult, accused of being a radical. To the first, he fought the classmate and for the later, he responded as follows: "If it’s radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of the Vietnam War, if it’s radical to oppose racism and sexism and all other forms of oppression, if it’s radical to want to alleviate poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human misery, then I’m proud to be called a radical.” According to him, "the only question we should ask when we make decisions about anything is: ‘Is this the right thing to do?’ 

He also once advised not to give your enemy the luxury of knowing that he can get under your skin. And for those who succeeded against all odds, he advised them not to ever lock others out of the ladder of opportunity despite their own peculiar challenges and very difficult personal experience climbing the ladder. It was to his credit, he sponsored it, that apartheid South Africa was levied a comprehensive economic sanction in 1986 which eventually led to the fall of the Apartheid regime. ICHEOKU says Ron Dellums, for who the Federal Building in Oakland was dedicated to, was a real champion for good causes; and he maintained his epicurean perch right to the end. ICHEOKU says rest in peace Ron; adieu Dellums.