“When Oscar died, I knew, like thousands of people in this city and millions in the world, that we needed to change structures,” she told attendees. “So I ran for the BART board, and you all elected me.”
Back in December, Grant’s family pushed for Fruitvale Station to be renamed as the “Fruitvale-Grant” station, in their loved one’s memory.
“It would be an atonement, it would be part of BART saying yes this happened here, we vow that it won’t happen again and we vow to work with the communities and ensure that all people are treated equally,” Grant’s mother said at the time.
However, despite the family’s request, BART sidestepped, saying that its policy prohibits it from naming stations after individuals and that names have to be tied to the location. The agency said at the time that they had commissioned a mural in Grant’s honor to go up on the wall of the station instead.
However, at the vigil, Grant’s mother doubled down on her request for the station to be renamed.
“Fruitvale Grant Station — we’re claiming that,” she said. “We believe that, and we will fight.”