Red Jordan Arobateau, although mainly a resident of San Francisco, did live in Oakland at some point between 1967 and 1977, as described by his autobiography. Here, he describes an encounter with his ex-partner, Miriam, after they had broken up. She had been a communist, which was far from uncommon for people in all sorts of Leftist movements and communities at the time. Also far from uncommon was FBI surveillance of such people and groups, as shown when two FBI agents show up to interrogate Miriam about her trip to Cuba–a trip that would have placed her under some suspicion. Although as far as this excerpt mentions, nothing came of it, it seems likely Miriam may have remained under surveillance, or been interrogated for the specific purpose of intimidation and deterrence, given the FBI’s activities at the time. Arobateau then connects this act of intimidation to others against his friends opposing government systems, including a white woman who was targeted by the KKK for opposing segregation–hardly a flattering comparison for the FBI. But then, people like Arobateau had little reason to be friendly to the FBI.
To see Red Jordan Arobateau’s website and writing, go here.
