Oakland youth bring spirit to South Berkeley
on May 20, 2010
Economic hardships are affecting communities throughout the Bay Area—communities like the working class neighborhoods of South Berkeley. Many residents there have often struggled to make a living, but with the recession, 20 percent of the population is now living below poverty level. Like Oakland, unemployment is up and many of South Berkeley’s stores have been shuttered.
But, before you get too down, this isn’t a sad story. Something has recently changed in South Berkeley—big colorful paintings are popping up in formerly vacant storefront windows. Images of women with flowered dresses, molten volcanoes and even abstract expressionist paintings, a la Jackson Pollock. They were all made by low-income youth, mostly from Oakland, paid to paint by an organization called Youth Spirit Artworks. This organization is working to get young people off the street, give them a job, while also trying to beautify this neighborhood.
The program is now planning to expand into Oakland and Richmond and have teens from all over the East Bay creating art for their neighborhoods.
This story previously aired on KALW’s Crosscurrents radio show.
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Oakland North is an online news service produced by students at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and covering Oakland, California. Our goals are to improve local coverage, innovate with digital media, and listen to you–about the issues that concern you and the reporting you’d like to see in your community. Please send news tips to: oaklandnorthstaff@gmail.com.
