Community
With no indoor rinks within 25 miles of Oakland and no dedicated free outdoor skating spaces, roller skaters in the city are using parking lots, cracked sidewalks and basketball courts for the activity. That could change with a plan by skaters to build a free outdoor roller rink at DeFremery Park in West Oakland. The Panther Skate Plaza Project’s mission is to create an inclusive and accessible space for roller skaters of all identities, ages, and abilities — one that…
Ever thought to eat what is commonly considered an invasive weed? That’s exactly what this group of nine Bay Area residents did recently, nibbling away at bright green nasturtium leaves under the guidance of Linh Hoang, who hosted “A New Thanksgiving” at the Lake Merritt Pergola in collaboration with Sunrise Movement Bay Area. Eyes lit up and eyebrows rose as the sharp, radish-like flavor of the leaves burst onto tastebuds. The event combined a potluck dinner with lessons about edible…
He’s long been a legendary national figure and recently, Bobby Seale was memorialized by Oakland, the birthplace of the Black Panther Party he co-founded. That changed last week, when a crowd that included Seale and his family, as well as city, state and federal officials gathered for the renaming of the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 57th Street as Bobby Seale Way. The location has significance for Seale, who once lived in the North Oakland neighborhood and…
Visitors coming into Oakland’s Chinatown now will meet a staggering dragon watching over the intersection of Jackson and 10th streets. Its mythical presence is a reminder to stand against hate, according to the community groups and team of artists who christened the dragon mural “Together, We Rise” last week. Its unveiling served as a kickoff to United Against Hate Week, which runs nationwide through Saturday. United Against Hate began in Berkeley in 2017 as a poster campaign responding to white…
Thousands of Bay Area residents gathered in Oakland on Saturday as part of a series of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump’s policies. Many attendees tried to strike a balance between the serious issues they were protesting and a lighter, festive tone, wearing comical costumes and carrying humorous protest signs. As the crowd marched down Eighth Street, Oakland residents Max Madame and Charlie Pain, both wearing clown makeup, handed out balloon animals. “Absurdity breeds absurdity,” said Pain, when asked about…
Hundreds of people — from toddlers to teenagers to seniors and everyone in between — spilled into Oakland Technical High School’s auditorium Sunday to learn how to resist the rise of authoritarianism under President Donald Trump. Nearly 1,000 people attended Get Ready: Noncooperation Training by Bay Resistance, a group advocating for racial, economic, climate and gender justice. Some participants sat on the floor or filed into overflow rooms. The session was meant to energize and inspire people as well as…
Standing at an altar decorated with stuffed animals and candles placed around a Bible, Rena Rickles clutched a framed collage of herself and her husband next to images of their dogs. Her husband had given it to her for Valentine’s Day. He called it “Puppy Love.” “This is Huckleberry at four months, where his mom had to go to a bachelor party. We bonded over that weekend, and he was the most loving, loyal, creative dog. We lost him last…
For the past year, an exhibit at the Oakland Black Panther Party Museum has educated visitors about the community school model that was launched by the Panthers in 1973 and has since been incorporated into every Oakland Unified School District building. Recently, the exhibit’s reach was expanded, thanks to the efforts of a Madison Park Academy student and the nonprofit Ocelotl, which worked to translate the exhibit into Spanish. “The Black Panther Party, they brought communities together, and I feel…
To the untrained eye, roller derby seems like pure pandemonium — players falling over like bowling pins, knocking into each other left and right. But hours of weekly training have taught them how to dodge, shove, turn and jump on four wheels to control the chaos and rack up points. For members of the Bay Area Derby league, it’s more than just a sport. Players are there to destress, build relationships with each other, uplift their communities, and work collectively…