Community

Oakland’s unconventional third Youth Poet Laureate finds her voice

17-year-old Sophie Elkin, named Oakland’s 3rd Youth Poet Laureate in August, writes about what she knows: the grit and grandeur of Oakland’s people and places and the less tangible but no less real world of adolescence. After a childhood struggling to come out to herself and her parents, Sophie hopes her poetry will help other women to find their voices the way she has.

Oakland Black Cowboys parade celebrates 40 years

Some historians estimate that as many as one third of cowboys in the old West were black, but black cowboys are largely absent in mainstream pop culture. As the Oakland Black Cowboys Association celebrates 40 years, its members reflect on what being a black cowboy means to them and their families.

Community photo of the week: Walk around the lake

Every week, Oakland North will publish a photo submitted by one of our readers. This week’s image is by Lauren Stewart. “This photo was taken spontaneously while on a morning walk around the lake,” she writes. “My heart was filled with gratitude and love for Oakland, and I thought to myself, ‘How many cities in America have a beautiful lake in their downtown?’” If you’d like to contribute to “community photo of the week,” just send a favorite photograph taken in…