Posts Tagged ‘Community’
Oakland residents lead the fight to rename and reclaim public spaces
At Oakland’s inner harbor near the water’s edge stands the bronze statue of Jack London—a famed 20th Century author, labor union advocate and racist who promoted eugenics and white supremacy. Communities of color make up 75% of the population in Oakland. This summer, Oakland residents petitioned to remove a monument dedicated to London and to…
Read MoreOakland grapples with tenant protections and pitfalls
Housing advocates in Oakland are warning that the current tenant protections enacted and expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic contain loopholes that leave renters vulnerable to evictions and even lawsuits. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors issued a temporary eviction ban to protect residents from being evicted in March. It covered renters, homeowners and those living…
Read MoreCalifornia voters rejected increased regulations for dialysis clinics: What comes next?
Nearly 64% of Californians voted “No” on Proposition 23, a measure that would have expanded regulation for dialysis clinics in the state. Though official ballot results are not certified by the Secretary of State’s office until December 11, 2020, tallied ballots show over 10 million people voted to reject the measure. Proposition 23 would have…
Read MoreOrganizing for change: How some activists are responding to police violence
At a boarded up Oakland City Hall, 20-year-old Mara Coleman sits with paint, brushes, markers and white poster board. With a steady hand and careful strokes, Coleman concentrates as she paints the name Breonna Taylor in red paint. This is the location where Coleman met with fellow youth organizers from Abolitionist Movement SF to paint…
Read MoreOakland’s Nigerian community uses technology to mobilize during #EndSARS protests
At least 100 Bay Area residents from the Nigerian community met at Lake Merritt on Saturday, October 24, 2020 to raise awareness for #EndSARS, a campaign led by youth in Nigeria to demand the end to police brutality. For decades, Nigerian citizens have accused the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit that was founded…
Read MoreOakland adult literacy students find ways to continue learning during the pandemic
Riley Mitchell loves to cook. When the 55-year-old isn’t bragging about making the “best potato salad this side of the Mississippi,” Mitchell enjoys cozying up with a good book. Since the pandemic, Mitchell started to re-read classics like The Color Purple, mostly for pleasure. But since the library where Mitchell took adult literacy classes closed,…
Read MoreRoShamBo event space creates a place for Oaklanders to play
Non-profit organization Playworks opened a new community space in downtown Oakland last week called RoShamBo.
Read MoreCommunity disquiet about school closures erupts at school board meeting
At the auditorium of La Escuelita Elementary school Wednesday evening, Oakland Unified School District police officers were notably absent. So, too, were the barricades that had been set up to block protestors during a previous school board meeting on October 23, which had ended with the arrest of several protesters who oppose school closures and…
Read MoreMayor Libby Schaaf breaks tie on City Council housing project decision
During the City Council meeting on November 4th, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf broke the tie between members of City Council on whether, or not to proceed with a housing development project.
Read MoreOaklanders grab coffee with cops (and horses)
Oakland Police Department (OPD) officer Michael Tacchini loves caramel macchiatos. They aren’t his favorite, but he likes to get them when he’s in a “good mood,” he said. Tacchini and about a dozen other OPD officers were in pretty high spirits as they gathered Wednesday afternoon at a Starbucks near the Oakland Coliseum BART station.…
Read MoreSixth annual Black Eyed Pea Festival celebrates African American art, flavors
The presence of culture and community was radiant this weekend in Oakland during the 6th Annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival.
Read MoreOakland Pride celebrates 10th year promoting inclusivity
Music, performances, and love were bountiful at this years 10th Annual Oakland Pride Parade & Festival.
Read MoreMuralist Dave Young Kim uses art to tap into his Korean roots
Oakland is known for its lively art scene. From murals, to sculptures, to street tagging, art is ubiquitous in this East Bay city. One artist is using his art to tap into his native Korean roots. Dave Young Kim channels into his work a dilemma often faced by children of immigrant families–how to make sense…
Read MoreA lesson in Cape Verdean cooking, and a taste of home
Jospefina Gonçalves, 75, knows how to cook—and she does it well. On a Sunday afternoon at her daughter’s home in North Oakland, she was leading a cooking workshop on how to prepare a Cape Verdean delicacy called pastel, an empanada-like pastry with a mix of African and Portuguese flavors. “Everything Cape Verdean, I cook,” Gonçalves…
Read MoreBrewers try to diversify the craft beer industry
Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter, a dynamic duo who are hoping to diversify the craft beer industry, stopped by Temescal Brewery in Oakland as part of a crowdfunding crawl to launch their new beer called Hella Halftones. Ashburn and Hunter founded Crowns & Hops, one of the few black-owned craft beer companies in the nation.…
Read MoreOakland teachers prepare to strike on Thursday
Galvanized by the teacher strikes in Los Angeles and Denver, now Oakland teachers are preparing for their own. The strike is currently expected to begin on Thursday, February 21.
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