Refugee group helps employ women in need

The Refugee Women's Empowerment Catering Group provided traditional Afghan food during the Levi Strauss & Co. holiday party in 2017. Photo by Rafiullah Amini.

When Rafiullah Amiri, who had immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan, noticed that many women within his immigrant community were confined to their homes—shocked by the culture difference and unable to speak the language of their host country—he had an idea: They could earn money cooking.

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Open mic highlights experiences of women of color

In Berkeley, the La Peña Cultural Center and the UC Berkeley Womxn of Color Initiative hosted an open mic night on January 26 called “Empowering Women of Color Open Mic.”  The event opened a three-show series intended to provide a safe space for women of color to express themselves.

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In Oakland, women take the lead as Airbnb hosts

Cynthia Mackey, a 56-year-old self-employed digital marketer, loves to talk about Airbnb. She laughs and smiles, growing excited as she talks about the joy that comes from opening up her home in Oakland’s Adams Point to a world of strangers. Mackey started hosting for Airbnb, an online international marketplace for booking accommodations, in July, 2013.…

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Business owners take damage done during anti-Trump protests in stride

Joshua Gause, security guard of 1544 Events, guards the door during the "Hope Art" project on Sunday, November 11, 2016. (Yesica Prado/Oakland North)

On election night, protesters gathered in downtown Oakland after midnight yelling angry things like “Not my president!” and “Fuck Trump!” in the quiet streets. Others took it a step further and lashed out against nearby businesses, breaking glass doors and windows and spray-painting graffiti anywhere visible, like on the windows of the Chase bank, the walls of the BART public elevator and the pillars of the Oakland federal building.

Garbage cans were set on fire and worried faces peeked out through doors after the angry crowd passed. Confused bystanders were upset at the damage to their property, and others worried about their safety, while the rest followed the trail of fires left on Broadway, trying to catch up to the mob either by running or riding their bikes. By the next morning, garbage, broken glass and graffiti covered the downtown.

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Female tattoo artists make their mark in Oakland

Melissa Taylor tattoos a client at Sacred Tattoo in Oakland.

The artist wears black latex gloves and dips a needle into ink. She then draws blue waves around a colorless outline of the Buddha, carefully wiping excess ink off of her living canvas. The mechanical hum of the mechanized needle doesn’t interfere with the interaction between tattoo artist, Melissa Taylor of Oakland’s Sacred Tattoo, and…

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Women veterans find peace in Alameda community group

Women in military service stamp

When former Staff Sergeant Starlyn Lara joined the Army fresh out of high school in Roswell, New Mexico, it was a time of peace for those who were serving in the military. Then came September 11. Suddenly, for many who joined the armed forces in search of serving their country—what Lara calls a desire to…

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Women and hip-hop: A discussion in downtown Oakland

Betti Ono art.

On Friday, the Betti Ono art gallery in downtown Oakland hosted a panel discussion about women and Hip-Hop. The “My Art, My Culture: Women, media, and Hip-Hop” three-part discussion was the product of the combined efforts of a number of Bay Area arts organizations including Beats, Rhymes, and Life, which uses Hip-Hop to empower young people, and the Daughters of Dilla Project, which offers media arts programs for girls.

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An Oaklander uses walks to inspire an active lifestyle

Meet Oakland resident Katrina Lashea, who leads walks for African-American women in the Bay Area with the goal of improving their health. Lashea is a yoga instructor and works as a program coordinator for Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre. She is also one of 10 recipients of GirlTrek’s 2012 Trailblazer Fellowship Award, which will sponsor her…

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