2013 - Oakland Voices

PHOTOS: Oakland Voices Graduation 2013

March 13, 2013 Katrina Davis

Photos from the graduation for the 2012 class of Oakland Voices.

Our future doctors and nurses, straight out of East Oakland

March 13, 2013 Katherine Brown

By Katherine Brown In looking at the negative perception many people have of East Oakland, one would think that there was no opportunity for success, especially amongst youth. With limited resources and outlets to support

A Day in the Life of Lam Vo

March 5, 2013 Debora Gordon

By Debora Gordon Lam ended a recent letter with “Write me when you find the time. I certainly have all the time in the world to wait.” This prompted me to ask him what it

My Magic Pill

March 4, 2013 Sabirah Mustafa

This piece was done in collaboration with the What’s Your Story? Project of KQED’s California Report. By Sabirah Mustafa I used to wish for a magic pill what would enable me to swallow away my

Why I Go to Oakland’s Public City Meetings, & You Should, Too

March 4, 2013 Sabirah Mustafa

By Sabirah Mustafa If you attend town hall meetings, protests, and demonstrations, you may have heard the public demanding to be heard when public policies affect them. But when I recently attended two meetings –

The English Center

March 4, 2013 Jian Di Liang

By Jian Di Liang Being in the United States for two and a half years, my happiest time was the period studying at the English Center – a non-profit organization that helps new immigrants, refugees,

Body Art for Cars

February 24, 2013 Debora Gordon

By Debora Gordon Say you have a black Honda. Or a white Chevy van. Drive around all day and see dozens of cars indistinguishable from yours. But it does not have to be that way.

A Former Teachers’ Union President Considers Her Legacy

February 23, 2013 Debora Gordon

Former Oakland Education Association President and current Sequoia Elementary School teacher Betty Olson-Jones poses in her 5th grade classroom Photo: Oakland Voices/Debora Gordon January 2013 By Debora Gordon Betty Olson-Jones is back in the classroom

To a Cop On a Chase, a Stolen Car May Be Worth More Than Your Life

February 23, 2013 Ronald Owens

What’s more valuable, your life or a stolen vehicle? To most people, that’s probably a no-brainer. Your life, of course. Let’s rephrase the question. What’s more valuable to a police officer chasing a suspected car

Looking at Lam and what needs to Be done

February 23, 2013 Debora Gordon

Lam was, and perhaps still is, a young man with a lot of potential. He could have gone on to lead a life of commonplace trials and triumphs; having a family, a job or a career,