2013 - Page 2 of 5 - Oakland Voices

Highland Journal, a Miniseries: Part III – The 7th Floor

February 23, 2013 Howard Dyckoff

First, there is Sam, the handy man. The “Eat at Mel’s, go for a 6 pack in the park” kind of guy. Having no medical insurance, ignoring health needs, eating the cheaper, high-calorie, low-nutrient food

Oakland Teacher Alison Ball Breathes Life into Math & Science

February 22, 2013 Debora Gordon

By Debora Gordon After early teaching stints in far flung locales from Ecuador and China to New York and Sunnyvale, 4th year middle school teacher Alison Ball, 29, came to Urban Promise Academy (UPA),

Highland Journal, a Miniseries: Part II

February 22, 2013 Howard Dyckoff

She carries needles and tubes, held in slender fingers. She’s looking for human blood. I see earrings, and under her white jacket, jewelry, a sequined top. I catch a honeysuckle scent. Leather heels. She clearly has

Highland Journal, a Miniseries: Part I

February 21, 2013 Howard Dyckoff

This is a tale of pain and fear, abated by the service, smiles and laughter of the Alameda County Medical Center (ACMC) staff. This is a story about my worst November ever: more than 2

A Call to Lam’s Mother

February 20, 2013 Debora Gordon

Many, perhaps most, parts of this story have been hard to tell. I often imagine someone who might be personally affected by a particular part of the story looking over my shoulder. As I write

Living Victoriously: Community Advocates Help Bay Area Women Transform Their Lives

February 18, 2013 Katherine Brown

It is rare to encounter folks that have faced numerous adversities, yet never complain. They continue to hold their heads up high, dig in their heels, and keep pushing for a better outcome. It is

Oakland Art Teacher Thi Bui Urges Students to Draw, Think Outside the Box

February 13, 2013 Debora Gordon

Thi Bui, an art and digital media teacher at Oakland International High School, described herself as “a little reckless. I break a lot of rules. I’m very comfortable letting go of the reins if there

Happy New Year! Oakland’s Chinatown Welcomes the Year of the Snake

February 13, 2013 Jian Di Liang

Oakland Chinatown celebrated Lunar New Year and the year of the Snake.

Computer Love: East Oaklanders Tweet Their Affection for The Town

February 13, 2013 Katherine Brown

By Katherine Brown While on this love experience, I learned that you don’t need very many words to define or explain it. 140 will do. To find out more about how folks from Oakland view

School-to-Prison Pipeline

February 13, 2013 Debora Gordon

By Debora Gordon Every time a student does poorly in school, or drops out, there is likely a great increase in the chances he will wind up in prison. I recall in my discussion with