February 2017 - Oakland Voices

Seeking Refuge, Teaching Refuge

February 27, 2017 Debora Gordon

Student panelists at the Sanctuary Education Conference at the Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California described feeling isolated at school, not having any Arab or Muslim teachers or curriculum that includes their history and literature,

Oakland Sanctuary Posadas

February 24, 2017 Katharine Davies Samway

Editor’s Note: This story was written during the Christmas season. Given the recent proposed immigration bans and the escalation of deportations of undocumented people, it is sadly more relevant than ever. It is December 23

How to Stay Sane in Difficult Times: Tips from the Experts

February 21, 2017 Sara Rowley

You wake up in the morning. Your phone is close by. You can already tell there’s an avalanche of notifications about the latest gaffe from the current presidential administration. Will it be depressing? Horrifying? Or

Healthy Food Access within a One-Mile Radius: A Conversation with Shaniece Alexander of OFPC

February 21, 2017 Sandra Tavel

Oakland Voices community correspondents Monica Scott Green and Sandra Tavel interviewed the director of Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC), Shaniece Alexander, one rainy Saturday afternoon in beautiful downtown San Leandro. What followed was an inspiring, hopeful

A Healthy Corner Market!

February 21, 2017 Monica Green

After 10 days of consecutive rain, it seems like the sun and the whole San Antonio neighborhood were coming out to greet and welcome the opening of the Healthy Corner Store in East Oakland. Music

Building A Healthy East Oakland, One Student At A Time

February 16, 2017 Abel Regalado

“What are you doing after you graduate?” – The most nerve-racking question for a high school senior. Like most youth in East Oakland, I will be a first generation college student in my family – and

Roots of Healing: Oakland wellness center promotes inclusive wellness

February 14, 2017 Katherine Brown

Oakland – As the new year rolls along, our resolutions are tested. If you visit your local gym in January, you see every machine is taken. The air is filled with sounds of clanking metal

Finding Hope and Solace in Death: Evergreen Cemetery

February 2, 2017 Sandra Tavel

Driving through East Oakland to get to Evergreen Cemetery is a colorful, noisy and energetic experience. Churches, corner stores, foot traffic and hectic driving punctuate the three-mile journey from my house in