July 2018 - Oakland Voices

A Shout-Out To RBA Creative

July 27, 2018 Tonya Shipp

A big shout- out to Randolph Charles Belle for hosting Oakland Voices Cohort Group #6 at his space, RBA Creative, for our twice -a- month meetings. For sometimes entrusting his keys to our coordinator so

Flores flowering in gratitude

July 27, 2018 Patricia Contreras-Flores

Recently in the midst of so much heaviness on all fronts, I went looking for some hope. I returned to poetry, my first written love form. I stumbled upon a poem that my former student

Cruising Through The Fruitvale District

July 26, 2018 Tonya Shipp

The Fruitvale District is huge. I cruised it on three separate days. There are three business districts surrounded by residences. I rode up Fruitvale Avenue and walked along Foothill Boulevard a few blocks in each

Investing for East Oakland

July 26, 2018 Patricia Contreras-Flores

We all know the wave of development is pushing folks farther into East Oakland, the deeper parts. Parts that local folks call Deep East Oakland. Past the 70s into the 80s and 90s. An area

On Volunteering

July 25, 2018 Tonya Shipp

I’ve volunteered at three East Oakland organizations: Hieroglyphics Imperium, The Alameda County Food Bank and at The Unity Council. I had learned about a music festival online, Hiero Day 2017, where the prices were too

Avrahams Halwani Speaks His Mind

July 25, 2018 Tonya Shipp

The OV team was assigned to interview East Oakland residents about Where Is East Oakland and What Is East Oakland Now. I interviewed six subjects and five of them were included in our video, presented

Finishing School: The Significance of a GED

July 25, 2018 Ryan Barba

I was a troubled student who had lost all sight of direction in middle school and officially dropped out in the 10th grade. Besides a desire to become a professional writer, there was nothing motivating

What is East Oakland Now? Slideshow

July 25, 2018 Oakland Voices

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School to Prison to School Pipeline

July 24, 2018 Debora Gordon

Suspensions and bouncing back and forth between various schools, crack- addicted parents and grandparents, running away, physical abuse, early fatherhood (age 17), teen-age drug use, multiple arrests, several incarcerations in local, county and state jails

What’s New Around East Oakland

July 24, 2018 Tonya Shipp

The Buzz And What’s New Around East Oakland: Through August 9th, every 2nd and 4th Thursday is Night Market at Fruitvale Village in the Fruitvale District on 34th and