August 2022 - Oakland Voices

A brown brackish water on the shores of Lake Merritt, with small white dead fish on the bottom or floating

Thousands of Dead Fish, Other Marine Life, Surface at Lake Merritt

August 29, 2022 Momo Chang

Yesterday, Lake Merritt and nature enthusiasts were alarmed to find tens of thousands of dead fish and other marine life along the edges of the lake. Among the dead wildlife were smelt, striped bass, bat

A boxing gym in East Oakland with concrete floors and bags handing from ceiling while one man is boxing in the right corner

From Blight to Fight: Gopa Boxing Club Hopes to Train Next Generation of Oakland Boxers

August 26, 2022 Eduardo Jimenez

The gray brick walls on the outside of the soon-to-be-opened Gopa Boxing Club are thick with layers of painted-over gang graffiti. Inside these walls, a brand-new boxing ring now sits and punching bags lay on

A beige and brick colored small quaint church next to palm tree and electric lines, with gold painted fan details on the doorway and a gold cross on the front of church

High Street Presbyterian Church, a Hidden Julia Morgan-designed East Oakland Gem

August 16, 2022 Marabet Morales Sikahall

If you live or have lived in East Oakland, chances are that you have at some point driven up or down High Street to get to your destination, whether it’s to 580, 880, to the

Private Security Guards Allegedly Injure Parker Community School Activists

August 8, 2022 Tony Daquipa

Parker Community School activists have been engaged in a sit-in protest at a former OUSD school since it was permanently shuttered on May 25. Former Parker students and other students from the larger community attended

A Black man holds his infant son in the water with a blue pool noodle tied safely around the baby to keep him afloat

One Oaklander reflects on his journey becoming a West Oakland swim instructor

August 7, 2022 Leon Sykes

My journey to being a swim instructor was perhaps unexpected. When I was five, my parents put me in swim classes at Live Oak pool in Oakland. But I first joined a swim team around

New “Artist As First Responder” Residencies focus on social, climate justice, and healing

August 4, 2022 Brandy Collins

Interdisciplinary independent curator artist Ashara Ekundayo stewards a myriad of artist residencies and fellowships she designed through her organization, Artist As First Responder (AAFR). Ekundayo has been creating spaces in Oakland that allow artists to

image of columns next to greenish lake and some trees

Oakland is developing its first urban forest master plan

August 2, 2022 Iris Crawford

Lake Merritt is considered a green solace in the middle of Oakland. Besides being a cultural meeting point, it is a space with ample trees. When you’re walking down one of the paths, the trees