Author

Aqueila M. Lewis-Ross

Aqueila M. Lewis-Ross is a multi-talented, award-winning Bay Area Native well-versed in singing, poetry/spoken word, and journalism. Aqueila has studied and performed throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and is a graduate of Napa Valley College and University of California, Berkeley. Her book of poetry, Stop Hurting and Dance, published by Pochino Press, is a collection of stories overcoming fear, oppression, gentrification, and police brutality; she honors what it means to live with resilience, love and prosperity. She holds the titles of Ms. Oakland Plus America 2014, SF Raw Performing Artist of the Year 2015, and was an Oakland Voices-KALW Community Journalist awardee in 2016 and Greater Bay Area Journalism Awardee in 2017.

Aqueila's Latest Articles

A Black father wearing baseball cap holds a coloring book with his son
Father creates Black history coloring book with son, using AI

Oakland Voices alumnus Saleem Gilmore and his young son, Amari Rashad, create a coloring book honoring heroes in Black history, showcasing figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Audre Lorde as children, complete with short biographies and quotes, all using AI-generated images.

a broken pencil with handheld sharpener over a blank composition book
Teacher at Madison Park Academy, Site of a Alleged Accidental School Shooting, Speaks Out
A Chinatown street corner that says "Webster"
2022 Election: What Oakland District 2 voters want
a man puts his head down on the ground in a black and white photo
Oakland’s Nomadic Press Founder J.K. Fowler on Pandemic, Poetry, and Publishing
An image pf a smiling African American woman in front of a mic.
Looking back on 2020: My Family’s Housing Journey and A Pandemic
An African American woman stands in front of the Las Vegas sign, with a child running in the background
Welcome to Las Vegas: My family searches for home in the midst of COVID-19

In the midst of a global pandemic, Aqueila Lewis and her family move to Vegas to seek more affordable housing.

An African American woman wearing a rainbow colored dress stands in front of a storefront in Oakland.
Oakland’s BIPOC-owned vandalized businesses tell their story

Oakland Voices Correspondents chat with several small, BIPOC-owned businesses in Oakland following the vandalism that affected more than 200 businesses.

A woman smiles and holds up one fist in front of a housing encampment in East Oakland.
The Village Oakland’s Needa Bee Speaks Out

"This pandemic has illustrated not only is housing a human right, but a public health intervention." - Needa B

An African American family (man, woman, and toddler) smile at the camera in a selfie photo.
Finding Hope, Resources During the Housing Crisis in the Bay Area
Sights and Sounds: Art After Foreclosure in East Oakland, A Radio Story