Katharine Davies Samway, Author at Oakland Voices

Tuesday Night Neighborhood Concert with Grammy-nominated Latin Jazz Artist in Oakland During Shelter-at-Home Order

April 9, 2020 Katharine Davies Samway

It’s 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday evening in Oakland and neighbors are gathering for a quickly-arranged concert on their street. People sit and stand on their porches, steps, and sidewalks. An older couple enjoys the concert

Local Palestinian Nakba (Catastrophe) Commemoration and Demonstration

May 23, 2018 Katharine Davies Samway

A Palestinian Nakba commemoration/demonstration was held on May 15 outside the Israeli consulate in San Francisco. Over 1,000 Palestine supporters turned out to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (the Catastrophe), when over 750,000

Oakland Vigil for Palestinian Teen

May 18, 2018 Katharine Davies Samway

“Happy birthday, dear Ahed, happy birthday to you!” sings a crowd of over 100 people that has gathered outside the Ronald Dellums Federal Building in downtown Oakland. It is late January and they have come

Building Community: Strength from the Roots (Fuerza de la Raíz)

March 20, 2018 Katharine Davies Samway

Getting to Know Each Other: About 10 people have already gathered when I arrive on a cool and sunny Saturday morning at Primera Iglesia Presbyteriana (1st Presbyterian Church) on High Street in Oakland. In a

A Talk in the Fruitvale About the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel

March 3, 2018 Katharine Davies Samway

It’s about 3:45 p.m. on a recent Sunday when I arrive at Reem’s, a bakery and café near the Fruitvale BART station that sells Middle Eastern food. It was opened in 2017 and is

Why Do Some People Become Peace and Justice Activists?

July 6, 2017 Katharine Davies Samway

Why do some people become peace and justice activists, when other people who grew up in the same environment don’t? This question has intrigued me for a long time as I can’t explain my own

Contacting Oakland Unified School District: An Exercise in Frustration

July 3, 2017 Katharine Davies Samway

Have you ever been put on hold for a long time and then been disconnected? Maybe you’ve searched and searched and searched online and can’t find what you’re looking for? Or, perhaps you’ve called and

My Neighborhood

June 29, 2017 Katharine Davies Samway

I live a block above MacArthur Ave., between Fruitvale Ave. and 35th St., so we aren’t really in either the Dimond or the Laurel Districts. I looked it up once and learned that it’s called

A Children’s Book Desert in the Fruitvale? Not Quite

June 15, 2017 Katharine Davies Samway

If you walk up and down Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, you’ll pass by several independent bookstores, gift shops, and children’s clothing shops, all of which stock lots of books for children. In contrast, if you

East Oakland Parents and Teachers Oppose Cuts to Schools

May 23, 2017 Katharine Davies Samway

Tuesday, 3:30 p.m.: Community Meeting About 40 parents, teachers, and children have come to an after-school meeting in the library that is shared by two elementary schools in the Fruitvale neighborhood: ICS (International Community School)