Ryan Barba

About Ryan Barba

Ryan Barba is an Oakland native who is following his passion of writing. It has lead to his desire to further his knowledge and insight in this profession by learning and sharing with others. Ryan attended primary and secondary schools in Oakland and has ties to various community outreach programs throughout the East Bay. Having spent his life in Oakland, he looks forward to using this opportunity as a platform to tell stories that are occurring in his wonderful community.

a group of diverse UC Berkeley students stand in front of a big library

How Has COVID and the Pandemic Impacted Your Life?

March 28, 2024 Ryan Barba and Debora Gordon

Oakland Voices writers reflect on four years since the beginning of the pandemic.

a dark brown wood table has a concealer pen and cloth mask with a faded American flag design

Facial Freedom: An Escape from “Mask-ne”

June 14, 2021 Ryan Barba

Editor’s Note: Oakland Voices alumnus and Editor-in-Chief of The Peralta Citizen, Ryan Barba was an essential worker during the pandemic, requiring him to wear a mask many hours out of the day. Now that California

Oaklander recalls living in Portland during COVID and days of protest

November 17, 2020 Ryan Barba

An Oakland community college student moves to Portland, Oregon during the pandemic, only to return after a stressful few months.

A young man wearing a mask and sunglasses with long curly hair.

COVID-19: Different Masks for Different Situations

June 17, 2020 Ryan Barba

“My list of outdoor essential actions narrows down to exercise, shopping, and going to and from work. I wear a mask made out of fabric when exercising; a charcoal filtered mask when shopping; and both an N95 mask and waterproof mask when working.”

COVID-19: Generations of Oaklanders share living life with Social Distancing and Shelter-In-Place

June 3, 2020 Ryan Barba

“People today are acting like this is the end of the world, but when you’re experiencing combat and have been doused in Agent Orange, a shelter-in-place order is a walk in the park.”

Three people line up in front of a whiteboard to take a photo: an elder Asian American man, an African American woman college instructor, and a young man with long hair.

COVID-19: Calmness through Chaos as a Community College student and essential worker

April 14, 2020 Ryan Barba

Ryan Barba’s life has been interupted by COVID-19. As a community college student and part-time essential worker, he is adapting to new routines and communication.

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

Feeding East Oakland: Roots Community Market

July 19, 2018 Ryan Barba

The Roots Community Health Center is a nonprofit health clinic in East Oakland that was founded in 2008 and currently has over 29 different programs to serve the community. One of their most recent additions

Strengthened by ICE

April 26, 2018 Ryan Barba

One’s journey through grade school is supposed to be a time that builds children into young adults with the opportunity of a brighter future. But in today’s American society, it appears to be anything but

One of the Many

March 12, 2018 Ryan Barba

In my last article, I profiled Missio Dei Oakland. In this article, I write about how I joined the church. Entering the darkest phase of my existence in 2015, I had developed the mentality of