In my East Oakland neighborhood, the sound of Crown Victoria cop cruisers can often be heard racing through the streets after shots are fired. Every few minutes, cars drive by with tremendous beat - Harley Davidsons with loud pipes - and all the gunshots. Antioch is starting to look better and better!
President Obama believes in settling things over beer. So I went to one of Oakland's biggest beer parties to settle a question that must be big on his mind right now: four more years, or one (term) and done? As the locally sourced, micro-brewed organic lager flowed at this year's Oaktoberfest in Dimond, I polled a few revelers on Barack's prospects for another go round in the Oval Office.
Three East Oakland Night Walks have been organized so far by City Team and Lifelines, in support of the Oakland's Cease Fire program. I was on the second walk, which began several weeks ago at the Israelite Missionary Baptist Church at 21st Ave and 21st Street in the San Antonio area. People began arriving at 6:30 in the evening - all committed to making a difference on the violent streets of Oakland.
Two Peace Marches against gun violence snaked through through East and West Oakland last Saturday and culminated with a City Hall rally with hundreds of people asking City officials and candidates for City office to both help reduce violence in the streets and improve relations between the OPD and communities of color.
Gun violence is rocking our city. But at Oakland Voices, not everyone agrees on whether or not owning them creates or feeds a culture of violence, or if it's just smart self-defense. Two of our correspondents have very different perspectives on the need for guns in our homes and society. Here, one has his say.
Gun violence is rocking our city. But at Oakland Voices, not everyone agrees on whether or not owning them creates or feeds a culture of violence, or if it's just smart self-defense. Two of our correspondents have very different perspectives on the need for guns in our homes and society. Here, one has her say.
I find it pretty ironic that my sister and I cannot swim to save our lives, yet this past weekend we joined hundreds of others in a swimming pool to save the lives of others.
As excited as we are over the A's improbably success, the thought of the team leaving sobers things just a little bit right now. And for many fans, the preoccupation could also rob Oakland of the opportunity of being acknowledged for something positive for a change.
