2016 Class Archives - Oakland Voices

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

Dogs and minimizing force: Oscar Grant. However peace is possible

July 3, 2017 Damu Dailey

Dogs and minimizing force; Oscar Grant. However peace is possible.. June 14th, 2017. “My name is Uncle Bobby, the uncle of Oscar Grant, of course, Oscar’s mother Wanda is my sister.” Cephus Johnson is Uncle

“Why do poor neighborhoods in Oakland have less?”

July 3, 2017 Sandra Tavel

I am sitting at the Fat Lady Restaurant in Jack London Square with two friends. One friend grew up in a middle class family in Vallejo. Her mom is White and her dad is Black. The

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

Volunteer Artists Give Oakland’s Animal Shelter a Makeover

July 3, 2017 Kat Ferreira

If you’re an animal lover, an animal shelter can be a depressing place. For decades, the reputation of Oakland’s mismanaged shelter was no exception. But as is often the case in Oakland, when a city

Undercover Healing

June 29, 2017 Tony Daquipa

“Forget about whatever you did. Just feel your heart.” -Kokou Soglo Katamani Every student in the room said that they would do it all again next year. These students at Leadership Public School (LPS) in

Marvin

June 29, 2017 =

“I found them!! The anticipation was killing me. ” My father’s eyes were wide with excitement like I had never seen before. It was a rare occasion. It had been a few years since the

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

100 Lunches Today, One Million Tomorrow

June 29, 2017 Abel Regalado

MARCH 4th, 2017. Lake Merritt, Oakland. It is the first Saturday in March – quite an unusual day if you ask me. The rain comes and goes. The sun timidly hides behind the clouds, yet families,

Two Spiritual Practices

June 29, 2017 Monica Green

What is a spiritual practice? Spirituality is a common thread that allows different orientations to thrive in 12-step programs that require a belief in a Higher Power, as a person understands. What is God or