People of all different ages and ethnicities gathered outside of the Tassafaronga Recreation Center on Saturday in preparation for the rally kickin’ off the 2nd Annual Love Yo Mama Earth Day event.

Organizer with Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) Nile Malloy got things going by suggesting that everyone walk across the circle and introduce themselves to someone they didn’t know in the spirit of friendship and movement building.

Yeashan Banks, a Team Leader with Youth Uprising, said she had one main reason for attending the April 24 event.

“I’m here to get people, specifically men of color, to fill out the census. Black and brown men are especially under-represented," she said.

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After the Original Scraper Bikes rolled up on their creatively decorated bikes, blasting music out the speakers they carry on the back of their bikes, Malloy called for a moment of silence for those who have passed. He mentioned victims of violence, whether from one another, or the violence from the system, incarcerated people, as well as our ancestors.

Next he introduced Rev. Buford from the Allen Temple Baptist Church, who offered a prayer honoring the Earth as our Lord.

Councilmember Jean Quan briefly spoke about how Oakland became one of the Nation’s “10 Greenest Cities” and what we must do to continue to be an example to the whole country.

The organizers, families, community members and large group of young people from Youth Uprising marched over to Woodland Acorn Elementary School, enjoying the mixing sounds of the live drummers, chants calling for clean air and healthy communities, and Scraper Bike music.

People came out of their homes to watch us go by; some just staring, others waving or dancing as they accepted the census fliers handed to them by the Youth Uprising folks.

There were several booths set up at Acorn Woodland Elementary School. Most were environmental justice organizations, including High School Green Club Students from CBITS, EOSA, LeadPS, and LPS on the Castlemont Campus. They showed off the chickens they raised since they hatched, and helped other people plant cilantro, chili, pea, watermelon, tomato and flower seeds.

Performances started with a blessing and dances by a group of Aztec dancers. There were also singing and step performances by Master’s Seal Youth Group from Master Seal Baptist Church, and the Encompass Academy Drill Team, as well as a performance by Original Scraper Bikes.

Ana Orozco, Organizer with CBE, said “Too often Earth Day celebrations don’t take place in our communities; low-income communities, communities of color, in the communities that CBE works with. As an Environmental Justice Organization we felt it was important to host our own Earth Day event, and focus on the theme of Environmental Justice, which is the idea that all people have the right to clean air, and to drink clean water, regardless of race, age, creed, or sexual orientation. Clean air and clean drinking water is a basic human right, and all too often in our low-income communities of color we have to fight for those rights that more affluent communities take for granted.”

Orozco also said a lot of people, including President Obama, are talking about green jobs, and that there is a lot funding for different cities that want to start green jobs in their communities.

“Green jobs is basically a job that doesn’t contribute to pollution that causes climate change; a job that actually is an alternative to mainstream uses of energy, for example. These are the kinds of jobs we want to bring in to East Oakland. Green jobs is a broad idea, and covers lots of different kinds of jobs. It’s not limiting.”

And speaking about the 2nd Annual “Love Yo Mama” Earth Day event, Nehanda Imara, also an Organizer with CBE said, “It’s a well-rounded event and it shows that East Oakland matters.”