Oakland May Day March Brings Out Thousands to Advocate for Immigrant Rights (Community Voices)

Matt Werner Thu, 3 May at 1:44pm

May Day March for Dignity and Resistance in the Fruitvale District

May Day is traditionally a holiday celebrating springtime where people in many countries take to the streets to celebrate spring. In Oakland, California on May 1, 2012, thousands of Bay Area residents and progressive organizations turned out in an impressive march full of people celebrating their backgrounds and cultures while pushing for social change.

My Visit to "Occupy the Farm" at Gill Tract in Albany (Community Voices)

Matt Werner Thu, 3 May at 1:45pm

Occupy the Farm entrance on April 28, 2012

I visited the Gill Tract "Family Farm" events on Saturday, April 28. After reading the press about this latest occupation of University of California property, I was expecting to find Occupy anarchists with bandanas covering their faces planting marijuana. Instead, what I found were hundreds of local residents and UC Berkeley students and alumni planting rows of crops in an event that looked like the Solano Stroll meets the Ardenwood Farm.

Massive Turnout for April's Art Murmur (Community Voices)

Matt Werner Thu, 3 May at 1:47pm

Crowds gathering at 23rd and Telegraph on Friday, April 6

The biggest story of the night for Oakland's First Friday Art Murmur were the masses of people who turned out for what was likely the most popular Art Murmur to date.

Gertrude Stein put the There in Oakland

Matt Werner Sat, 11 Feb at 10:39pm

Gertrude Stein. (Courtesy Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.)

What exactly did renowned U.S. writer and art collector Gertrude Stein mean when she said “there is no there there” about Oakland, California? In honor of Gertrude Stein’s 138th birthday on February 3, we explore the meaning of this oft-quoted phrase.

Oakland's Nightlife Continues Despite Occupy Protest (Community Voices)

Matt Werner Thu, 3 May at 1:48pm

Pro Arts Gallery party next to Frank Ogawa Plaza on 1-28-2012

Inside Downtown Oakland's clubs, restaurants, and art galleries, January 28, 2012 was just another Saturday night in Oakland, California with live music, good eats, and warm atmosphere. But just a few blocks up the street, hundreds of police officers blocked off Broadway from 23rd to 25th Street. Nearly 300 of the 2,000 Occupy Oakland protesters were arrested in a day-long battle between protesters and police who used flash grenades, smoke grenades, and tear gas.

How researching Gertrude Stein got me tear gassed (Community Voices)

Matt Werner Sat, 11 Feb at 10:41pm

Gertrude Stein photo courtesy of the Oakland History Room, Oakland Public Library

Little did I know that researching for an essay on "Gertrude Stein's Oakland" would get me tear gassed today (Jan. 28, 2012). My day started innocent enough. I went to Bakesale Betty's for lunch. I then checked out the open art galleries near Downtown Oakland as part of the Saturday Stroll.

My visit to Occupy Oakland (Oct 28,2011) (Community Voices)

Matt Werner Thu, 3 May at 1:50pm

Call to join the General Strike by Soozarty, http://www.flickr.com/photos/52055911@N05/6297264975/in/photostream/

(Oakland, California: October 28, 2011) Riding my bike from West Oakland to Downtown Oakland tonight, I wondered what the Occupy Oakland protest would look like. The streets at 7:30pm on a Friday night looked too empty as I crossed under 580 on 7th Street.