It is screamed and shouted from every corner and offered as a solution to the countless woes of the city of Oakland – Oakland needs work! And not just any jobs, but “good” jobs that will sustain its families and feed its children for the long term. 

Although Bay Area temperatures have been below normal this summer, Youth UpRising will still hold its annual “Hotter Than July Block Party” this Friday, July 23, at its state-of-the-art youth center at 8711 MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland.

By Jess Watson

Local volunteers recently converged on a vacant lot at Seminary and Macarthur to install a native wildflower garden under the benevolent gaze of the freshly painted Egyptian deity Ptah Hotep.

Saturday in the Laurel District was part art festival, block party and community farmer’s market, which featured a live Hawaiian hip-hop graffiti, South American world grooves and a Tongan pig roast.

The first-ever Black Agriculture Summit is being held at the Elihu Harris California State Building Auditorium in downtown Oakland from 1 PM to 4:30 PM today.

Story by Jennier Inez Ward, Photos by Stefan Armijo

The anger and frustration began building slowly Friday afternoon in East Oakland as word of the verdict spread and settled in.

And despite their disappointment at what they viewed as an unjust verdict, folks want to stay positive in this part of town.

The HOPE Collaborative (Health for Oakland’s People and Environment) is a new organization that aims to transform food and fitness in Oakland and improve quality of life in the city’s poorest neighborhoods.

 Upinde ROOTS, a project of Urban VOICE, is a $20 interactive workshop on using self-watering containers called EarthBoxes.

Photos courtesy of Oakland Food Connection

Jason Harvey, founder of the Oakland Food Connection is aiming for a fruitful summer. In the works are three new gardens, a revamped website, community events, food parties and a booth at the Eat Real festival.

Last Friday evening, it took a little bit of effort to navigate to Irish Monkey Cellars -- but I'm glad I went. The third Friday of every month, this small Oakland winery hosts "Wine Soaked Fridays" -- a casual event featuring locally produced wine and local musicians.

"It's basically just a chance to share the common enjoyment of hanging out," says owner/winemaker Bob Lynch. "People meet friends here."

About 40 people attended a recent meeting to study how new city zoning would affect East Oakland, though some residents wanted more immediate solutions for the economically depressed area.