Article by Eric K Arnold.
Last updated at Wed, 8 Sep at 7:19am.

With paint-speckled pants and sneakers, the TYS crew – or at least its Bay Area representatives – assemble in front of their instantly-iconic mural of Oscar Grant on 17th street.

Article by Irene.
Last updated at Mon, 6 Sep at 7:59am.

What can a group of youth, government agencies, nonprofits and contractors accomplish with the right mix of power saws, hammers, pick axes and work gloves?

They can bring together a community and prepare a new generation of green urban architects.

Blog entry by Sara Knight.
Last updated at Mon, 6 Sep at 7:42am.

The Richmond Grows Seed Lending Library is offering a free seed-saving class from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30, to teach the community about how to successfully save seeds from produce you've grown (or would like to grow) in your garden.

Article by Tehea Robie.
Last updated at Fri, 3 Sep at 6:22am.

Matú Feliciano is an elder. She knows it, claims it, understands it. The weight of it, the mass, the influence - the experience has power. 

Article by Tymeesa Rutledge.
Last updated at Thu, 2 Sep at 6:58am.

More than 90 girls of color from around the Bay Area gathered at the inaugural G.U.R.L.S. Rock Summit Saturday, eager to learn and to be a part of a larger community. While entering the summit, I noticed that many of the girls were chit-chatting amongst themselves.

Blog entry by Paradise Love.
Last updated at Tue, 31 Aug at 7:21am.

As recently as 1995, poetry used to be a bad word … at least in these parts.

Poetry was for sissies. It had the rather corny, outdated image of "roses are red and violets are blue ... ." As president of the International Black Writers & Artists in Oakland, Local #5, I vowed to change that image, even if I had to be a Black Elvis Presley and do it all by myself!

Article by Eric K Arnold.
Last updated at Thu, 26 Aug at 1:19am.

During the last eight years, there hasn’t been much to cheer about for Oakland Raider fans.  The one consistent bright spot over the past seven consecutive losing seasons? The Raiderettes.  Football’s Fabulous Females, as they are often referred to, have been a silver-and-black lining to the storm clouds that have covered the franchise since its last trip to the playoffs, way back in 2002.

Article by Tehea Robie.
Last updated at Mon, 23 Aug at 7:55am.

It's Friday - time to let the hot blue flames lick you into a literary frenzy. And Femmes on Fire will take you there! 

Article by Tymeesa Rutledge.
Last updated at Mon, 23 Aug at 7:48am.

Being one of a few women in a male-dominated rap music industry - in one of the most independent music capitols of the world - can be overwhelming. Not for singer-songwriter Netta Brielle.

Article by Arielle Vaughan.
Last updated at Tue, 17 Aug at 7:02am.

Food always has a way of gathering people together, and oftentimes, uniting them as one – like family. This very concept is being used by local organizations, to feed mouths and ultimately to feed minds.

Article by Debi Mason.
Last updated at Tue, 17 Aug at 7:01am.

The West Oakland Education Brain Trust was established in 2009 to sustain and strengthen the varied assets of West Oakland families, community members and neighborhoods.

Blog entry by Oakland Local edi....
Last updated at Mon, 16 Aug at 7:59am.

One person’s cast-offs are often another person’s treasures.

Article by Alan Lopez.
Last updated at Mon, 16 Aug at 7:56am.

More than 40 residents attended a meeting last week to see two preliminary design concepts for a long-term road improvement project that would increase the safety on MacArthur Boulevard between Seminary Avenue and High Street.

Article by Tehea Robie.
Last updated at Thu, 12 Aug at 1:40pm.

The inwardly delicate nature of outwardly courageous people always surprises me, no matter how many times I notice it in myself and others. Philip Huang is fearless, balls out, practical cynicism.

Article by Mark Dungey.
Last updated at Fri, 6 Aug at 4:23am.

Jack London Square – Oakland’s often-overlooked hidden gem – is quietly enjoying the same renaissance the city has experienced in recent months.  While downtown Oakland is emerging as a sought after Bay Area locale for culinary delights, music and small art galleries, Jack London Square, and its bustling waterfront businesses, have not only endured, they’ve thrived … all this despite January’s loss of Barnes and Noble. 

Blog entry by SOpara.
Last updated at Wed, 4 Aug at 9:06am.

 

This past weekend, Oakland held its first ever BlackOUT, a LGBTQ Black Pride festival. This historical event was marked by fundraisers, workshops and a well-attended festival at Oakland’s Lake Merritt Park.