Governor Brown has done it again. He has proposed in the state budget to close the Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) once and for all. The DJJ drains much-needed funds from our schools and vital community programs that would help California thrive. The youth prison system… Read more
When I was in the third grade, I had trouble reading. I mixed up letters and couldn’t spell to save my life. I soon found myself in special education courses. Most of the other students who were tracked in these classes were also poor boys of color. None of us… Read more
Watching the developments of the Occupy Oakland camp and activism over the past month has been at turns inspiring, complicated, challenging, and powerful. At times, it seems like finally the world is waking up to say people and our planet are more important than profits. And to demand that we… Read more
“If #occupyoakland was in Damascus, U.S. State department would be telling Wolf Blitzer how unacceptable it was to teargas peaceful marchers.”@techsoc
As two activists who have called Oakland home, we are appalled at the events of our city in the last 36 hours. Last night the country joined… Read more
Earlier this fall, Jakada Imani was appointed to the Port of Oakland Commission. Oakland City Council will be voting on his appointment on Tuesday, October 18th. In this blog, Jakada shares his vision for the Port and invites the Ella Baker Center Community to support his appointment. … Read more
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is opposed to the proposed youth curfew in Oakland. Read why and then find out how to stand with us.
While, we recognize and applaud the City Council’s commitment end violence in our city, we are deeply troubled by the proposed… Read more
This blog is part of our month-long series celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Submit your own anniversary memory or wish to ellasvoice@ellabakercenter.org.
Today we celebrate 15 years as the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. As you probably know, our… Read more
We’ve heard it before – “the green economy is here” and “green jobs are on the way!” At the Ella Baker Center, we put time, energy, and money into building training programs and promoting the idea of the “new,” green economy. Just a few years later, the economy crashed and… Read more
Levi was a kid I knew from my street. We were the same age, about the same height, and lived in the same neighborhood. I remember when he started skipping school to hang out on the corner of 64th and MacArthur in our East Oakland neighborhood. I would… Read more
I have been working as an advocate for incarcerated youth, adults and their families for a long time. Partly, this is why I am so inspired by the hundreds of prisoners who are risking their lives organizing a hunger strike at the Pelican Bay SHU. To… Read more
