tagged w/ Oakland
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Projet En Vue is documenting and sharing the stories of Oakland residents. Visit us at www.projetenvue.org
And can you describe the neighborhood where you grew up?
Oooh, yeah. I grew up, let's see. Between birth and the age of eleven, um, on the south side of Chicago, but it was, like, a good neighborhood. It was more older families there. A really quiet block in the neighborhood called Chatham-Avalon. And then after that I moved further south-east over to Lakeshore. And it was, um... It was kind of a culture shock for me, because I had to transfer schools. This is sixth grade and, like, the kids were selling drugs, doing drugs, and that was just so - Like, it wasn't what I was used to, you know? I was still playing with my Barbie, you know? (laughs) So, I was really sheltered, too. So it was just really different. The neighborhood was, uh - So that was from eleven to eighteen. And so that's really where I grew up, you know? 'Cause those are the years you're really growing and finding yourself and everything. So I grew up there, um, and the neighborhood was - It was violent. And, uh... (sighs) It was real, though. It was - It was a sense of reality on the south side of Chicago.
Being around a peaceful neighborhood, you know, seeing people respect one another, that lasted in me, you know? Um... Because I didn't - It made me see the difference. It made me see that, you know, this is not for me. I'm not violent. It's just not natural to me, and I was called "too nice" a lot, you know? So I had to learn that you can't really be overly nice to everybody, you know, in that - In this new neighborhood. I had to learn that the hard way because I was just - I was nice and I wanted that to - I wanted to leave an impression on the girls in my neighborhood. Like, I adopted all the kids on my block, you know. Like, they were my play-kids, you know? And I just wanted to leave a good impression and let them see something different.
It was just me and my sisters and my mom and I just - We never really got along. You know? Even at eleven, I just - I think I really grew up kind of lonely, with this lonely feeling, feeling really different from them. Which I was and am really different from them. And, um, that kind of made my feel like, um, I was on my own. And my mother was, um... She was on her own for the first time. So I really grew up with, uh, having to look out for myself, having to shape my own mind, having to kind of raise myself because I kind of got neglected being the baby I guess. And, um, that's something I've had to really understand and accept in, like - In the recent years it hasn't bothered me as much as it has my whole life. But that's led me to be a more radical person, more radical thinker, and be outside of these boxes that most people are in.
Uh, I think the first thing I wanted to be was a ballerina, of course. And then I used to want to be a waitress just because I used to walk around the house and balance, like, as many things as I could on my hand. I used to think that was a really cool thing. But then more seriously I wanted to be - By, like, eleven I knew I wanted to be an architect. And I used to sit up and draw blueprints and things like that, but uh... Mmm... Just due to where I think my mother's own barriers were, she - She told me that it wasn't a good idea and that because I was a woman and because I was black that it - I probably - I wouldn't be successful in it at all. And so that - I threw that in the garbage. Like, 'OK, well...' That's my mother. I'm eleven. So of course I'm gonna listen to her. Like, 'Oh, you know, she knows.' And that's probably due to her upbringing and the time that she grew up in and the society and the way they've treated black people and women. You know. That's doubly oppressed. So, um, I took that. So I left that alone. I used to fantasize also about being a singer as a child, too. I just never felt that - That I would ever do that. All my sisters sang, and I'm like, 'I'm not doing that.' And then that's what I end up actually doing. You know. (laughs) And I never thought that I'd do it. I used to fantasize about it and then I finally got there.
What was the first thing you noticed when you got here?
I got here and the first thing I noticed is my interactions with people. The people. That's really what I love most about Oakland is Oakland's people. They are very different to me than anywhere else. You can have a conversation with just about anybody and you can probably make friends with just about anybody, you know? It's just more free, you know? I just feel like it's in the air, that type of freedom is. And I needed that.
I've grown so much since I got here, period. I've done a lot of shedding since I - And I've been here half a year. So I think that definitely Oakland has helped me blossom more, basically. Helped me blossom more. Way more. You know, open up more and give myself, which is something I had been holding back for a long time. I give me: Wisdom. You know? And everybody needs that. And I think I'm full of that and am gaining more as I go.
I see myself leaving an impression in a number of ways. Um, I see my music going really far, and um... I'm taking my time with it. I definitely see myself as a leader who wants to make others aware that they are also leaders, and, um, I think most of my focus at this time is on my own people and raising the consciousness and making them aware that the journey to knowledge of self is necessary. So I see myself leaving a strong impression on every person that I meet, and so it's my duty to make sure that I'm meeting people and doing my duty and building with the young girls and building, you know, with the women and the people I come in contact with and telling them the truth as I see it and what I've learned through this culture, which is a lot.
When I walk down the street and I see some girls, I'll stop and I'll talk to them, and I'll talk to them about things that most people aren't going to really talk to them about.
Like what?
Like the fact that they're Eurocentric. The fact that they have no knowledge of their history, of their heritage. That they are being - Their minds are being led by the media. Their thoughts aren't their own, you know? The devil teaches lies from very early on and so early on that you don't even see that your mind is filled with hate. Self-hatred. Right now I'm a student to nutrition and learning healthier eating, and that's also something that I plan to teach the people in this community because, you know, we're being killed off in so many ways.
So I tell girls to always question. Ask why. Don't be comfortable with everything that you see in front of you, you know? Look outside of that. You know? Dig deep. You know? That's naturally who I've always been, and I'd like to see people, um, know themselves, know who they are, know their history, so that they can be powerful.
I have had a couple different experiences. I've had experiences where they get upset and they don't want to hear what I'm saying. But the good experiences that I've had, they're usually with children. Children are - They don't have as much weight on them as adults do, as even teenagers do. Um... Their minds aren't boxed yet. Planting the seed of the truth is really all I - All I wish to do. Um... And if someone else comes along and they water it and then that person decides to apply it... Well, that's what I'd like, you know, but my duty's just to plant the seed.
http://kck.st/HOhPv2
See the full interview at www.projetenvue.org/wisdomProjet En Vue is documenting and sharing the stories of Oakland residents. Visit us at... more
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19 days ago
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Here is a link to a rare interview with one of Oaklands Occupy Lead organizers from Projet En Vue.
www.projetenvue.org
Well, to revolt for a life worth living, like the first banner that Occupy Oakland ever created for the first march in the week and a half that the camp was there, before the first raid, that's kind of why I'm here. Revolt for a life worth living. And, you know, we gotta spring forward, take back every park that we ever had, 'cause it's ours anyway. This is all the common space. And any time any of our comrades in other places or other cities get fucked up, we're going to be there to support them. It comes down to that. And, you know, no matter what, solidarity. I may not agree with every tactic, they may not agree with every tactic. It doesn't matter. Solidarity.
Yeah, I've been here the whole time, so it's, like, (laugh) - Well, you know, like, let me put it this way, like: Planning for the general strike, like, trying to set up a nice day of events and all this other shit and then a hundred thousand people showing up? And I'm like, that's pretty crazy, 'cause nobody will tell you that, honestly, that they were expecting those numbers. But, between that and, like - I mean, January 28th I was out with my parents, you know, when they started tear gassing in broad daylight and everything and I was like, 'Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?'
I always blame it on the police, that's the ultimate thing. And, also, it's like, what's funny is that the rest of the world seems really surprised by what they did to us in Oakland, yet all of us in the camps were like, 'Oh shit, the cops are gonna kick our asses soon, we gotta get ready.' 'Cause OPD sucks and we all know that, unlike in many other cities where they may be privileged enough to have a police department, we don't. And most of the police department isn't even from Oakland. Seven percent of OPD are actually Oakland residents, apparently. Some statistic I heard.
The day of the first raid - I got arrested at the first raid on the camp of Occupy Oakland, and I remember uh, the LRAD weapon that they used for, like, two - twice, right? It's, like, Pow! Big sound cannon. I was, like, holy shit! This just got real, you know? And then I look down and there's laser sights on me, I'm, like, what the crap? And I turn around and I start running and rubber bullets start flying over me and, like, shit starts exploding. And that's when I was like, OK. Whether I like it or not, the cops have just made this a war zone. Better get used to it. (laugh) Like, and that's actually held through pretty much.
OPD manages to create any magical scenery that we manage to retake into a fucking warzone. And NYPD, I mean fucking A! Yeah, no. NYPD, there are fifty thousand of mother fuckers and they've got their own, like, FBI spy net, whatever thing, like, 'We gotta protect New York from any more Muslim terrorists!' Crap, like, NYPD is crazy. I mean, like, we - For us it's like, 'Oh, let's go take the streets, why the fuck not?' They weren't even allowed to march in the streets most of the time until they finally took the Brooklyn Bridge and got fucked up again, like, fucking A. I mean, again, it's, like, par for the course. I'm not going to say that I'm surprised at police brutality 'cause cops are pigs, but it's also - It's also, like, nobody should have to go through that. Especially- Nobody should have to be in a seizure for fifteen minutes while handcuffed and receive no aid or support. Like As a basic human being, like, that's what happened yesterday. A woman was either beaten too badly - I'm not really sure of all the stats on it, but she was not given aid and was left on the ground in a seizure for fifteen minutes. Somebody - Somebody's head was smacked so hard against a department store window that all the glass is still cracked. Like, there's no reason for any of that. There's no reason for any of that. I mean, you're trying to, like, what? Subdue people so they don't actually come out and protest something that actually, like, fights for their interests too? These guys are absolute pigs and monsters, and anybody who's part of the police-industrial complex, whatever the hell you want to call it, it's systems of domination that are eating away at them and breaking us in the interim. (laugh) We're gonna have to keep fighting back.
How do you think the movement has changed since it started?
Well, it finally goat a little bit less white and middle class, that's what I like about Occupy Oakland, like (laugh) - My favorite thing is that we've actually tied together, like, stances against police brutality as well as many other causes. Occupy's become the umbrella for foreclosure defense, for food justice, for what have you. But police brutality, recognizing that no matter what society you're in, the police exist as an organized body to sup - Like, basically maintain a monopoly on organized violence, shit ain't gonna be good. When you have absolute power, absolute power corrupts absolutely. We see it in jail all the time, the way they arbitrarily throw people in solitary for giggling when they're getting patted down because they're like, 'This is an absolute violation of my rights, but all I can do - My defense mechanism is laughing at how absurdly wrong this is.' You know? And, like, fuck this rights discourse. The only rights we have are the ones that we can actually assert and fight for. Everything else is just something on paper that they'll, you know, make up a new law to tomorrow to take away. Like - (laugh)
For more from Projet En Vue, visit www.projetenvue.org
For more information about our project, visit http://kck.st/HOhPv2Here is a link to a rare interview with one of Oaklands Occupy Lead organizers from... more
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27 days ago
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Bubb Rubb, Oakland, California. West Oakland, California. Twenty-first and Myrtle. I was born at the mansion, Granny Pearl's house. I grew up in, uh, West Oakland, Laurel Bottoms, Cyber Village, Acorn, Camel Village, Seventh Street down there - You know, the Boondocks.
Projet En Vue: What's the best advice you ever got?
Uh, the best advice I ever got was, uh, do it real live. Whatever you do, do it real live!
You know, I bumped into KRA and Channel 4 News, aired that, and I was on Tribune, I did a Playstation commercial, been on BET, did videos, I finna be on Tosh two-point-oh, did a whole bunch of songs, I rap and all kinds of shhh you know... Oakland celebrity. Didn't make it too far with T-shirt, Bubb Rubb, all of that. That's my big bruh right there!
Big Bruh: Howdy, howdy!
You know... You know I got famous off the woo woo!
Big Bruh: Tell it like it is!
All the time! If I don't get it right I don't know who will. But I'ma get it right.
You didn't hear it from me, you heard it from Bubb Rubb. And, you know, I evolve like Pokemon, so my name is now Toyoshi Cold Bubblebath.
To listen to the audio from this interview, visit http://projetenvue.org/subb-Rubb-aka-Toyoshi-Cold-Bubblebath
To learn more about Projet En Vue, visit www.kck.st/HOhPv2Bubb Rubb, Oakland, California. West Oakland, California. Twenty-first and Myrtle. I... more
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www.kck.st/HOhPv2
I was born in Arlington, Virginia and then I moved to Montana when I was four. I've always been obsessed with wildlife, so that was awesome. My mom is totally nature-obsessed. And so growing up she would refuse to get a dog. We were the only Montana family without a dog, because Montana's very dog-oriented. And my mom refused to get one because she never wanted to fence our back yard, um, because we had deer that nested in our yard. And (laughs) there are deer all over the place in Montana, but my mom is Chilean and she wasn't used to them. But she would get so excited by every deer that we saw. She'd, like, pull the car over and be like, 'Deer! Deer!' People thought she was totally nuts, but anyway we had all these deer that ended up growing up in our yard because we were the only yard without a fence. And that's very Montana to me.
I love Montana. I think it is one of the most magical places. It's so big and there are so few people, uh, but it's also so small. I mean, it's a very tight community that I left, and a lot of people don't leave because it's so comfortable. But I knew I had to. We - Turner and I graduated school together and we knew we had to leave soon before we fell into a rut of comfortability. And truthfully it was either Portland or Oakland.
What's the first thing you noticed?
In Oakland? Oh my gosh this is funny! So, there are no earthquakes in Missoula, and we had kind of spaced the fact that there were earthquakes here. And then the day we pulled into Oakland we were like, 'Oh my gosh there are earthquakes here.' And then we were laughing about it. And then that day two earthquakes happened and we were like, 'Oh my gosh! They're way more common than we thought!' That's my first memory of Oakland.
What are you passionate about these days?
Juice boxes. Nah, I'm just kidding. Although I feel I have been a lot, very passionate about childish things. Which is funny, 'cause I feel like I should be growing up but in a lot of ways I'm regressing. But I felt (laughs) - Um, I'm super passionate about literature. I studied literature and I have always been the most avid reader, but it feels so good to be reading on my own time now. I never stop. It's like, if I am separated from reading material I feel funny.
What are you most proud of?
(pause) My heritage I think. I - another funny thing about being from Montana is that there's no diversity. I am a Chilean Jew and it's amazing. There's a lot of - It's just a fun - It's a rich history. And I was always, like, the Cultural One in my friend group at home. And it kind of made me embrace it more. Like, my mom was the one who taught Spanish to my friends and also who taught us what Hanukkah was when I was a little girl and who made us latkes.
You were talking a little bit ago about how you feel like you're regressing even though you feel you feel like you should be growing up.
I've made a lot of friends just by being kind of childish and forward and that sort of thing. But it hasn't seemed to be very negative in my life. I've become really more passionate about animals. Like, I want to cry sometimes when I see bums with dogs. And I've always been really emotional about animals, but I feel like that's a childish reaction to have, almost, that I should have under control. And for some reason it's gotten a lot stronger here.
Maybe it's 'cause I've always been small. (laughs) When I was born I had tiny hands and feet, and the doctors told my mom I was gonna be a midget and she didn't believe it. And they're like, 'No, she really is going to be. Her hands and feet are proportionately really unproportional. They're very small.' And my mom's just like, 'Psh. Whatever.' And I wasn't. But maybe part of that.
I'm not very good at a lot of things. I'm not very good with my hands, like, doing um... You know, manual labor and that sort of thing. So I've relied on people a lot in my life for those things. And maybe that's kind of stunted my ability to grow up in some ways. But I don't think it's been - Done irreversible damage in any way.
What's the hardest thing you've ever gone through?
I feel really lucky. I feel like maybe I haven't had a hardest moment yet. Truthfully. My parents had a really unhappy marriage, but it never affected me as much as it should have maybe. I have an older sister and she left and she didn't see any of it, really - Or, she didn't see the divorce. So I think looking back on it, seeing how unhappy my mom was, was probably the hardest thing that I've gone through. It's just that it didn't register until later. So, you know, I think if it had registered as serious as it does sometimes when I think about it now it would have been really really hard then. But I was going through a totally self-centered adolescent phase when it was all happening and, um, I didn't get it. But now when I think about how unhappy my mom was and I was the only one there to see it, that was definitely difficult.
I have become really sick of how disillusioned people are about love and about relationships. Um, because it seems like everyone I talk to had parents who were in an unhappy marriage and now they're all sick of it. And none of them want to try it. And I do. I want - (laughs) I feel the opposite. I really want to make it work. I want to prove that people can be happy together. And that it can be cute. And people can be really healthy for each each other, and I just hope that that doesn't become a trend in the world. I think a lot of people put barriers between themselves and who they have feelings for just because they don't think it can work, you know. And I want to prove that wrong. I think allowing yourself to trust someone and to be happy with someone is amazing. It's a beautiful thing.
To see more interviews, go to www.projetenvue.org
To help us create a photo book featuring fifty portraits of Oakland residents, visit www.kck.st/HOhPv2www.kck.st/HOhPv2
I was born in Arlington, Virginia and then I moved to Montana... more
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My name is Dillan Anthony. I was born in Vietnam, in 1990. In Saigon. My dad is an immigrant from - So from Vietnam we flew to the Philippines and then from the Philippines we moved to North Dakota and I lived there for a little time. We moved to Long Beach, California when I was about two.
Um, I’m passionate about modeling. That’s what I want to do, to be honest, with my life. Um, but, it’s hard to try to break into the modeling industry if you’re not tall and skinny, so I’m just trying to find my niche.
When I was in high school, I believe, I went to, like, this modeling school and everything and my dad paid for it. And I was all, like, this is what I want to do with my life. Because, being a model you don’t have to think or talk, you just kind of have to just walk down the runway and look pretty and that’s the only thing I’m good at. (laughs) Sad to say. Maybe I think it’s just who I am. I didn’t really have any, uh, support when I was growing up, so I guess I’m just not that confident but that’s kind of, like, an oxymoron since you have to be confident if you’re a model and you have to strut down the runway.
My dad was a working dad. He had to support three kids and my mom left my family when I was, like, in third grade, so I kinda had to take care of the family and, um, I barely saw my dad. And I kind of just was on my own, basically. I didn’t really have any guidance. Basically I became the mother, so...
I think last year, July the Fourth was the first time I dressed up as a woman and went out to a party. It was July the Fourth and me and my friends were going out to a celebration for the Independence Day. And I was wearing my friend’s - Annie. I was wearing her Bare Mineral makeup. And I borrowed a dress from my roommate, and it was, like, a Little Bo Peep dress. (laughs) And I was so terrified to walk out the street because I thought that I was going to get gay bashed or hurt in some way. But, you know, walking down - My friends were all supportive and they said, ‘You know, no one’s gonna even notice that you’re a boy in a dress. You’re just so beautiful that people will think you’re a girl. And I just walked out the door and walked to the party and everyone was really surprised to find out that I was a boy when I got there, so I was - I was really satisfied with the reaction I got from the public.
To read more of Dillan's story, visit www.projetenvue.org/dillan-anthony
To learn more about Projet En Vue, visit www.kck.st/HOhPv2http://i2.crtcdn1.net/images/spacer.gif
My name is Dillan Anthony. I was born in... more
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Click here! http://kck.st/HOhPv2
Projet En Vue is documenting the unseen faces and unheard voices of Oakland through 35mm photography and audio interviews.Click here! http://kck.st/HOhPv2
Projet En Vue is documenting the unseen faces and... more
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https://vimeo.com/40258926
Who we are
We are a photographer and an oral historian living in Oakland, CA. Oakland is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in America, and yet outsiders are mostly familiar with it due to its reputation for being poor, dangerous, and violent.
What are we doing
We are walking around Oakland with a camera and a voice recorder, interviewing the citizens of Oakland. Our conversations range from five to thirty minutes and don’t have any particular theme. Our goal is to paint a portrait of them as an individual. We want to know where they came from, what they are most proud of, where they see themselves in ten years, and what they are most passionate about, among other things.
Why are we doing it
In this era of advanced technology, we are increasingly connected to a global network of people, yet we are losing our connection to those closest to us. Because of this, we are becoming increasingly isolated from our own humanity. The simple mission of Projet En Vue is to bring people together with different perspectives and life experiences in order to create a greater narrative of community as well as what it means to be human in the modern world.
What we hope to accomplish
Our goal is to create fifty in-depth, intimate portraits of Oakland residents through audio interviews and 35mm photography. These portraits will be featured on our website but we plan to self-publish a full-color photo book in order to have a tangible manifestation of our project. The books will be printed locally using sustainable materials. Our book will help to change Oakland's reputation and will create a sense of pride among Oakland residents.
How You Can Help
In order to realize our goals, we need your financial support. Your money will go to the initial production costs of our book. Our book will be printed a local print shop that uses 100% recycled papers using soy-based, zero-VOC cmyk inks (no animal parts) and recycled black ink, plus animal-free book binding.
If we surpass our goal we will be able to take our project to galleries, schools, and community centers in Oakland to engage more people in our project. These exhibitions will feature beautiful prints of the photos from our project along with interactive audio installations.
We will also be able to become a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which will allow us to expand our ever-growing network of volunteers and participants.
Help us realize our dream of a beautiful full-color photo book written by, for, and about Oakland residents. Donate to our campaign now!https://vimeo.com/40258926
Who we are
We are a photographer and an oral... more
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1 month ago
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The Bee Healthy Honey Shop is located at 2950 Telegraph Ave.
Can you describe the neighborhood where you grew up?
It’s like a good community. People care for one another and like a big family, the neighbors. Everybody knows each other. And that’s all I can remember.
When did you come to the United States?
1986.
Why did you immigrate?
Why did I come?
Yeah.
I came to - I learned about the beekeeping, and I heard a lot about California as good for bees and all that stuff. And my goal was to come and study about the bees in California. My dad was a beekeeper. I learned from him a lot, and it was a good opportunity because he passed away. He’s the first one to introduce the modern American-style hive to Yemen, ‘cause he studied about them in Egypt back in 1948, I believe-
read more on www.projetenvue.orgThe Bee Healthy Honey Shop is located at 2950 Telegraph Ave.
Can you describe the... more
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Oakland's Oaksterdam University was taken over by federal officials Monday.
Officers wearing U.S. Marshals, IRS and DEA jackets swarmed the Oakland medical marijuana facility on Broadway before 8 a.m. Investigators put yellow crime tape around the entire building.
The nearby Oaksterdam Museum was also being blocked off, according to NBC Bay Area's Christie Smith, as was the Oaksterdam gift shop and the Oakland Cannabis Buyers Cooperative.
In all, at least four locations were sealed off by the feds.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Oaksterdam-University-Raided-by-Feds-145765015.htmlOakland's Oaksterdam University was taken over by federal officials Monday.... more
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Projet En Vue is an online installation featuring the true perspective of Oakland and its Inhabitants in an honest, aesthetically tasteful manner. http://projetenvue.org/
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WHO WE ARE:
We are a photographer and an oral historian living in Oakland, CA. Oakland is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse communities in America, and yet outsiders are mostly familiar with it due to its reputation for being poor, dangerous, and violent.
WHAT WE DO:
We are walking around Oakland with a camera and a voice recorder, interviewing the citizens of Oakland. Our conversations range from five to thirty minutes and don’t have any particular theme. Our goal is to paint a portrait of them as an individual. We want to know where they came from, what they are most proud of, where they see themselves in ten years, and what they are most passionate about, among other things.
WHY:
In this era of advanced technology, we are increasingly connected to a global network of people, yet we are losing our connection to those closest to us. Because of this, we are becoming increasingly isolated from our own humanity. The simple mission of Projet En Vue is to bring people together with different perspectives and life experiences in order to create a greater narrative of community as well as what it means to be human in the modern world. We want to do this through a variety of means, both in our own communities and around the world.
IN THE FUTURE:
Closest to home, we want to create a series of interactive exhibitions that will feature fifty portraits of Oakland residents who differ in a variety of ways but who all share a sense of pride in the community. We will bring these exhibitions to local schools, community centers, and galleries to engage people in our work. These events will feature large photographic portraits of the people that we interviewed, along with interactive audio installations that we will commission local artists to design and produce.
A series of zines (24 to 30 pages each) and a full-color photo book will allow Projet En Vue to have a national impact. The photo book will feature beautiful portraits from our interviews, along with the accompanying text. The zines and the book will be printed locally with soy-based inks, recycled paper, and animal-free binding and will be a tangible manifestation of our project.
Finally, our website will help us create a global impact with our work. The website is already being created and is where we feature the photographs, audio, and text. Our multi-media approach to these portraits creates a visceral and deeply emotional experience for the viewer.Projet En Vue is an online installation featuring the true perspective of Oakland and... more
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The NYCLU responded today to March 17th's New York Police attacks on citizens and their Constitution in a scathing press release denouncing an out of control police department. That sounds eerily familar.
'March 19, 2012
In response to a weekend of arrests and the closure of Zuccotti Park by the NYPD, New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman issued the following statement:
"The NYPD has once again responded to political protest with the closure of a public forum, arrests and, according to press and eye-witness accounts, violence against journalists and political dissidents.
If one didn't know better, it would seem that Oakland's Police Department had decided to move to, if not greener, then certainly larger, pastures. Let's review the evidence....
http://tinyurl.com/7s3ram9The NYCLU responded today to March 17th's New York Police attacks on citizens and... more
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Snowy owls soar south from Arctic in rare mass migration
Egyptians move to reclaim streets through graffiti
Police fire tear gas at Oakland, 200 arrestedSnowy owls soar south from Arctic in rare mass migration
Egyptians move to reclaim... more
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You have to listen to hot new hip hop artist STeaDY! STeaDY (aka Zach Wada) who created an initial following in the Midwest but is also burning up the Urban scene in the Bay Area. His first single "Usual" was produced by up and coming producer, Kyle Cecil for Hella Melody Productions. With a raspy tone and original lyrics STeaDy’s sound is unique and unforgettable. STeaDY’s music is ready for the streets,and he lives by the motto…"I make feel good music, let everyone else follow trends."
Check out his single on iTunes and hit him up Facebook and
Twitter (steady314)You have to listen to hot new hip hop artist STeaDY! STeaDY (aka Zach Wada) who... more
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Performing arts at schools, along with other educational programs and services, are being cancelled because of additional state budget cuts. In the wake of these cuts, students are left to their own devices and must look elsewhere to cultivate their talents and dreams.
We need to do something about it?!
Check out this video of Allison Jones, a student at Skyline High School in Oakland, who marshals through such obstacles with music. She sings Lauryn Hill's "Miseducation."
http://gunandagirl.com/videos/miseducation/Performing arts at schools, along with other educational programs and services, are... more
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This disturbing video clip shows Occupy Oakland protester and three-tour Iraq war veteran Kayvan Sabehgi in an altercation with riot police on October 2. The Guardian posted the clip late last week and reported that Sabehgi suffered a ruptured spleen as a result of the beat-down captured here, and that Oakland police say they are looking into the incident.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/another_vet_struck_down_by_police_in_oakland_20111121This disturbing video clip shows Occupy Oakland protester and three-tour Iraq war... more
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The “Black Bloc’s” Tactics are Hurting the Occupy Movement
by Sheila Musaji
When I heard about violence and vandalism during a recent Occupy Oakland demonstration, I was horrified. The Occupy Movement has so far been very much a non-violent movement across the country.
As I attempted to understand exactly what had happened and who was responsible, the term “black bloc” came up, and I admit that I knew little about these folks.
I asked Rashid Patch (who has been regularly attending Occupy Oakland and also writing articles about events there) what he knew about them. Here is the response that he sent to me
They are called the “black faction” because they dress entirely in black, usually wear bandanas or scarves to cover their face. I don’t know if they chose the name themselves, or if it’s a name others gave them. They are punk-anarchist, political enough to claim anarchism as justification for taking drugs, acting out, and generally giving people a hard time.
Mostly young, street-punks or wannabees; 50 years ago, they’d have been called alienated youth, or juvenile delinquents. Basically, these are kids who have been so trodden upon that they are desperate; so they become desparados. Angry, uncaring, sadly damaged, they are the people who were never socialized, perhaps barely housebroken. Often seriously abused as children, they are responding in kind to the world.
Not as organized as a gang, but if they were less nihilist, they’d probably form a gang. Very easily infiltrated and influenced by provocateurs, but they are prone to vandalism and violence entirely by themselves. They like breaking windows and burning cars, for it’s own sake, so doing it with political justification is really fun. These are the kind of people who turn into Charlie Mansons - or followers of the Charlie Mansons.
Some of them are astonishingly intelligent, brilliantly creative, and terribly, terribly bitter about every aspect of life. They are a symptom of society’s madness and violence. Some of them take on that role consciously, and argue with great fervor that their vandalism is a logical political response to the conditions of their life - that violence is the only rational response to a pathological society. They are the De Sade’s of the present revolution.
Some may mature into creative and productive people. Some will self-destruct. Some may have to be forcibly restrained - and make no mistake, restraining them at all will entail extreme force. A number of Occupy Oakland people were beaten up when they attempted to stop vandalism by “black faction” members. How the Occupy / 99% movement takes responsibility for the “black faction”, and how it controls them, will be a sign of it’ maturity.
I did a little more research and discovered that Occupy Oakland protestors had attempted to stop the black masked group from breaking windows and engaging in violent behavior at the Whole Foods Store in Oakland. You can see a video clearly showing this here.
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There is a lot more at the url with links to related articles.
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the-black-bloc/0018863The “Black Bloc’s” Tactics are Hurting the Occupy Movement
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Around 5:00 p.m. PST Oakland’s Mayor Jean Quan and her fellow officials held a press conference.
They said that the city had sustained minimal damage during the day’s protest, but that the police were calling in reinforcements from other cities anyway. She also said that the crowds preparing to march on the Port of Oakland were peaceful.
Most importantly, she said there were only around 4,500 marchers. According to pictures, and reports from other media outlets, to us, that estimate seems low.
From here in New York, we at Business Insider watched the protests escalate from a peaceful demonstration, to a powerful show of frustration from police, occupiers, and Oakland residents. There were fires, there was tear gas, and there were people who got very badly hurt. You can see it all in these photos from the Associated Press.
Last night the Occupation showed that it is a force to be reckoned with. That, if it so desires, it can put enough people on the street to cause chaos. Bodies, after all are power. But that power comes at a cost, not just to the city of Oakland, but to the public’s perception of the occupation.
Listen: stay peaceful.Around 5:00 p.m. PST Oakland’s Mayor Jean Quan and her fellow officials held a... more
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An excerpt:
…the reason the Occupiers have changed attitudes in politicians, or at least become a nagging presence in the back of would-be-austerians minds, is a bluntly traditional reason. It is the same reason politicians have always responded to “street heat.” Politicians see a crowd, and count votes. Not just the votes of the people in the protesting crowd—the count two votes, ten votes, a hundred votes for every member in a protesting crowd. They understand people willing to undergo hardship—certainly people willing to make the awesome commitment to keep and hold public space—as people with the motivation to influence voters around them….
…If sustaining a physical presence in public space is your political goal, well, then we can be very, very happy. But that is not my political goal.
If figuring out nifty new ways for large groups to make democratic decisions is your political goal, then we can be very, very happy. But that is not my political goal. My goal is…economic justice.
Change, Occupiers, or die. Scare politicians. Systematically. Do politics—even if it means the messy of forming coalitions with the nasty organizations “that got us into this mess in the first place.” Human beings got us into this mess in the first place. And no one is saying we shouldn’t be working with them. Or if you are, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.An excerpt:
…the reason the Occupiers have changed attitudes in politicians,... more
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