We had an amazing Block Party in our neighborhood on Saturday. Our NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council) for Police Beat 27X is called Melrose High Hopes. It was our seventh annual Block Party, and my first. Kayla helped me collect signatures from neighbors to get clearance from the City of Oakland to block off the street from traffic. We met some wonderful and eclectic neighbors for the first time. Our Block Party had live R&B and Hip Hop Music, hundreds of hot dogs and sodas, face painting, the bug people, ideas for green living, arts and crafts booths and much more. Damon Snyder contributed at the bike booth by repairing a series of bikes owned by children and adults. It was great to see people come together for a good cause, for our neighborhood. We'll post pictures soon.
Enjoying life in the Shalom Community Center. Gettin to know the crew that hangs out on MacArthur in the 70's. Never a dull moment. One good thing is that people are finally realizing I don't hand out money.
I'm looking forward to the Melrose High Hopes NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council) Meeting for Beat 27X, where I have the honor of serving as the Vice Chair. We're working on unleashing a new website to better connect with neighbors, and we're throwing a Block Party on July 25. Now if we can only help out the Melrose Library that may soon be closed most of the week due to budget cuts.
Today you can open a Bay Area newspaper or online news source and find plenty of negative stories about East Oakland. Of course, most of them are true. A few minutes ago I read a story about two boys, ages 8 and 10, who tried to rob an ARCO gas station with a BB gun on 98th and International. It's depressing, and it is reality, just like the four police officers shot down at 74th and MacArthur, and just like Oscar Grant shot in the back by a BART police officer at the Fruitvale BART Station. I suppose we do need to know that these things happen.
However, what if at this time in East Oakland, we should also make a point to lift up the good things, the people who love this community and serve fellow humans day in and day out? I'd love to see a series of articles on the life and legacy of J. Alfred Smith Sr. of Allen Temple Baptist Church. If you haven't read his biography, On the Jericho Road, you should. What about the work with young people being done over at Youth Uprising? How about some stories on Harry Williams and his book, Straight Outta East Oakland, through his own Soul Shaker Publishing? What about neighborhood leaders volunteering their time and expertise to work with our NCPC's (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Councils), serving each police beat? What about Faith Network of the East Bay, connecting churches willing to serve with under-resourced public schools in the Flatlands?
Does more attention to the violence and crime sell newspapers? Or am I just on a kick to emphasize the good in the midst of the evil and there really is a balance in the local media?
When I leave my house I normally pass the corner of 50th and Foothill. It's about a block and a half away from our house. I always give the intersection a quick glance. For one thing I've joined Oakland's Adopt-A-Block program, so I've committed to picking up trash on that block. For another thing, a group of middle schoolers from Brentwood planted some tulip bulbs in an abandoned piece of dirt near the bus stop, and I can finally see them growing and peaking up out of the dirt.
The last reason I look is the one that disturbs me and the occasion for this post. We have what we call sideshows in East Oakland. Those of you from the area don't need further explanation, but I've found myself explaining what this word "sideshow" means to anyone from anywhere else. In the wee hours of the morning groups of people cruise through streets such as Foothill. Some people do donuts and some people ghost ride the whip (see on you tube). The next morning at our intersection you can see dark circles of tire marks from donuts. Street signs might be missing or broken. The corner laundromat has a big dent out of the brick post in the front of the building. Occasionally you can read about a shooting or serious accident that occurred at 3 AM at a sideshow. One of my friends who sits on the Steering Committee of our local NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council) is considering getting dual pane windows so she doesn't have to hear the noises in the middle of the night.
Recently I stood close to a young man with two children at a clothing store. He talked to a friend on the phone as he held the hands if two toddlers. I couldn't help but overhear as he explained in detail how someone shot at him and his friends the night before at a sideshow.
Sideshows are old news, and it's something we talk about a great deal at our NCPC meetings, but I am amazed that law enforcement is not able to make them stop. It just goes on and on, weekend after weekend, year after year. I partly wrote this to vent, but I'm also looking for some creative ways to address this issue as we seek healing and wholeness in Oakland. Anyone have an idea?
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