Blog Posts
Shaking the Systems by Moving the Ground: Reflections on Ferguson
This essay was written by one of BOP’s members, Keith Snodgrass, a Missouri native. Below, he highlights the deep-seeded history of racist policing and connects to some of his own experiences with police terrorism.
OUSD to Eliminate Willful Defiance Discipline Policy But the Fight is Not Over
For the past year, BOP and other Bay Area community organizations have been pushing the Oakland school board to eliminate willful defiance from the district’s discipline policy. Data shows that willful defiance, a very broad category that has been used as grounds to discipline students, has led to the disproportionate suspension of Black students in
Parents Speak Out on Security Guards
By Kayla Humphreys On February 28th, I attended the Black Organizing Project’s listening session at McClymonds high school. 15-20 Black parents gathered in the game room to talk about the state of Oakland schools and how their students are being treated. There were also some students there, including myself. As I was sitting there, listening
The Prison Industrial Complex
By Ciara Smith I have noticed that Black people in my community are incarcerated more than other people because of our status, race and our backgrounds. The prison industrial complex criminalizes minorities purposefully for profit. It is evident that it is a modern day form of slavery. The United States’ unjust system uses methods such
When The Police Came to My House
When The Police Came to My House By Kayla Humphreys One day in the summer, my oldest brother, my cousins, my mom, and I were hanging outside of my mom’s house. While we were hanging out, outside of my mom’s house we had seen and heard the police was looking for two black men that
Security Guards on Camera
By Ciara Smith I read about a young man that attends Fremont high school who was physically abused by two security officers. It was caught on tape. There was only little punishment done to the officers, which was that they were suspended, compared to their out of control behavior. The tape was hidden for a
Welcome to the StoryBuilders Blog!
What is StoryBuilders? StoryBuilders is a storytelling program led by staff and members of the Black Organizing Project. StoryBuilder interns learn to deconstruct mainstream narratives while developing a variety of multimedia storytelling skills that they can use to tell a new story about Black youth. The program was developed out of the fundamental belief that
MLK Day 2015: Are we Free?
Written by Jasmine Jones, BOP Lead Organizer I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. On Friday I had a text message conversation with
OUSD School Board Candidates Respond to Questions About Policing Students & School Climate
On Thursday, October 16, the Black Organizing Project hosted an OUSD school board candidates forum with the Parent Action Leadership Network and Californians for Justice. This was an important opportunity for school board candidates to address critical questions and concerns from the community about their views for the future of Oakland schools. BOP’s Bettering Our
2014 OUSD School Board Candidates Forum
This Thursday, BOP, Californians for Justice, and Parent Action Leadership Network are hosting an Oakland School Board of Directors Candidates Forum at La Escuelita Elementary School to give community members an opportunity to hear from the candidates they’ll vote for to represent Oakland schools! Below is a list of the candidates who are running for
Blackness is a Threat in Itself
Michael Brown’s murder calls the question of how a young Black man could be unarmed, hands up in a position of absolute surrender and still be gunned down by police, his lifeless body left in the street for hours while police decide their next move? The answer is connected to a long historical context of
Voices on Police Violence
Perspectives around the murder of Mike Brown and overall trends of violent police attacks on Black people have been swirling. We talked to three people from our community who have experienced the impact of police violence and terror, to hear what they had to say. Here is what Thomeisha Finley, an active community member who has