There is no true winning, if you are not winning with the people
For the last seven years, BOP has made it our mission to get to the heart of the issues impacting our communities. Specifically, through our Bettering Our School System campaign (B.O.S.S), we’ve been able to challenge policing and discipline practices within the Oakland Unified School District that not only target, but criminalize Black youth. As a result of those campaign efforts, collectively, we have created solutions that alter school climate, culture, and the overall police presence in Oakland schools. None of this would have been possible without the students, parents, and community members leading the vision and who continue to fight for not just policy change, but a cultural transformation. We believe without a doubt that, “there is no winning if you are not winning with the people.”
The Black Organizing Project (BOP), is a Black member-led community organization working for the empowerment of Oakland’s Black community. What exactly does that mean? It means that BOP members are leading our fight for racial, social, and economic justice. It also means that we are committed to investing in Black people and developing both individual and collective leadership skills. How do we do this ? BOP’s Organizer in Training (OIT), and NIA internship programs create a pathway into organizing for active members. These internship programs provide an opportunity for leaders to learn organizing skills within a political framework with a foundation of healing, that is values driven, Black centered, and of course culture flavored.
Through those internships this year we’ve had the amazing chance to work with Juanita Taylor, our NIA intern and Ni’Keah Manning our Organizer in Training. These two awesome freedom-fighters have inspired us all with their dedication, conviction, revolutionary spirit and love for our people.
We sat down with Ni’Keah and Juanita to hear what they had to say about their experience with BOP’s internships. Check out below what these fierce organizers are learning about the importance of organizing and their own vision of Black liberation here at BOP.
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How and why did you get involved with BOP?
I was enrolled in an organizing course at San Francisco State University, specifically tailored to communities of color. I found BOP after they came to class and gave a presentation.
Shortly after, I was invited to one of BOP’s StoryBuilders presentations. The youth were reading poetry and speaking about their experiences living in Oakland. They shared stories about their encounters with the police from unfriendly conversations to house raids. It was a wrap from there, I was captivated immediately. You could just tell that there was a lot of effort and love put into the event. It was evident. Even though I went by myself I didn’t feel alone, everyone was so welcoming. Although it was the class that introduced me to BOP, it was BOP themselves–the community and love of the people– that kept me there.
What have you learned so far?
On a basic level, I learned organizing: what it is, why we do it, and why it exists. On a deeper level I learned, “there is no true winning if you are not winning with the people.” I love this saying because it goes back to why BOP was created. It’s not about saving people. We are saving ourselves. We are not doing this work for just the community but for ourselves. This type of work is not the traditional type of work because it offers so much more. It is healing, bonding (both internal and external), and it is intentional. There is an intent behind this. It is our affirmation that we are enough.
Why is organizing important to you?
Organizing is important to me because it literally restores life. When I say that I am thinking about the people I have met on the streets and the conversations we’ve had. Regardless of age, I can feel the ways in which organizing touches people. I can’t tell you how many times after a conversation I’ve heard, “You know sista, thank you for this,” and I can just feel it. I am so thankful for this experience because it has enlightened me. We can no longer afford to live in blindness. I feel like this work specifically, is almost like an IV to reconnect and to restore everything– faith, intellect, connection, opportunity, and engagement.
Ultimately, it is getting back the power that we all have, even though sometimes it is hard to see it because of the current conditions we have become used to.
What is your vision for Black liberation?
My vision for Black liberation is genuine happiness that is not tied to anything material. I am definitely thinking about family, friends, and celebration. I choose the word equity when describing happiness only because I don’t want the same thing that everybody else has, I want what I and my community deserve. So of course for me that includes great quality jobs, safe and healthy environments, neighborhoods, and schools. So again, I just see happiness. The vision has nothing to do with materialistic things and I guess that just goes back to how I personally define happiness– being that we don’t need anyone or anything but ourselves.
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How and why did you get involved with BOP?
I first connected with Jackie, BOP’s ED, because our sons went to the same school. Over time she began telling about BOP. Shortly after I started attending listening sessions, member food for thought gatherings and eventually began volunteering.
Through volunteering, I recognized that what BOP was fighting for was directly related to my life. I have a son who was at that point entering into the school system and I noticed a lot of tension between myself and his teacher. At the time, I didn’t really correlate how the systematic pressures impacted my son’s experience in school, yet was directly experiencing those realities as a parent. My son was suspended in kindergarten; Because of BOP, I now know that it was not all his fault. There is a culture around suspending Black youth.Statistically, we are beginning to see that Black youth face harsher disciplinary actions in schools compared to their white counterparts. BOP essentially opened my eyes to this bigger thing that is happening. I wanted to do everything that I could to make sure that that wasn’t my family’s legacy.
What have you learned?
I’ve learned what BOP does and what we stand for. We are fighting for social justice for our Black community and working to eliminate the mass incarceration of our Black men and youth. I learned about the school-to-prison pipeline and how very real it is. I gained relationships within the community almost immediately with people who are all likeminded. Being welcomed into a space where there was support without any questions asked, was a major gain for myself and for my family.
Why is organizing important to you?
Organizing is important to me because awareness is brought through the organizing process. Awareness to me seems to be the thing that ignites people. When your eyes are open to something, you can’t un-see it or un-hear it. You are either pushed and motivated to move or not. I feel like organizing brings that awareness and brings people together so that we can make a difference.
What is something that you have learned, experienced, witnessed during your time here that you will cherish or hold onto forever and why?
The awareness of the systems in place that are set-up to discriminate against our Black children is the biggest thing to me. If I didn’t have a Black son in school I would not be fully aware of the extent of the school-to-prison pipeline.
What is your vision for Black liberation?
I dream of all of our people being able to find out their specific culture in history because that is what really grounds people. When I look at the Black community I don’t see one type of people. I would love for our people to learn where they came from and learn what traditions they have in their own lineage. I feel like all of that has been lost. We have no idea. We can look up African history but even still there is a disconnect.