Monday, January 18, 2016

On Martin Luther King Day in Oakland

For those of us who are seeing San Francisco succumb to the pressure of too much money chasing too little land, it is easy to imagine that the wonderful, chaotic, multi-everything Oakland across the Bay is bleaching away as well. And there is lots of objective reason to think this is true: in November, Oakland ranked as the country's 5th most expensive rental market. (Yes, San Francisco was Number 1.)

But the MLK Day march in Oakland's downtown presented a tableau of how much resistance and hope still remains.

The Oakland still lives stands together.

Families march together ...

... and chant together.

A choir prepared to raise their voices.

Organizers had prepared for all comers.

Victims were remembered; firing Suhr is actually a San Francisco priority.

The "Sangha for Black Resistance" gave silent witness.

Oakland still lives. Resistance still lives.

2 comments:

La Roving Rev said...

OH MY GOD, Jan, this is just wonderful, and I will share it with everyone I know who loves Oakland as much as we do.

SF Rob said...

Thanks for the comments and the great pics, Jan. The feeling of the march and rallies was as electric as they show. The Labor for Black Lives action at the McDonald's on Telegraph on Saturday was also exceptionally well organized, large, and high spirited. The push to #ReclaimMLK was reinforced by broadcasting well chosen audio clips of some of King's best speeches inside the store. And for frustrated customers who came for a needed quick bite only to find the store surrounded and closed for business, demonstration organizers had a grill with hot dogs, burgers, and veggie burgers. Also carafes of coffee. Lovely.