By Eric L. Steckel The City Council Chambers were quiet as the boy approached the microphone. He is new to this country, unable to speak English, but he knows the importance of the democratic system we enjoy. It was this very system that was responsible for him...
By Eric L. Steckel Last night, before a raucous crowd, Oakland City Council Member Noel Gallo, District 5, gave an impassioned plea in support of some of the most vulnerable in our society. Council member Gallo proposed an amendment to the city’s biennial budget...
By Buyisile Nzima My name is Buyisile Nzima. I’m a 24-year old female born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have spent most of my life in service of others. It is something that my mother taught me, not so much through words, but through deeds. She has a...
By Daniel Werner Last summer our country saw a large influx of women and children migrants coming from Central America to our Southern border. Many of these migrants cite violence and insecurity in their countries of origin as their reason for fleeing. According to...
by Eric Steckel My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. – Psalm 119:28… There are times when the city of Oakland elicits strong, contradictory emotions. Last night’s world premiere of Wounded Places was a very special celebration of...
On February 28th, Davon Ellis, a 14 year old freshman at Oakland Technical High School, was shot and killed as he walked with some friends in the 3300 block of Brookdale Avenue. Some might look at the situation in Oakland, where in the past five years 41 youths under...
