Our Culture

In this picture I have chosen, I like it because I, Damoni, like how the lighting is. Also when you look at the picture, it is giving you a picture of the person in it and a beautiful background. And last of all, there is two things to look at in the picture.

Well, it makes me feel like not all of East Oakland is bad. It can help you get off the streets and keep you safe. I also think this image shows hard work, which can get you where you want to be in life.

The photo that I captured took place in the Eastmont parking lot. My image is about an 'Old building living in the new.' It relates to my community in East Oakland because it has been there over 50 years. It's a cemetery building so almost everybody in the community goes there.

These are Mien dancers performing at the 1982 Lao New Year Celebration for Lao Family Community Development. They are wearing the traditional dress of the Mien culture that features beautiful embroidery. Many Lao refugees first came to Oakland in the late 1970's and early 1980's. They were invited by the US government because they had fought on the side of the United States against Communists during the Viet Nam era. Many of these refugees were from very rural parts of their country and were farmers. Adjusting to life here in Oakland and Richmond was very difficult.

Our Oakland continued our "Taking the Pulse of East Oakland" photo documentation project at Featured Partner Lao Family Community Development's 30th Anniversary Celebration and Community Resource Fair on May 22nd at the Cesar Chavez Education Center in East Oakland.

Close to 1500 visitors enjoyed an afternoon of engaging and fun activities, great food, and access to supportive resources for families and community.

This image was taken while I was hiking by Leona Gorge in East Oakland. This plant is by the horticulture building at Merritt College so if you ever wanted to look for it, you can. I decide to use this image as my image of East Oakland because it a reflection of East Oakland. As the plant grow it has these rough edges on it's leaf. As it grows more leaf and more roughness to it, it becomes one plant. What I'm trying to say is that like the plant, we who live in East Oakland grow up with rough times in our life but we aren't the only one.

This picture was taken on a hike in Leona Gorge. This picture could simply be interpreted as a view of East Oakland but to me, this picture represents the beauty of Oakland. It represents its beauty from far away because you can't see the problems and you could only see the calm and serenity of Oakland.

This picture was taken on a hike in Leona Gorge. This picture could simply be interpreted as a view of East Oakland but to me, this picture represents the beauty of Oakland. It represents its beauty from far away because you can't see the problems and you could only see the calm and serenity of Oakland.

Carrots – not candy. Salad – not hot chips. Water – not soda. These are the types of healthy choices three Fremont Federation students hope their classmates will start making. The three students – Violet Souksavath of Media Academy, and Lilli Davis and Elona Everett of Mandela Academy – are part of a new campaign called Health Wellness, led by the Policy Leadership Program of School Health.