Do you want an Oakland City government that –

Actually does something to address the issues of gentrification and displacement?

Insures that every child in Oakland receives a decent education?

Demands protection from a police department that tolerates the sexual abuse of minors and harasses people of color?

Controls rents and builds affordable housing?

Fixes our streets and picks up the garbage we see everywhere?

Then join with the Oakland Justice Coalition as it creates a platform for progressive change and prepares to run candidates in the 2018 election.

Trailer

Dolores Huerta is one of the most important, yet least known, activists in the fight for racial, class and gender equality in American history. She was an equal partner co-founding the first farm workers union with Cesar Chavez, but her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Even as she empowered a generation of immigrants to stand up for their rights, her own fiery dedication and relentless work ethic were constantly under attack. False accusations from foes and friends alike, of child neglect and immoral behavior from a woman who married three times and raised 11 children, pushed Dolores out of the very union she helped create. Still, she remains as steadfast in her fight as ever at the age of 87. Director Peter Bratt’s provocative and energizing documentary reveals the raw, personal stakes involved in committing one’s life to the fight for justice and sets the record straight on one of the most effective and undervalued civil and labor rights leaders in modern U.S. history. Winner of Audience Awards for Best Documentary at the San Francisco, Seattle and Minneapolis Film Festivals.

Dolores Huerta in person 9/9 and Peter Bratt in person 9/10
Sat 9/9, 5:20pm – Dolores Huerta in-person
Moderated by Ericka Huggins, former Black Panther

Sat 9/9, 7:40pm – Dolores Huerta in-person
Moderated by Sasha Khokha (KQED’s The California Report)

Sun 9/10, 1:00pm – Peter Bratt in person
Moderated by Davey D (Hard Knock Radio)

TheatreFIRST invites you down to the beautiful Omni Commons Ballroom to dance, drink, eat, and explore what’s next for the arts organization that has been named “Best Theatrical Turnaround” (Oakland Magazine), and “Theater Most Likely to Make Your Diversity Initiative Look like Shit” (Bold Italic).

TheatreFIRST aims to crack the benefit model in favor of a party that celebrates the beautiful spectrum of humans who make the organization thrive. Meet the artists, see selections from the new season, learn how YOU can invest in T1’s future, and dance the night away.

What to wear? Whatever you need to look your finest while smashing imperialism.

Buy your sliding scale tickets HERE.

To celebrate the release of the second edition of second zine “Ours,” our September Second Saturday Skillshare will explore the direct action tactic of occupying homes and other buildings in a public way. We will watch some footage of epic HnJ actions from years past and explore how this tactic might be used in a contemporary context.

We will collect donations to support East Bay Homes not Jails and the Omni Commons.

Monthly interfaith prayer meeting, held on second Sundays, dedicated to survivors and victims of violence and police terror in Oakland.

“Remember the saying: ‘Of all pilgrimages the greatest is to relieve the sorrow-laden heart.'” ~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

The Baha’i community of Oakland is organizing this gathering for the community to connect, share prayers, writings and poems from all spiritual traditions, reflect and recharge and build coalitions interested in healing.

Come share prayers, quotes, poems, and favorite passages from your scriptures with us. Simple breakfast will be served.

“Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” ~ Bahá’u’lláh

From now until October 3rd, EBSC will hold a series of workshops to provide information and to file qualifying renewal DACA applications. Below is a list of currently scheduled workshops (we will release more dates as they become available):

• 09/10/2017 2-4 pm
• 09/13/2017 6-8 pm
• 09/16/2017 3-5 pm

To register for a workshop, please fill out the following form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc9794DBgzk4GePPElv02yYPHcVnKlVRN6-vOPTzixSjYc03A/viewform?usp=sf_link

Oakland has long been a center for highly polluting transportation activities. This has resulted in disproportionately high health impacts for the residents of West Oakland. Our goal is to systematically reduce the level of pollution caused by all these polluting activities, and we have made some progress.  But we can’t afford to allow brand new pollution, in the form of coal dust, to further threaten our health.  Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel on Earth, imperiling the health of workers, endangering communities along the tracks, and contributing greatly to global warming and climate change.

Michael Kaufman, co-facilitator of the No Coal in Oakland campaign, will discuss the history of the campaign, its short-lived victory last year, and the current situation.  He will also address the campaign’s importance in the larger struggle.

​Michael Kaufman has been an activist for his whole adult life in anti-racist, peace, labor and environmental movements.  He fought against the war in Vietnam as a college student while teaching guitar to finance his studies.  He performed as a semi-professional guitarist at the Ash Gove and other venues in Los Angeles in the 1960’s.  He is a founding member, and first elected Treasurer, of Washtech, a union of high tech workers, Local 37083 of the Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO.

He is a member of Vukani Mawethu, an east bay choir that has focused for thirty one years on South African anti-apartheid and U.S. Civil Rights songs.  Vukani Mawethu is Zulu for “People Arise.”  Last year Michael switched his voter registration to No-Party-Preference in order to vote for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 California Democratic primary election.  After that primary he re-registered as a Green Party member.

Most recently he became part of the leadership of the East Bay Democratic Socialists of America chapter.  Last June he was elected to be a delegate to 2017 DSA National Convention, just held in August in Chicago.  Michael has been a co-facilitator of the No Coal In Oakland campaign for the last two and a half years.

Breakout Groups

We were thrilled by your enthusiasm in Breakout Groups at Green Sundays a few months ago. To grow that energy, we’re trying Breakout Groups at the beginning of the County Council meetings after the 15 minute refreshment break that follows our Green Sunday programs. Which group will you roll with?

1. ELECTIONS (including endorsements, campaigning, ballot drives, voter guide…)
   2. More CONVERSATION re No Coal in Oakland, AND Green Party ORIENTATION
   3. OUTREACH (recruiting, social events, networking with other groups…)
   4. TECH (website, social media, newsletter, recording/broadcasting our events…)
   5. OPERATIONS (including Green Sundayplans, fundraising, working with state and national Green Party…)

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs & discussions sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and are held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party of Alameda County follows at 7:45 pm; council meetings are always open to anyone who is interested. 

Tax the Rich Turns Six on Monday

Edward Joseph Snowden is an American computer professional, former Central Intelligence Agency employee, and former contractor for the United States government who copied and leaked classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2013 without authorization. His disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and European governments. The massive extent of the NSA’s spying, both foreign and domestic, was revealed to the public in a series of detailed disclosures of internal NSA documents beginning in June 2013. Most of the disclosures were leaked by Snowden.

On May 20, 2013, Snowden flew to Hong Kong after leaving his job at an NSA facility in Hawaii, and revealed thousands of classified NSA documents to journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Ewen MacAskill. Snowden came to international attention after stories based on the material appeared in The Guardian and The Washington Post. Further disclosures were made by other publications including Der Spiegel and The New York Times. Snowden’s identity was made public by The Guardian at his request on June 9, 2013. He explained: “I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong.” He added that by revealing his identity he hoped to protect his colleagues from being subjected to a hunt to determine who had been responsible for the leaks. Snowden has said that in the past, whistleblowers had been “destroyed by the experience,” and that he wanted to “embolden others to step forward” by demonstrating that “they can win.”

Concerning the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the ensuing hyper-surveillance of the American populace, Snowden said,

“What the 9/11 Commission found, in the post-mortem, when they looked at all of the classified intelligence from all of the different intelligence agencies, was that we had all of the information we needed as an intelligence community, as a classified sector, as the national defense of the United States to detect this plot. We actually had records of the phone calls from the United States and out. The CIA knew who these guys were. The problem was not that we weren’t collecting information, it wasn’t that we didn’t have enough dots, it wasn’t that we didn’t have a haystack, it was that we did not understand the haystack that we had.”

“It’s disingenuous for the government to rxploit the national trauma that we all suffered together to justify programs that have never been shown to keep us safe, but cost us liberties and freedoms that we don’t need to give up and our Constitution says we don’t need to give up.”

A subject of controversy, Snowden has been variously called a hero, a whistleblower, a dissident, a traitor and a patriot. His disclosures have fueled debates over mass surveillance, government secrecy, and the balance between national security and information privacy.

Want to help gear up for the Moore family’s October court dates?

The J4KM Coalition invites you to come gather with us on Monday, September 11th to get organized for the trial. We’ll be planning an action to rally community support for the family and to amplify our demands: It’s time to get the racist, transphobic and ableist Berkeley Police Department out of crisis response and to invest in community alternatives!

The Bay Area Remembers Chile: September 11, 1973 Remembrance Day

Join the Chilean Exile Community and friends in commemorating the 44th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean coup d’etat, which ousted the democratically elected government of President Salvador Allende and lead to the disappearance and murders of thousands of Chileans.

This event includes an outdoor candlelight vigil and installation, songs of resistance by local Chilean musicians and members of the La Peña Chorus, and an art exhibit featuring rare revolutionary posters from La Peña’s private archive collection and original art by local Chilean artists inspired by their experiences since the coup.

Chilean food, wine and beer will be for sale, with proceeds benefiting La Peña Cultural Center.

There is no door cover for this event, but donations to La Peña are welcome and greatly appreciated!

La Peña Cultural Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating inter-cultural understanding and social justice through the arts since 1975.

Berkeley City Council is deciding on whether to expand the ordinance to include the use of pepper spray against people wearing masks. This an attack on organizing against white supremacy and those that seek to protect themselves from chemical weaponry and targeting through state and fascist surveillance.

COME OUT TO BERKELEY CITY HALL

Demand that Berkeley City Council not participate in heightened targeting of organizing against white supremacy.

Berkeley Police want to change the law so they can pepper spray #antifa at "#freespeech" rallies https://t.co/NNXAHB8ITe pic.twitter.com/t707cYMSRG

— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) September 11, 2017

List of Banned Items for Fascist “No to Marxism” Rally in Berkeley on August 27, 2017
https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2017/08/26/18802255.php

Ajit Pai, the Trump-appointed Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), wants to kill net neutrality and give control of the internet to companies like Comcast and AT&T. This move would threaten economic opportunity, free speech and online dissent for communities of color.

Now he’s coming to San Francisco on Sept. 12 for a “fireside chat” with tech executives about expanding access and bridging the digital divide for underserved communities. But we aren’t fooled by lip service about expanding opportunity.

Join us in telling Chairman Pai: There can be no conversation about opportunity online without real net neutrality. Our communities depend on a free and open internet to innovate, organize and communicate. Now more than ever, our democracy depends on our ability to connect with one another without censorship or interference.

We will gather outside Galvanize, the venue where Pai will be speaking, with speakers, signs and visuals to send a message to press and the world: From communities of color to tech workers, the Bay Area demands real net neutrality.

Come to the SF Police Commission to tell them #NoTasersSF
at Bill Graham Auditorium. If you can’t make it out email the San Francisco Police Commission, & tell them #NoTasersSF sfpd.commission@sfgov.org

Next Tuesday, come to the SF Police Commission to tell them #NoTasersSF at Bill Graham Auditorium. https://t.co/HGZAbeljuE pic.twitter.com/pRUiaqj6vw

— DSA San Francisco (@DSA_SF) September 7, 2017

** Tasers Are Deadly Weapons **
Facts you should know for the meeting
Tomorrow Tue. Sept 12
6-8PM
Bill Graham Auditorium#NoTasersSF pic.twitter.com/Gvz19czecB

— 64 GB (@gilbazoid) September 12, 2017

When Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked thousands of top-secret documents to the press, was asked why he did it, he turned to a 250-year-old warning from Benjamin Franklin: “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

Today, the NSA is one of the most powerful intelligence gathering agencies in the world. But at what point does the agency’s mass surveillance programs amount to an infringement on the democratic values it was created to defend? In an era when almost all of our communications are digital and all of our security threats are global, what expectations of privacy are even reasonable? Is it possible to protect individual privacy without sacrificing the intelligence capabilities needed to keep the U.S. and our allies safe?

Timothy H. Edgar, a long-time civil liberties activist who worked inside both the Bush and Obama intelligence communities, argues that the only way to protect Americans’ privacy is to do a better job of protecting everyone’s privacy. What must be done to bring transparency, accountability, privacy and human rights protections into comprehensive programs of intelligence collection?

SPEAKER:

Timothy Edgar
Senior Fellow, Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University

MODERATOR:

Aaron Sankin
Reporter, Reveal, Center for Investigative Reporting

Gentrification comes up constantly in the Bay Area, but few of us feel equipped to take action against it. Is it inevitable? What can we do now to prevent displacement?

This SURJ workshop will put gentrification and displacement in a historical context so we understand the racialized political and economic drivers. You’ll hear about past and current struggles led by communities of color to preserve their homes and communities.

Facilitators from SURJ – Oakland/Bay Area will present analysis based on the work of Causa Justa :: Just Cause. SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice), Bay Area chapter, is part of a national network of groups and individuals organizing white people for racial justice through communityorganizing, mobilizing, and education. However, all are welcome at this workshop regardless of identity.

Donations will go to support CJJC’s work challenging gentrification and fighting displacement.

Our workshop has space for 66 people. To reserve your spot in advance, please purchase tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3074762

Building Accessibility: There are two entrances to Sierra Club Office building on Webster and 21st, both of which are accessible for mobility devices. The building has an elevator, and the kitchen space, conference room, and restrooms can also all accommodate mobility devices.

Scents: The Sierra Club’s space endeavors to offer a scent free environment; however as the Club is currently transitioning towards the use of only scent free products, we cannot guarantee an entirely scent free space. We ask everyone to please arrive at meetings fragrance free to support access for folks who experience multiple chemical sensitivities and allergies. This means using only body products and laundry detergent that say “fragrance free” or “unscented” on the label and do not have scented ingredients.

Restrooms: Restrooms are currently labeled in a gender-binary way. The Sierra Club is working on changing this and has an office policy that all restrooms are available to anyone, regardless of lived or perceived gender identity. We ask that folks choose the restroom that is right for them, and that no one question a person’s chosen restroom.

More info on Causa Justa: http://www.cjjc.org/
Register for the workshop: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3040822

SPREAD THE WORD, INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!