photographs by Brooke Anderson: http://www.movementphotographer.com/ My father worries that if I ever try to go into politics, my arrest will ruin my career. “Not in Oakland,” I told him consolingly. “Ah yes,” he said; “Jerry Brown is from Oakland.” Neither of us is sure Jerry Brown’s been arrested for anything, but he remembered that IContinue reading “Faith, fast food and the paddy wagon”
Category Archives: Oakland
When focusing on the “racist” upholds a broken system
or: When are we going to get real about poor people of color wanting to be safe and the underpinnings of the police force undermining the efforts of good police? I just came across this article about an Oakland firefighter filing a discrimination case because he and his young sons were held at gunpointContinue reading “When focusing on the “racist” upholds a broken system”
Homelessness, the woman on my patio and the Woman at the Well
Sermon preached at First Christian Church of Palo Alto, August 10, 2014. Text: John 4:5-15 (with references to later verses), the story of the Woman at the Well Preamble to the sermon: I am known in some circles for preaching a really up-on-your-feet, clap and shout amen kind of sermon. I think that was whyContinue reading “Homelessness, the woman on my patio and the Woman at the Well”
Are we getting played? Workers and small business owners are not enemies
Reflections on the Lift Up Oakland campaign for a fair wage (and its alternative) It was hard not to be fired up at the rally last Tuesday for a $12.25 minimum wage in the city of Oakland. Courageous workers stood at the podium and shared their struggles to care for a family on a minimumContinue reading “Are we getting played? Workers and small business owners are not enemies”
The Myth of Street Smarts versus Book Smarts
Delivered June 13, 2014, at Disciples Divinity House at the University of Chicago annual Convocation. I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a written scroll was in it. He spread it before me; it had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation andContinue reading “The Myth of Street Smarts versus Book Smarts”
The wages of prosperity: why I support the upcoming Oakland minimum wage campaign
This weekend, you might see someone at the grocery store or BART station asking you if you to sign something. This time, it really matters. The Lift Up Oakland coalition is bringing hope back to Oakland by proposing we raise the minimum wage to $12.25 with paid sick days. (This is good news for allContinue reading “The wages of prosperity: why I support the upcoming Oakland minimum wage campaign”
A Tale of Two Cities: Redemption and gentrification in a “transitioning” neighborhood and a pop-up middle class neighborhood
When I was pastor at First Christian Church of Oakland, a couple of our regular members were homeless. They made most of their income by recycling. They could tell you where to go on Saturdays when the regular recycling center was closed, and how to get money for the wine bottles that don’t have theContinue reading “A Tale of Two Cities: Redemption and gentrification in a “transitioning” neighborhood and a pop-up middle class neighborhood”
What if Oakland is one of the thin places?*
*thin places: a Celtic term for those places where the division between earth and heaven collapse, where we can contemplate and experience the divine in the midst of our lived experiences. and so is this. I went to college in Baltimore, and some of my friends still live there. My friends seeContinue reading “What if Oakland is one of the thin places?*”
RIP, 5’10” caucasian male
Allen got a call at 4:45pm yesterday, and he contacted the police. By the time I was aware of the situation, the coroner had come and gone. Our neighbor, Stevens, who knows some of the regulars who hang around the building, didn’t recognize the man. 5’10” Caucasian male. That’s all I know. Under a blanket,Continue reading “RIP, 5’10” caucasian male”
Police Militarization Makes Us Less Safe: Why I Oppose Urban Shield
“Because we deserve better,” I said to every West Oakland resident I encountered. The 87-year-old lifetime resident and the 30-something hipster alike nodded sagely and said, “that’s right.” I was canvassing with my clergy colleagues, handing out flyers seeking information on the shooting of 23-month-old Hiram Lawrence, Jr. It was late November, 2011. Since then,Continue reading “Police Militarization Makes Us Less Safe: Why I Oppose Urban Shield”
Sandhya Rani Jha 