Restoring our communities and healing our people, one block at a time. That is the mission of Take Back Our Streets. We aim to lead and support efforts that work towards ending gun and all forms of violence in our beloved city of Oakland at the ground level. We envision a citywide united effort to implement direct street actions, education, training and healing to help solve community problems from within.
Take Back Our Streets
started on December 29th 2016 in front of East Oakland’s Youth Uprising, just feet away from an area where an Oakland resident by the name of Melvin Johnson Jr. took his last breath. It affected generations of people, families and multiple communities enormously. In fact, so much so that it called people to action. Mainly, his siblings. What was once just a phrase in our speech, “Take Back Our Streets” turned into a movement, an organization, an experience and…. the content you are looking at right here, right now.
Take Back Our Streets
started on December 29th 2016 in front of East Oakland’s Youth Uprising, just feet away from an area where an Oakland resident by the name of Melvin Johnson Jr. took his last breath. It affected generations of people, families and multiple communities enormously. In fact, so much so that it called people to action. Mainly, his siblings. What was once just a phrase in our speech, “Take Back Our Streets” turned into a movement, an organization, an experience and…. the content you are looking at right here, right now.
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In our communities we suffer from many issues and most are systemic. The lack of resources, respect for black lives and because of the racist gentrification we are left to realize that we are at war on all fronts. The Police in our city who are sworn to protect and serve have a reputation of openly displaying acts of state sponsored terror. What is often not talked about are some of the hidden components to the oppression we face in this day and time. Among these hidden components you will find Take Back Our Streets in these trenches and in these spaces, to talk about and bring solutions to these issues. The organization giving of itself to literally Take Back Our Streets and heal our people.
Mental Health / Trauma
Mental Health is just as important as Physical Health. It is said that in our communities, the majority of the minorities only have one or the other. TBOS has the capacity to rehabilitate those that suffer from our current mental health crisis. We will embark upon every community endeavor with this issue at the forefront. Trauma is real and it is also a component that is tied to mental health. Our efforts are to heal our communities with resources, opportunities, fun and love to further the rise of our fellow black and brown people.
Mental Health is just as important as Physical Health. It is said that in our communities, the majority of the minorities only have one or the other. TBOS has the capacity to rehabilitate those that suffer from our current mental health crisis. We will embark upon every community endeavor with this issue at the forefront. Trauma is real and it is also a component that is tied to mental health. Our efforts are to heal our communities with resources, opportunities, fun and love to further the rise of our fellow black and brown people.
Empowerment / Mentoring
“It Takes A Village To Raise A Baby”, and there are endless truths to the cliché saying. Aside from inner-communal violence and police brutality being one of the main contributors to what America seems to want, the demise of the black male population. Our youth.. both male and female grow up without the strong and authoritative male presence that is proven to add structure to the child and structure in the home. For those reasons, we like to engage our youth continuously through empowering, themed and action packed events to encourage them. To help guide them. To celebrate them for projecting positivity and humbly embracing the tough process of experiencing their own growth and the growing pains that come with them.
“It Takes A Village To Raise A Baby”, and there are endless truths to the cliché saying. Aside from inner-communal violence and police brutality being one of the main contributors to what America seems to want, the demise of the black male population. Our youth.. both male and female grow up without the strong and authoritative male presence that is proven to add structure to the child and structure in the home. For those reasons, we like to engage our youth continuously through empowering, themed and action packed events to encourage them. To help guide them. To celebrate them for projecting positivity and humbly embracing the tough process of experiencing their own growth and the growing pains that come with them.
Economics
The economic state of minority people in black and brown communities is another crisis in itself. Its almost as if there was and still is a plan of intentional divestment for those in these communities. Again, we are at war. To participate, compete or battle at the level of your competition we must invest our black dollars wisely. Not only into the pre-existing black owned businesses to MAINTAIN wealth. But, we must begin providing financial opportunities to other black and brown entrepreneurs who are looking to OBTAIN wealth and further advance their ability to pour back into the black and brown communities by building businesses for the existing generation and for the future generations to come.
The economic state of minority people in black and brown communities is another crisis in itself. Its almost as if there was and still is a plan of intentional divestment for those in these communities. Again, we are at war. To participate, compete or battle at the level of your competition we must invest our black dollars wisely. Not only into the pre-existing black owned businesses to MAINTAIN wealth. But, we must begin providing financial opportunities to other black and brown entrepreneurs who are looking to OBTAIN wealth and further advance their ability to pour back into the black and brown communities by building businesses for the existing generation and for the future generations to come.