If you believe the Oakland Police Department and their union, the city’s rise in crime is a result of a slashed law enforcement budget. They commonly point to “defund” efforts as the bogeyman that draws out and emboldens a criminal element lurking and waiting for an opportune moment when progressive

May 25 will forever be marked by the murder of George Floyd, but the tragedy left a mark on this nation much deeper and consequential than any one day can contain.  As people around the country, and the world, watched the video and witnessed Floyd’s excruciating last breaths, we were

The Huge Release Party for the Literary Magazine In case you haven’t heard, we just put out an incredible literary magazine called The Dreams I Dreamt: Letters to San Francisco thanks to a grant from the Civic Joy Fund. It’s a gift to San Francisco, where 19 of The City’s

Oakland is experiencing an alarming spike in violent crimes. The city recorded 15 homicides in the first month of 2021, a stark contrast from the one murder in all of January 2020. Tuesday, the Oakland Police Department released ShotSpotter for the last week of January, reflecting a 137 percent increase

The world turned its attention to Oakland when Oscar Grant was murdered by a BART police officer in 2009. The Black Lives Matter movement would not formally organize for another four years, but Grant’s death sparked a national dialogue and amplified calls for police reform. In that way, Oakland is