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Nimat Shaheed's avatar

I was raised in Oakland. I remember when the Black Panthers were housed on the corner of 85th and Allen Temple Church was a small framed building. I remember when fruit trees were everywhere and we could eat from them while playing in the neighborhood. I remember when there was no glass on the streets and no wandering dogs. I remember when most people walked everywhere or took the bus because few had cars, certainly, young people walked. And at night, it was safe to be outside and play near your home or even in the streets. Running, racing to see who was the fastest. The media kept a message in the atmosphere that reflected what was in our homes. That of how to conduct yourselves in public, not throwing paper on the ground, dressing decently and respecting your elders! At school we ate "real food" prepared by the employees.

I remember when the only "fast food" was Doggie Diners and 1/4 Pound Burgers... Then, Kentucky Fried Chicken popped up on 98th and other fast food spots. Liquors stores that use to be closed on Sundays, along with other stores remained open. I remember Elmhurst Park, that use to serve as a place where local evolving leaders would come to spread words of empowerment. You could hear everyone addressing one another as "brothers and sisters" " ma'm and sir" or Mrs and Mr... Essentially , titles were use to address whomever you were speaking to....

While I would like to continue with a timeline of memories, I will end with these thoughts; I remember when crack came into our community-everything changed immediately....

We have been rolling down hill every since - in our local leadership, educational system and social frameworks. Our children have been lost in the cracks of foster care, homelessness, drugs, prostitution, trafficking and lack of education. Our children are exposed to everything that our family and the community use to protect us from... They see and hear everything that soils and corrupt. The music no longer carries a message of hope and community activism. They are listening to sounds of self destruction. They see images of violence with sound tracks that affect the physiological dispositions of the brain and heart waves, so they are reacting to environmental cues.... The nervous system is triggered for havoc!

Let me end this way so that I wont continue; when we think about our past great leaders, we should realized that the society and circumstances give birth to those great leaders.

So, what we see today is what the community and families are birthing. I know its a sad reality. But we need to begin to take care of our families again. Feed our families healthier foods, educate ourselves with a sense of urgency and maybe we can turn this ship around!!!

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David Simpson's avatar

Telling it like it is. We are in the midst of paying the price of an often heartless and racist unbridled capitalistic system which needs replacing. Deep respect for James Harris

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