ST EOBHCSunset 072321 - Flipbook - Page 23
Building resident power
and voice in East Oakland
TCE had presented several overarching
frameworks to BHC sites, which EOBHC
modified to fit East Oakland’s particular
needs and play to East Oakland’s
specific strengths. Perhaps one of the
most relevant TCE frameworks for East
Oakland has been “The Drivers of Change,”
specifically “People Power.”
While EOBHC had deployed several
strategies, community organizing
started rising to the top, as evidenced
by where TCE had dedicated the bulk
of its resources. As a result of working
from a community organizing frame, the language of how East Oakland addressed issues and
opportunities evolved, for example
• Preventing the incarceration of young adults evolved into “justice reinvestment,”
• Violence prevention evolved into “peace promotion,”
• Resident engagement evolved into “resident leadership” and
• Addressing the symptoms of inequity evolved into crafting a “policy and systems change”
approach to mitigate inequity.
Building upon the strengths of East Oakland’s organizing legacy, EOBHC was heading toward building
community organizing capacity in organizations that identify as service providers, policy advocates,
and community developers. Under the umbrella of EOBHC, base-building organizations were working
beyond their issue areas of expertise and pivoting toward a comprehensive, intersectional analysis of
how all of the conventional issues were impacting East Oakland residents’ everyday lives.
FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK EAST OAKLAND: EOBHC Sunset Report
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