ST EOBHCSunset 072321 - Flipbook - Page 51
Honoring Black Women’s Leadership in East Oakland
There have been hundreds of individuals throughout the ten years of EOBHC (twelve, if you include
the planning years) who have contributed to its accomplishments. However, there are six Black
women who played extraordinary roles in EOBHC for most, if not all, of its herstory. We dedicate
this report to their brilliance and steadfast leadership.
Below we have shared all too brief and understated summaries of each of their contributions to
EOBHC that do not do justice capturing the magnitude of the labor, intelligence, and spirit they gave
so generously. So, to get a little closer to the essence, we invited each of them to compose a “love
note” to East Oakland which we shared with you throughout this report.
Dr. Noha Aboelata
first joined EOBHC’s Health Workgroup as an
unfunded community partner. During a most crucial moment of wanting to
find a home in Deep East Oakland, Dr. Noha committed herself and Roots
Community Health Center to provide an organizational home for EOBHC
when no other organization wanted to or had the capacity to do so. Dr.
Noha has created an anchor institution in East Oakland that provides clinical
and other navigational services to over 10,000 residents a year (many of
them unhoused), creates jobs for residents who are formerly incarcerated,
constantly pressures Oakland’s political actors to implement practices that
are truly guided by racial justice, and continues exploring a direct services
and community organizing hybrid.
Sandra Davis has been the BHC Program Manager assigned by TCE
since 2008. Like other BHC Program Managers, her role has been strategist,
communicator, network weaver, conflict resolver, program trouble-shooter,
events coordinator, thought leader, evaluator, and grants manager, all
rolled into one. Her unique contribution to EOBHC stems from her deep
understanding and appreciation of community organizing, having had over a
decade of on-the-ground experience as an organizer before working at TCE.
She has been respectful and supportive of EOBHC’s various leadership bodies
and their decisions. Her presence at EOBHC retreats and meetings has not
stifled participation or honest discussions, as some funders’ presence can.
These are all attributable to her authenticity, her lifelong dedication to social
and racial justice, and being seen as someone with street credibility.
Nehanda Imara has given her leadership voice in EOBHC since the prelaunch in 2008 when she was a community organizer at Communities for a
Better Environment. She served in various leadership positions in EOBHC,
ultimately as its most senior staff member. She has been a linchpin for the
successful adoption of HDG by the City of Oakland, one of EOBHC’s top
accomplishments. She ran for Oakland City Council District 7 in 2016, and while
she did not win, her campaign demonstrated the possibility for non-partisan
FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK EAST OAKLAND: EOBHC Sunset Report
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