Residents and faith leaders gathered in front of City Hall on Tuesday evening to demand that city officials live up to their promise to support a comprehensive approach to end gun violence.

At the Save Lives Now meeting May 22, city officials made public commitments before 3,000 residents to implement an intervention and prevention plan, known as the Oakland Strategy.

They are urging officials to follow through as the recent rash of killings since Friday has put the safety of many neighborhoods at risk. So far this year, Oakland has seen 74 homicides compared to 69 at this time last year.

Community leaders from the Oakland Community Organization say the Mayor and other city officials have "failed their report card to curb violence in the city."

Rev. Dan Stevens of OCO: The Rev. Dan Stevens of Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) shows a report card where the Mayor and other city officials have failed to work to curb the violence in Oakland, at a press conference in downtown Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, July 22, 2008. O

Parents and their children carried silhouettes made of white paper as a symbol of the 23 people who have been killed since the meeting two months ago. Residents say gun violence and other senseless crime is destroying their neighborhoods.

By Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune

OCO Community leaders and families: Since the May 22 meeting, 23 more lives, represented by the white cut-out silhouettes, have been lost due to gun violence. (Alison D. Yin/The Oakland Tribune)

I recently had a chance to interview Tyrone Stevenson Jr., aka the "Scraperbike King.'' He and his crew of young men ages 11-24 are participating in the Bike for Life, Riding for Peace event at Lake Merritt on Sunday 7/13.

Stevenson, 19, is the founder of the scraperbike movement and says the bikes are “art on wheels,’’ and a vehicle to promote peace. Scraperbike riders typically ride in large packs similar to motorcycle clubs. Stevenson’s Scaperbike group gained popularity through their video which was nominated as one of YouTube’s Top 20 Best Music Video’s of 2007.

The ride organized by Bikes for Life organization is aimed at educating young people around the importance of bringing a gun truce to their communities. So, far this year Oakland has seen 71 homicides compared to 59 at this time last year.

“There’s a lot of people dying from gun violence,’’ said Stevenson. “Scraperbikes gives kids a positive outlet and fixing or riding bikes can be a hobby .’’

For more information about Bike for Life Riding for Peace, call 510-238-8080 ext. 310 or visit www.scraperbikes.net

By Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune

Tyrone Stevenson Jr. "Scraperbike King": Preston Badger, 18, left, Tyrone Stevenson Jr., 19, Fred Rogers, 18, Eduardo Ochoa, 17, and Luis Medrano, 19, ride their scraperbikes on Santa Rita Street in Oakland.The teenagers will take part in Bike for Life, Riding for Peace event around Lake Merritt

I just wanted to post a quick update from the teen prostitution series in the Oakland Tribune. Assembly bill 499, which would identify minors caught in the sex trade as victims, rather than criminals has reached Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk to be signed into law.

The Governor has until Sept. 30 to sign the bill into law, otherwise it will automatically become law. The law would free children under 18 from the threat of prosecution and enable them to receive the services they need.

Currently, if a minor younger than 18 is picked up for prostitution, she is charged as a criminal and sent to juvenile hall.

However, social service workers and law enforcement agencies are hoping a new law would change. The law also would help girls who want to bring charges against a pimp.

"This legislation takes Oakland one step closer toward combating one of the most serious epidemics threatening our youth -- the sale of children for sex," said Sharmin Eshraghi Bock, assistant district attorney in charge of the county's human exploitation and tracking unit.

Sharmin Bock DA: Sharmin Bock is an assistant District Attorney at Alameda County Superior Court House who is trying to turn around how law enforcement goes after prostitution by prosecuting pimps instead of the girls. Bock is constantly on her Blackberry. She is working
AB499's provisions include:

 

While I was out reporting on the Silence the Violence event, I met Deelah a young female performing arts activists who told me about the first Tupac summer camp being held Oakland. I was so excited to hear about it especially because I love Tupac's music (California Love is one of my favorite songs) and I also was curious to learn about what kinds of activities went on at the camp.

The Leadership & Arts Camp was held at Arroyo Viejo Recreation Center in East Oakland. A first time camp was also held in Los Angeles. The camp was expanded to the West Coast in honor of Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation's 10th anniversary.

About 20 youth participated in the camp and produced dancing, musical and spoken word projects that they showcased to the public. The goal of the camp was to provide training and support for youths 12 to 18 who aspire to enhance their creative talents. In addition, the importance of literacy, responsibility and conflict resolution were stressed to the young people who participated.

Tupac's Performing Arts Camp: From left, Jamani Williams, 12, Robert Tillman, 16, and Garrett Cole, 18, practice and rehearse skits that they wrote at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation's Performing Arts Day Camp at Arroyo Viejo Recreation Center in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, June 27
Tupac's mother Afeni Shakur came to the camp in Oakland on the opening day, June 16, which is also Tupac's birthday. Although I was unable to meet her in person she did reach out and passed an email along to me sharing some of her thoughts about having the camp in Oakland.

Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune

See below:

Oakland- We did it! My son always had a dream to help young people around the Country with Arts Camps or 'Thug Mansions' as he called them. He envisioned a safe space where students could express themselves, learn & share ideas, and their families could receive encouragement and support. At each location, artists and instructors from the community would mentor students and help them to fully develop into their God given potential. Well, I am pleased to say that with God's direction we have achieved just that. This is our first Camp outside of Georgia and because of you it has been a success. Thank you to each student, instructor, volunteers, coordinators, and to the families for sharing your loved one with us! This is the first of more work by the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation in the Bay Area. Tupac loved Oakland and you loved him back! His legacy continues to soar and impact people all over the world because of you. KMEL and all others who helped us get the word out we thank you for your years of support, love, tears, and energy.

I want to challenge you all to keep yourselves alive. Save a young person.
Speak out when you know someone is being harmed in any kind way. Secrets kill and are harmful to others. Oakland we can and we will do better. It starts with each and everyone of us!

Peace, Love, & Respect!

Afeni Shakur-Davis

Tupac's Performing Arts Camp: (From left) Andre'ana Davis, 16, Jerome Clary, 17, and Amanda Ashe, 14, practice and rehearse their song called "Family Tree," which they learned at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation's Performing Arts Day Camp at Arroyo Viejo Recreation Center in Oakland,

I recently completed a series in the Tribune on Oakland's "dirty secret"of teen prostitution. Since then, Oakland police involved with an FBI sting rescued four child victims of human trafficking and arrested 12 people in connection with child prostitution charges. The arrests were part of larger federal sweep that lasted five days and targeted 16 cities across the country. Called "Operation Cross Country," the Justice Department-led effort capped five years of similar stings nationwide.

The children in Oakland peddled for sex are younger than ever before, and the problem is bigger than anyone imagined. Pimps can earn more for younger, healthier and prettier girls. Girls age 11 and 12 can earn as much as $500 a day for their pimps, police say.

Sexually exploited minors at Juvenile Hall: A twelve-year-old girl who has prostituted herself and is a victim of sexual abuse and exploitation writes on her arm, "I wanna go home." in Alameda County Juvenile Hall in San Leandro, Calif. (Alison Yin/The Oakland Tribune)
In addition, Assemblymember Sandré R. Swanson's (D-Oakland) landmark legislation to decriminalize sexually exploited youth gained unanimous support in the Senate Public Safety Committee Hearing with a bipartisan 5-0 vote.

The Chair of the Committee, Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) strongly endorsed the bill, and is now a principal co-author. “This is a very important issue, which has been in the news recently and I strongly support this legislation,” stated Senator Romero.

AB 499 will provide a vital safety net for children under 18 who have been forced into prostitution, child pornography, or have been victims of human trafficking by removing the standard law enforcement procedure that treats them as criminals rather than victims.

By Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune

I recently attended Silence the Violence Day at Defremery Park in West Oakland. The goal was to address problems of crime by lowering the homicide rate and empowering young people to get involved with social activism.

So far, there have been 66 homicides in Oakland this year. By comparison, there were 49 homicides at this time in 2007. About 150 other community leaders, victims and families gathered in the park to call for peace in the streets and to participate in a candlelight vigil. The event was organized by the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.

By Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune

Silence the Violence 2008

 

About 3,000 residents and faith leaders are expected to attend a citywide forum at the Oakland Convention Center Thursday May 22, at 6:30 p.m.

Residents will talk about how they have been affected by homicide and propose a coordinate violence prevention and intervention strategy to city officials. The them of ethe meeting is "Save Lives Now!"

All Oaklanders are invited to attend.

For those of you who couldn't attend the meeting (mentioned in Kamika Dunlap's previous blog posting) at Youth Uprising last Thursday, you can listen to it on KPFA, which aired and recorded the live broadcast of a town hall meeting on the commercial abuse of children titled "No Longer Invisible." The meeting was sponsored by the Alameda County Interagency Policy Council. The broadcast was moderated by Weyland Southon.

-- Jane Stevens, UC Berkeley 

 

For some time now, I have been reporting about the epidemic of the commercial and sexual abuse of hundreds children in Oakland.

Councilwoman Jean Quan says "Teen and child prostitution is a dirty secret."

In reporting about this issue I wanted to expose how children under 18 are being by victimized by these drug dealers turned pimps. Many drug dealers have realized that selling young girls for sex on the street and on the Internet is far more lucrative and less risky than selling crack-cocaine.

No one city or county agency or church alone can fix this prostitution problem destroying our community day by day.

"It takes a village to prosecute a trafficker," Bock said. "You can't do this kind of case alone," said Sharmin Eashraghi Bock, Alameda County's assistant district attorney for human exploitation and trafficking.

To learn more about what you can do, the public is invited to attend a town hall meeting from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday at Youth Uprising Center, 8711 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland.

Also continue to read the rest of the series that will run in the paper and check out the multimedia videos and photos on line.

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors has declared April 20 through 27 Sexually Exploited Minors Awareness Week. A coalition of social workers, law enforcement agencies and government agencies hope to shed a light on the growing problem that some have said has reached an epidemic in Oakland — girls as young as 10 being recruited as prostitutes.

Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune

The biker community is doing its part to help support Christopher Rodriguez, who is paralyzed from the waist down after being hit by a stray bullet on January 10, 2008, while taking a piano lesson at Harmony Road Music School. About 250 bikers gathered at Arroyo Viejo Park in East Oakland last month to organize an Easter Egg hunt for children.

They also presented a $2,600 check to Christopher and his family to help pay the mounting medical bills.Chris Rodriguez, his family and friends. Kneeling to Chris' left is Oakland councilwoman Desley Brooks (Eastmont-Seminary)

“The biking community, just like any other, heard about Chris and wanted to do what we could to make a difference,’’ said Na’il Karim, founder of The Black Biker Magazine. “We wanted to do something as a group to show our support.’’

Oakland bikers involved in community violence prevention projects.

Karim said that often bikers are stereotyped for being associated with gangs or less-than-law-abiding citizens. On the contrary, he said: Community service is a part of the core mission of many biker groups who often organize charity rides.

Chris Rodriguez and friends

Karim and many of his biker buddies say they try to fight crime by organizing rides to juvenile hall to meet with young people and give them pep talks.

“Sometimes bikers get a bad rap,’’ he said.

Karim said that he hopes his magazine will also help to shed light on the culture and lifestyle of the biker community.

Kamika Dunlap -- Oakland Tribune