I am Oaklandish: PEACE

The I Am Oaklandish campaign features true Oakland originals from all walks of life. They give our city its oddball spirit, its passion for justice, and its creative vigor. They lift us up with laughter, peace, nourishment, and authentic hard work. They make us proud to call this town our home. They are Oaklandish.

There's no such thing as too much peace in Oakland. Our town's anti-violence campaigns have gained national recognition for their effectiveness — with the right funding and support, they have the power to heal our city.

How do they do it? Most of these educators grew up in the flats of East and West Oakland — they've been personally impacted by violence, and learned the hard way that it doesn't solve anything. They spread that message to students, help injured youth access services and escape gang life, and offer support to families who have lost loved ones. Sometimes it's as simple as driving someone to a doctor's appointment, or helping a grief-stricken family member fill out complicated paperwork. Other times, it means showing up in the emergency room to talk a victim's friends out of retaliating with more violence.

Some might say they have the toughest jobs around, but they don't see it that way. They're saving and changing lives, and to them, there is no better reward.

RAYNA SMITH is a Silence the Violence peace ambassador with the Urban Peace Movement. This program trains young people from East, West and North Oakland’s flatland neighborhoods. Over the course of 9 months, they are trained to identify cultural indicators of violence and to foster a culture of peace through community service and cultural events. They receive in-depth trainings on healing and reconciliation, communication skills, community transformation, and social justice leadership.

MARILYN WASHINGTON HARRIS is the founder of the Khadafy Foundation for Non-Violence. In 2000, Marilyn's son Khadafy was shot and killed while riding his bike in West Oakland. The crime remains unsolved, but Harris's experience inspired her to provide support to other grieving families. In the aftermath of a homicide, people can turn to the Khadafy Foundation for help with everything from funeral expenses to grief counseling, food, and child care. Since 2003, the program has served over 800 local families. In addition, they work tirelessly to stop the cycle of violence by preventing crimes and retaliation.

NICOLE LEE is the founding executive director of Urban Peace Movement, an Oakland-based organization that works to transform the mindset and culture of urban violence. She is a fourth-generation Oaklander and has spent the past 12 years in working on economic and juvenile justice issues.

RICHARD McCLENDON is a peer educator with Youth Alive. Peer educators work within their communities to present alternatives to violence. The program gives students intensive training on how to speak about the impact of violence on their lives, and act as positive role models in their communities. Nearly 100% of youth who go through this training end up graduating high school — even in schools with overall graduation rates of 40%. Richard was once a victim of violence — Youth Alive helped get recover and enroll at Merritt College. He and his coworkers reached over 1,200 students this year through their nonviolence education work. He loves his family and wants to make Oakland a better place for his kids to grow up in.

CAHERI GUTIERREZ works with Youth Alive to educate students about the impact of violence in their communities. At 18, she was sitting in her car in East Oakland when a stray bullet crashed through her window. With the help of Youth Alive, she recovered from her injuries, finished school and went on to educate kids throughout Oakland on alternatives to violence.