Our place in the neighborhood is a delicate one. Recently one of our coworkers was asked by a resident on the street, "What makes you white people think its ok to walk around in our neighborhood?" By my assessment this is a fair question. Estimates say that in less than 15 years this will not be the bad part of town anymore. Dot-com-ers and other wealthy types will seize this well-positioned area, slowly pushing out those who struggle and cram multiple families into each house. This area, once a neighborhood populated largely by employees of the harbor involved in packing and loading barges, fell into terrible physical and social disrepair after the harbors began using automated systems. While the systems were much cheaper and often more efficient, this decision left hundreds of families displaced, unemployed and ultimately defeated. West Oakland is also, incidentally, the birthplace of the Black Panther movement. While the Panthers were widely known and criticized for their militant approach, very little press was given to the tremendous social and community organizing work that came out of it. A large part of the Panthers mission was to organize the displaced African American community in an effort to end the oppression of African Americans as a people in the US.

Now, nearly half a century later we still have the poor black community pushed to the dilapidated neighborhoods where their relatives were estranged, waiting for the wealthy to come in with renovators and credit-cards to gentrify and further estrange them. At first it may seem intimidating to ask a question like the one asked at the start of this journal, but with a little background things gain significant clarity. In my opinion, the real work to be done is in repairing the horribly botched relationship between racial groups - and i do not think that this is beyond our ken. For my part, in such situations i feel that it is my duty to be explicit about my intentions in the neighborhood. While i don't have any immediate plans to march the sidewalks draped in posterboards adorned with Sophia Project's mission statement, i would Love to have the opportunity to explain our work to those in the neighborhood, to show them that there are white people who are indeed working not to brush aside underpriveleged populations but to provide opportunities to those who have next to none. For all white people i believe it is our duty to make an effort to connect to and understand the other dominant cultures in our midst. I have also experienced that little things can make a difference: smile at all people, including people of color. (Though that may sound like a condescending proviso, i mean it honestly). Smile or say hello to the homeless and if they ask you for money for heaven's sake don't say, 'I'm sorry' if you want to say no. As a male i know that some of these things are easier for me to do, though as females i believe the support is even more necessary - especially to other women. The struggles of the females in the neighborhood and the families that we work with are often nearly unthinkable. For populations of men who feel largely powerless in their worlds, women often absorb the brunt of their frustrations and end up becoming their control objects. Even a simple acknowledgement, a smile to the woman working at McDonalds or a letter to an imprisoned woman - every little bit counts.
As people of privelege its easy to fall into the delusion that all people had the same chances in life as us and thus they should be held responsible for their broken lives. I am here to say that this is very seldom the case. Let us remember what we have been given and remember to give some back.