#north oakland

[istandonsnowpiles]

Late Bloom

[purpleknight86]

Fried chicken sandwich at Sideshow Burgers in North Oakland

[heroesdesignandbuildoakland]

Using Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Programs, connect with local resources.

The non-profit Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Programs (BORP) helps people realize their objectives of leading active and involved lives in the Bay Area by giving them the tools, resources, and support they need. Through BORP, users can connect with other locals to take part in events like recreational sports leagues, camping trips, and other activities. For those who are interested in finding out more about the resources and services available in the Bay Area, BORP also provides training, education, and mentoring.

The goal of BORP is to close the accessibility gap between persons with disabilities and their communities by facilitating access to leisure activities in a welcoming atmosphere. They work to increase social inclusion and lessen loneliness through their programs. Each year, BORP provides more than 150 different activities and events, such as yoga courses, sailing, skiing, and rock climbing. For those with disabilities, they also offer assistance in locating housing and work opportunities.

BORP is committed to public education and promoting awareness of issues relating to disability rights in addition to providing leisure activities. They work to make the Bay Area more equitable for all of its residents through their advocacy campaigns. For people with disabilities to have access to the same possibilities as everyone else, BORP collaborates with neighborhood businesses, governmental institutions, and other groups.

The goal of BORP is to give people with disabilities the tools and resources they require to realize their full potential. Through their programs, they seek to strengthen bonds amongst members of our community while also empowering people of all ages and abilities. We can make everyone in the North Oakland area even more prosperous by coming together as a team.

[atlasandacamera]

Oakland, CA

[haveyoubeentothiscity]

Population: 440,646

One submitter commented, “its like san francisco but better (i live here)”

[xtruss]

Why Parents Still Try to Ban ‘The Color Purple’ in Schools

Four decades after it was released, Alice Walker’s enduring classic remains at the forefront of the battle over what is available on library shelves.

— By Erin Blakemore | August 22, 2023

Alice Walker reads from her Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-winning novel, The Color Purple. Since it was first published in 1982, the critically acclaimed book has been targeted by movements pushing to censor the book's subject matter. Photograph By Johnny Crawford, Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP

When Alice Walker’s The Color Purple hit bookshelves in 1982, it blew away critics, became a nationwide bestseller, and endeared itself to readers who found pain and inspiration in its pages.

But in the years since its publication, the acclaimed novel has become famous for another reason: It’s one of the most challenged books in the nation, withstanding criticisms aimed at its depictions of race and sex, its portrayal of abuse and agony, and even its spelling and style.

Here’s how The Color Purple became one of the nation’s most banned books—and why it continues igniting controversy to this day.

“A Spiritual Experience”

Walker, who grew up in Jim Crow-era Georgia, described writing the book as a “spiritual experience” inspired by the strength and grit of the Black Southern women she made her heroines. The epistolary epic follows 40 years in the lives of its main characters Celie, Shug, and Nettie, who survive incest, domestic abuse, and racism in the early twentieth century—all while carving out joy, independence, and dignity along the way.

When it was released in 1982, the book immediately caught the attention of both the critics and the reading public, who praised the book for its portrayals of both the brutality and sorrow of racism and sexual violence and its celebration of Black women.

It was critically acclaimed, winning both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for 1983, and inspired a popular 1985 film directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

Banning ‘Purple’

But something else accompanied the novel as its renown grew: controversy. Though educators recognized the book’s potential as a teaching tool, some parents and community members objected to its presence in school curriculums and libraries.

The first major attempt to ban the book occurred in 1984, when a parent petitioned against its use in an Oakland, California classroom. In a 1985 essay, Walker recalled reading frequent updates on “how the banning was coming along” and watching the book’s sales skyrocket.

“I felt I had written the book as a gift to the people. All of them,” Walker wrote. “If they wanted it, let them fight to keep it, as I had to fight to deliver it.”

Fight they did. Though the Oakland schools ultimately decided not to remove the book from classrooms, the book has consistently been challenged nationwide since its publication, repeatedly making it on the American Library Association’s list of most frequently challenged books.

Why Parents Challenge the Book

Attempts to ban The Color Purple usually contest Walker’s use of slang and profanity, the book’s portrayal of brutal Black men, a same-sex encounter between the two main characters, and its depiction of sexual violence in its first pages.

“One can eat from a cafeteria or a dumpster…but one would hope those placed in charge of our children would have exercised better oversight,” wrote one parent in a characteristic 2013 challenge in Brunswick County, North Carolina. (The book has survived multiple attempted bans in the Brunswick County school district.)

But the same pages that provoke ire in some have inspired others.

Oprah Winfrey, who endured sexual abuse as a child, later recalled reading the first page of The Color Purple “and thinking ‘Oh God, I’m not alone.’” After Winfrey co-starred in the first movie adaptation of the film, she began talking about her own experiences on her talk show.

TV historians now credit the self-disclosures inspired by Walker’s book with helping Winfrey develop her winning confessional interview format.

Modern Attempts to Ban the Novel

Efforts to ban The Color Purple have continued during a recent wave of attempted book bans.

In 2022, the American Library Association documented over 1,200 attempts to ban or restrict library materials—double the number of challenges from the previous year—and most of which attempted to remove multiple titles from shelves.

Among them was The Color Purple, which was removed from library shelves in Florida’s Indian County School District at the request of a parent group that objected to 156 of the books on school shelves, claiming the books contain everything from pornography to critical race theory. Though the district’s school board declined to ban The Color Purple, it did remove five of the other books on the list and approve a permission slip allowing parents to restrict their child’s use of school library books.

With news of an upcoming movie adaptation of the acclaimed musical based on the book, The Color Purple is poised to regain the national spotlight. Only time will tell if the movie will spark more challenges—but for now, the legacy of a book one 1982 reviewer called “indelibly affecting” is secure.

To date, the book has sold over 5 million copies—a number sure to rise as a new generation meets its heroines.

[hrsrabbitcenter]

(San Francisco, CA) Luna is a loving and easygoing rabbit with an elegant mane and a magical spot in the shape of a bunny over her right eye. Luna is looking for a new home due to her family’s hay allergies. She is spayed, litter box trained, vaccinated for RHDV2, and has recently gotten a clean bill of health from her veterinarian at VCA Animal Hospital. Overall, she's a pretty tidy rabbit who likes to keep herself and her space clean and does well free roaming.   Luna isn’t picky about her food--she'll eat any kind of hay (orchard or timothy) and loves all types of fresh leafy greens, and bananas and cranberries for treats. She loves to be pet and will eagerly give you kisses in return. She's playful but is also relatively mellow since she's a bit older. Her exact age isn’t known since she was previously living in a horse barn, but she’s estimated to be around 7 years old. Her current family hasn’t seen her interact directly with other pets but understand that she did well living with the horses, and she's patient with their toddler so she would do well with a family with children.   Luna is currently located in San Francisco, California. If you're interested in giving her a good home, please email Fiona at frkirkpatrick@gmail.com with a few details on what her living situation would be like with you. The family is also happy to have you come visit to meet her first, or to do a bunny playdate if you have another bunny you're looking to bond with her. The rehoming fee is $20, and Luna’s current supplies and a several weeks supply of litter hay, and pellets will be sent with her adopter.

[bikerlovertexas]

[kodakseasons]

Bay Bridge 🏙️

[bryntjohnsonrivierabeach]

Brynt Johnson Riviera Beach - Director of Engineering and Building Services

Brynt Johnson Riviera Beach is an engineering professional in North Lauderdale. He started his first construction company when he was 25 years. Mr. Johnson works as an engineering and building services director at the City of Oakland Park. Besides, he has received awards for his outstanding work during the city meeting commissions.

[goalhofer]

Beau Taylor retires.

[pittsburghbeautiful]

Pittsburgh Coffee Shops Guaranteed To Deliver Flavor

Great Pittsburgh Coffee Shops If you want a little extra energy or a spot to get some work done, we have the perfect spot for you!  Pittsburgh coffee shops have a unique and inviting atmosphere that make them perfect for any occasion, whether it’s a date night, hanging out with friends, or a work meeting. If you’re after something special or just a classic cup of coffee, these coffee shops will…

[trench]

School gun report for the week of 9/3/23-9/9/23

Yeah, yeah. I’m late. I know. What else is new? 9/5/2023: Two suspects were arrested after shots rang out at Skyline High School in Oakland, California. Thankfully, no one was injured. *** 18-year-old Trayvon Woto was arrested for allegedly bringing a gun to Linda Abril Educational Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. Woto is accused of posing with the Ruger handgun on Snapchat while on school…

[atlasandacamera]

Oakland, California

[subsidystadium]

The Las Vegas Review-Journal claims the Oakland A's will "boost" their economy, increase tourism & give city additional dollars.

Last month, the state of Nevada gave the Oakland A’s $380 million dollars in taxpayer money to go towards a brand-new ballpark in Las Vegas. The hope is to possibly open the ballpark by 2018. This week, the Nevada State Education Association launched a campaign to try and find any legal way to stop the Oakland A’s from getting any public funding, including litigation. The campaign started a…

[onwardtheygo]

Big Adventure One

For our first trip, we decided we wanted to do somewhere that seemed familiar but also new and exciting at the same time. We have both been to USA, and Andy has been to Canada, so it seemed like the first place we should try our big adventure. Our big adventure is going to be two months long across these two wonderful countries. It is so exciting as I’ve always wanted to do a tour across the USA…