Description

How Oakland Turns Its Back on Teens: A Youth Perspective

Jermaine Ashley, Dawn Samaniego, and Lian Cheun describe how Youth for Oakland United, the site of another of their pilot projects, is working for positive alternatives to crime and incarceration. Speaking of the critical need for safe common spaces for teens and citing preventative measures in cities across America, they comment: “A lot of elders like to point fingers and talk down to us…if the city helps one, he’ll help another and she’ll help another, and that will make a difference.” They researched and analyzed problems with existing recreation centers in Oakland, surveyed and documented what youth in Oakland want, and used this documentation to successfully launch a citizen ballot initiative for resources for Oakland youth.

city programs, community centers, Oakland, California, urban policy, youth programs and projects

Citation: Social Justice Vol. 24, No. 3 (1997): 170-176