If you had a million dollars to spend on your neighborhood or community, what would you spend it on?
This Sunday: Street Conversations for Economic Justice in Oakland
On Sunday, February 22, we’re taking it to the streets (again!) to engage the people of Oakland in conversations about their vision for an economically just Oakland.
Specifically, we’re going to ask, “If you had a million dollars to spend on your neighborhood or community, what would you spend it on?”
We’re doing this to learn from our community. We believe what we learn on Sunday will help us create the blueprint for democracy and mass movement.
Personally, I’m going out there this Sunday because I’m sick and tired of hosting and attending fundraisers to fund programs that are doing really important work. If I had a million dollars, I’d prioritize my neighborhood’s domestic violence service organizations, rooftop edible gardens with collectively owned solar panels built by students (who get paid!), and worker-owned cooperatives.
I used to spend (or waste) a lot of time asking politicians to fund these types of projects.But now, rather than making demands from the power structure, I’m going to stand up with CDP and demand a change in the power structure itself!
If our initiative passes, we wouldn’t have to lobby politicians to spend OUR MONEY in OUR COMMUNITY. Instead, we’d have the difficult but exciting task of answering, “We have a billion-dollar budget in Oakland: What should we spend it on?”
We’ll meet at Oscar Grant Plaza (AKA Frank Ogawa Plaza, right next to the 14th St. BART exit) at 11:30 am Sunday. There’ll be snacks, a short training, and then we’ll break out into small groups and fan out to neighborhoods across Oakland to speak directly with Oakland residents. Then we’ll come back together to share our experiences. All are welcome – just come ready to chat it up!
In solidarity,
Tia and the CDP Team
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