2020 Yearbook

Hella People Power Organizing Over a period of six months in 2019, we collected nearly 45,000 signatures across the city from Oaklanders who understand the transformative potential of putting the budget in the hands of the people. The campaign was an amazing example of the power of grassroots organizing. Together, Read more…

Painters in masks sit or stand 6 feet apart from each other show-casing their artwork!

Hella People Painted

Our phones buzzed at 6:20 AM with a message, “What a beautiful morning to #defundopd!” Then came another promising donuts! It was time to paint the People’s Budget in front of Lake Merritt for the city to see how Oaklanders actually want our money spent. What’s the People’s Budget? The Read more…

What is a People’s Budget?

Flipping the Power Structure The People’s Budget is a form of participatory budgeting that puts residents in charge of how the city spends its money. The United Nations considers participatory budgeting a democratic “best practice” and the New York Times called it “revolutionary civics in action.” Our People’s Budget Initiative Read more…

Reclaiming Our Public Selves

The politics of spectacle—driven by the posturing and performance of elites—reinforces mass passivity rather than mass engagement. VOLUNTEER NOW Just as patriarchy relegates women to the private sphere while men dominate the public sphere, corporatocracy pushes us to focus on our individual affairs while public affairs are dominated by the Read more…

Summer 2019

We have wrapped up our first month of signature gathering thanks to our awesome volunteers and members! Each day we gather signatures is an opportunity to share the vision of people power in Oakland, connect with our community, and exercise teamwork and communication. Best of all it directly supports getting the Read more…