By: Natalie Godinez

Self Help Graphics & Art (SHG) is coordinating a series of workshops and events aimed at youth across the state, thanks to funding from The California Endowment.  The funding is part of the Building Healthy Communities (BHC) initiative, that launched in 2010 to advance a statewide policy to change narrative, and transform 14 of California’s communities. In partnership with local artists and nonprofit organizations, SHG will focus on issues that affect each community to create connections for youth facing similar issues in other neighborhoods. Topics that will be covered include gentrification and displacement, the school-to-prison pipeline, gender stereotypes, and lack of mental health resources– all from the viewpoint of youth empowerment. 

The first workshop expansion of the series happened on Saturday, February 1, 2020 in East Oakland. SHG collaborated with the Oakland Public Library (OPL) for an anti-displacement and art workshop for teens. The workshop happened at the César E. Chavez Branch of OPL in the community of Fruitvale. With support from the Teen Librarian, Linda Nguyen, the workshop was approved by the library’s Teen Advisory Board (TAB) that meets monthly at the branch. In addition to members of the TAB, neighbors visiting the library joined the workshop, from seniors to Kindergarten students! 

During the workshop, Artist and Biking Advocate Ken Eby-Gómez, led the participants on a one hour walk of the surrounding community. He focused on areas of cultural significance and discussed the changing landscape due to gentrification and a new bus rapid transit line currently under construction on International Blvd, a street that connects all of East Oakland. The participants also visited a section of Sausal Creek in a nearby park. The creek is mostly underground in the flatlands of East Oakland, as opposed to the hills where the creek is mostly above ground. There was a brief discussion on why the creek is underground in some areas, and not in others. Lastly, they visited a new affordable housing development at Fruitvale Station, next to the library. Ken shared about different ways to keep communities affordable, from affordable housing initiatives, to the Oakland Community Land Trust. 

Tour participants returned to the library to debrief and create zines based on what they learned on the walk and their relationship to the community. They used different materials, including historical pictures and instant photographs they took during the walk. They also created a collaborative zine that included photographs from the walk and the locations visited. 

Natalie Godinez is an artist, educator and Self Help Graphics & Art’s Community Engagement Coordinator.