A year ago today, The Organizing and Leadership Academy graduated its first cohort – a diverse group of young professionals brave enough to join a new Fellowship program, passionate enough to want to change the world, and driven enough to do so. After graduating the first two classes of TOLA, our Fellows have gone on...
Although this past weekend we had one day with 25 hours, we must realize that there are only 24 hours in a day and there is only so much that we can focus our attention on at one time. Regardless of recent events in Oakland, the group of citizens that drafted the initiative for term...
This Saturday October 29 will mark the commencement of something rare in Oakland – political progress. October 29th is the kickoff event to qualify a 12-year term limit for city council. Only a handful of citizen-driven initiatives have seen the light of day in Oakland. Our efforts show how we can bring about movement, and...
The day of action this past Saturday was the CCRA‘s largest day of campaign activity and progress. The Day of Action was a call to attention for the California Cancer Research Act. All over the state volunteers were going around to different events, calling from different phone banks, and screaming at the top of their...
Term Limits was the talk of the town this past week – sending shock waves throughout Oakland and eliciting a lot of conversation. The Term Limits campaign committee, Move Oakland Forward, made some large strides on the road towards term limits for Oakland City Council. We have received the initiative back from the City Clerk,...
There is a lot going on in the TOLA office this week. On my end, I was granted the opportunity to explore an advocacy role in the American Cancer Society-Cancer Action Network. This opportunity came in the form of attendance to National Lobby Day in Washington DC. This incredible week taught me some additional fundraising...
When you are caught up in the action of it all it is easy to lose track of the weeks, especially those behind you. It is thus incumbent upon us to assess where we as Move Oakland Forward stand in our efforts to reduce the unwarranted advantages of incumbency that accompany Oakland city council seats...
The half way point, it’s almost like an accomplished feeling. When you get half way to something, you know you could do the first half, so the second half is supposedly easier. The CCRA team has been plugging away at our goals – recruiting volunteers, soliciting donations and generating support. Do I think that we...
Since the beginning of our TOLA 3 class, we have had many interactions with people who have accomplished a great amount, those who have great ideas, and those who are very well informed. Most of the people we have met have varying combinations of the traits just mentioned. It is essential in life to have...
Off limits, speed limits, twitter limits, city limits, direct limits, vertical limits, lifetime limits, age limits, term limits. Let’s be honest that limits do limit us, which we don’t always like – but limits aid us in structuring our lives so as not to binge on any one thing. Limits partition the world into beginnings...
We all can somewhat imagine what a person might have to go through if they are diagnosed with cancer; any type and at any stage. Personally, I have been extremely blessed and have not had to deal with cancer in my family, but there is something so heart wrenching when I sit at my desk...
Awndrea Lee breaks down how TOLA is organizing for term limits in Oakland, CA.
