Oakland, CA – Youth from Oakland and surrounding areas will participate in a Youth Leadership Summit for positive community change. The Summit will be held this Saturday May 24th from 11am-4pm at Impact HUB Oakland (2323 Broadway, Downtown Oakland).
Guest speakers include Professor Darrick Smith, Jerry “Big G” Elster, Gregory Hodge, Dominic Ware from the OurWalmart Campaign, and organizers from the Milpa Movement in Salinas, the Determination Men’s Group in Oakland, and the Black Organizing Project, among others. The keynote speaker at the event will be Jerry “Big G” Elster, a former Gang Leader from Los Angeles who had a personal transformation and began doing peace-building work while incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. He will talk about his mistakes and how he has made peace in his own life.
“This is a chance for young people to get together from all over Oakland and the Bay Area to make a positive impact in our communities,” remarked Rayna Smith, a youth leader from Urban Peace Movement who will be speaking at the summit. “There’s too much violence and not enough opportunity and we want all that to change. We want to be a part of creating a brighter future for people all over.”
The summit will open with Tribal Drummers from the Intertribal Friendship House in Oakland. Workshops will be held on topics such as fatherhood, trauma and healing, community organizing, and media production. There will also be live performances in music, dance and poetry by local youth artists and prize giveaways from local Oakland clothing designers.
The Movement Youth Summit is hosted by Urban Peace Movement and the United Roots Media Center with support from the Oakland / Alameda County Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, part of a statewide campaign to ensure that all our sons and brothers are supported to be safe, successful and connected.
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