Hello Oakland,

Let’s get together again Thursday night for the first public hearing of the Racial Disparities Task Force at 6 p.m. on our social media channels Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube (with closed captioning).

To dial in by phone: (669) 900-6833, 413825986#

This week, I’ll be joined by members of the Task Force and hear important presentations from:

  • Darlene Flynn, Director of Oakland’s Department of Race and Equity, on Using a Racial Equity Approach


  • Yvonna Cázares, Director of Community Engagement Office of the Mayor, and Guillermo Cespedes, Director of Oakland’s Department of Violence Prevention, to talk about Interventions Targeting Racial Disparities

  • Leaders from community partners Roots Community Health Center, Trybe, and Huarache Azteca/World Central Kitchen, to discuss their work providing critical services to vulnerable communities.

Our fellow Task Force members will also be on hand to ask questions and answer yours.

Please submit any questions for me or our guests by clicking here .

If you missed last week’s town hall dedicated entirely to the budget deficit and the options ahead, you can watch here .
This week, the City of Oakland launched a new website to show you every location for free food distribution across our city. If you, or someone you know, is experiencing food insecurity, please tell them about oaklandca.gov/food or have them call 211.

We are serving families of all ages and from all neighborhoods – and we don’t want one person to miss a meal. Please share this resource!
Last week we opened the first walk-in only site at Roots Community Health Clinic at International and 99 th Ave. and on Monday we plan to announce a new drive-up location in East Oakland.

We still offer tests at the Kaiser Convention Center near Lake Merritt, and we want to keep these locations filled with appointments.

If it sounds like a broken record, we want as many Oaklanders to get tested ASAP to improve the health of our community.

Our goal is roughly 860 per day, and while we’re not there yet, reaching the daily goal will help determine when Oakland can safely re-open our businesses and go back to school.


Lastly, a huge thank you to all the Oaklanders who continue to donate , pitch in, and lend a creative hand to strengthen our community.

On Thursday, we plan to make a big announcement on how we’re working with OUSD and community partners on an unprecedented effort to close the digital divide in Oakland once and for all.

Currently, about half of OUSD’s 50,000 students don’t have consistent access to internet or computers. We’ve run the numbers on what it will take to close the divide right now while families “distance learn,” but we’ve also penciled out what it will take to close it for good.

It’s an ambitious goal, and we’re looking forward to sharing with you how we can achieve it if we all work together .

I’m certain we can do it, Oakland.

Be well,

Libby

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