By Aldazia Green, Ella Baker Center Intern Among the many challenges that people face when coming home from prison, having access to their basic necessities and clothing can prove to be one of the most difficult. One of the Ella Baker Center’s (EBC) bedrock values is ‘self determination’: the ability to be you, to represent yourself to the world, and to celebrate your identity always. Choosing what clothes to wear to present yourself to the world is something most people take for granted, but for a person who has been misgendered via state clothing, choosing that first outfit upon their releas ..read more

By James King As I reflect on the legacy of Black history and resistance in this country, I feel a sense of empowerment, joy, belonging, and pride. I am also overcome with feelings of anger and sadness at the level of impunity and disregard for Black life, and the senseless state-sanctioned murders of Tyre Nichols, Keenan Anderson, and too many others. Black life is sacred. Tyre Nichols’ life was sacred. Keenan Anderson’s life was sacred. They should still be here, to love and be loved. One thing that never wavers is the power of the people within this movement. Our power to protect and reclai ..read more

By Liz Atkins-Pattenson and Ifoma Modibo Kambon, members of EBC It isn’t every day that one pauses to think about the value of a day’s pay, especially in the context of a postage stamp.  I first learned about The Ella Baker Center’s (EBC) Stamps Campaign in 2020 through my involvement with the Prison Mail Program, which began with incarcerated people sending stamps to EBC in appreciation for the support and solidarity they received – from legislative updates with information about statewide bills that impact their sentences, to legal resources and advocacy tools that people can use to get ..read more

By Ashley Chambers As we celebrate mothers this week and every day, we center the needs of women in our communities, in our families and those that are directly impacted by our criminal legal system. Today, the meaning of mother and family symbolizes so much more than just someone who gives birth to a child.  It symbolizes women who show up for their community; mentors who go beyond sharing advice to their young mentees, they show them too; women who create space for other mamas to speak their truth and heal their traumas. It is mothers who don’t back down from fighting for justice for th ..read more

In the twenty years since I came across the Ella Baker Center, I went from an inquisitive law school student intern to the Executive Director of an organization responsible for incredible victories and initiatives across the state and the country.  I have always tried to give everything I can, but that could never match all that I have learned from being a part of this organization. And so it is with a mix of tremendous gratitude and pride, that I announce my transition out of my role as the Executive Director at the end of February 2022.  In my early twenties, despite having gone to ..read more

The Ella Baker Center is launching a new program this fall: Healing Through Action (HTA) is a twelve-week program that seeks to empower community members through advocacy and healing sessions.  HTA is a unique social justice initiative that will combine political education with community-based approaches to healing. In the program’s pilot phase, the first cohort will be made of families connected to the Ella Baker Center who have been impacted by incarceration and state violence.  As they geared up for the pilot program’s launch in late August, EBC’s Senior Organizer and Advocates ..read more

The Oakland community came together for Night Out for Safety and Liberation (NOSL) this year on August 3 to create spaces of joy, safety, freedom and community. The Restore Oakland parking lot transformed into an entertainment and resource space where nearly 100 community members celebrated and danced together to music by DJ Roxwell and live performances. Members walked away with wellness resources, free haircuts by The Brothers & Sisters Barbershop Academy, and free diapers from Help a Mother Out. This was the 8th annual Night Out for Safety and Liberation, started in 2013 as an alte ..read more

Centering Healing and the Leadership of Incarcerated People in the Fight By Ashley Chambers In the past year, communities across the nation have banded together in the fight for racial justice and to defend Black and Brown lives like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sean Monterossa, Daunte Wright and countless others who have lost their lives to state violence. We know that the safety, healing, and growth that our communities need comes from us, not police, prisons, and systems built on white supremacy. Over the past 25 years, the Ella Baker Center (EBC) has built power in Black an ..read more

Centering Healing and the Leadership of Incarcerated People in the Fight By Ashley Chambers In the past year, communities across the nation have banded together in the fight for racial justice and to defend Black and Brown lives like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Sean Monterossa, Daunte Wright and countless others who have lost their lives to state violence. We know that the safety, healing, and growth that our communities need comes from us, not police, prisons, and systems built on white supremacy. Over the past 25 years, the Ella Baker Center (EBC) has built power in Black an ..read more

By Ashley Chambers Today, we remember Breonna Taylor, a year after her tragic and unjustified police killing at 26 years old. A year of community uprisings and protests to demand justice for Breonna around the country, from Louisville to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Oakland. A year of her family having to deal with the tremendous loss of their daughter, sister, partner, and friend. The fact is Breonna Taylor’s death was preventable. She should be here today. But since March 13, 2020, when she was gunned down by police while sleeping in her apartment, her killers have yet to be held accou ..read more