Nuevas voces: Centrándose en East Oakland

Pictured above: Acting Program Director Katherine Funes (top left) with Fellows Michelle (top middle), David (top right), Natalia (bottom left), and Parker (bottom right) as they host virtual focus groups with East Oakland residents.

“I heard different ways in which our communities could be improved by the residents themselves, who in turn brought up their concerns. In the past, they said they were brought solutions that did not meet the needs of the community and its residents. With these focus groups, we hope to address the needs of the community based on what actual residents have to say.” 

Nuevas voces Fellow Natalia shared these thoughts with me after attending a series of Nuevas voces-led air quality focus groups with East Oakland’s Lions Creek Crossing community. In an effort to raise awareness of the area’s air quality challenges, Nuevas voces shared a short presentation on the history of air quality issues in East Oakland and created space for community members to discuss the air-related problems they notice locally.

Many of the community members voiced their concerns about the pollution from industrial sources — like the AB&I Foundry — as well as the freeway and the daily heavy traffic of diesel trucks. They said they were worried about their kids and the respiratory issues they can develop from exposure to this pollution at young ages. 

One resident said, “We can’t have our kids inside of the house where the ventilation is not good, but we also cannot have them outside due to COVID-19 and the bad air quality. We can’t do anything to protect our kids from getting asthma.”

Community members need help to have their voices heard by decision makers — that’s why we, as Nuevas voces Fellows, are holding focus groups to amplify community voices. We are taking the feedback we received at these focus groups to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to drive forward action for cleaner air in East Oakland. We are hopeful that CARB will hear the voices of real people who suffer from toxic emissions and create a process to more strictly regulate pollution in impacted communities. We all need to breathe clean air! Impacted communities like ours in Oakland deserve access to safe air quality both inside and outside their homes. 

Thanks, Michelle and the rest of the Nuevas voces team, for conducting these important focus groups that will help create cleaner air in East Oakland!

Surgen nuevas voces supports powerful youth voices like Michelle’s through our Fellowship during the school-year and the Summer Climate Justice Leadership Academy. We are now recruiting for this year’s Summer Academy. If you know any youth from the Bay Area’s frontline communities who would like to join Nuevas voces in advancing environmental justice and building community resilience, please share this post with them.