ABSTRACT
In 1946, Oakland citizens staged and participated in a general strike for wage equity for women sales clerks in two department stores. In 1966, the founding of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland served as a defining moment in the Black Power movement. In 2005, Oaklanders mobilized once again. With the mayoral election a year away, a group of progressive citizens devised a strategy to draft a former US congressman and Oakland native for mayor. Effective Teachers for Oakland Task Force members were energized by what was possible during the Dellums mayoral administration. The task force proposed that the Mayor's office hold two town hall meetings to inform the community about the impact of high-stakes testing on Oakland students and the public school curriculum. The task force proposed that the City of Oakland and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) sponsor a recruitment summit targeted to college seniors, college graduates, and career changers in Oakland and surrounding cities.
