Included In Our Community

by Leajay Harper

From an unhoused person to the currently housed unfortunately. Life doesn't work out as we all had dreamed and most of us have developed the skill to look at the glass half full and keep striving for the best. Regardless of social economic status sometimes we're put in situations where we just have to learn how to cope. Living healthy and dignified is a simple task that doesn't take much effort as a human. Just because we're in a bad space in our life, doesn't mean we should have to lose identity as Oakland residents, educated individuals and pushed out of the place we have been since birth . We agree there are issues that need to be addressed, we recognize what the main concerns of our neighbors have in our community and most of the time are in agreement but as neighbors, we have to work together to make our community safe in unity.

Together we must try to hold those stakeholders accountable because we have also as the unhoused been lied to and made political promises when we just wanted to implement new strategies so that nobody else was harmed, hurt and even more traumatized in this situation. We are proactive in taking initiative to try to address the problems ourselves. It was apparent to us that we need our community have our back. We know that placing us in healthy healing communities is the solution for us to progress in our transition . We are made a mockery for the very issues we are trying to correct.

We're not askin for handouts, we're not askin to be victimized. What we're askin is to be included in our community. The community we've lived in for years and strive to continue to be a part of regardless if we are. House or unhoused? We're still people and most of all Together we have a powerful voice.