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Fighting for Community: Boxing, Collective Care, and Wellness Movement in Oakland
On Hard Knock Radio, Davey D sat down with Oakland boxing coach and community leader Dalia “La Pantera” Gomez, known affectionately as Coach G. The conversation highlighted her grassroots boxing and wellness program at San Antonio Park, which has become a vital hub for young people and families.
Coach G reflected on her upbringing in Oxnard, where parks provided sanctuary and shaped her love for sports. That experience inspired her to keep her program outdoors, even when kids asked about moving into a gym. For her, being in nature teaches resilience, builds community, and keeps youth connected to traditions often lost in today’s screen-dominated culture.
She and Davey D critiqued the privatization of youth sports, where families are pressured to pay thousands for elite leagues. Coach G argued that capitalism and the “rat race” have replaced community values with profit-driven models, shutting out those without resources. Her free and low-cost training stands as a counterbalance, offering not only boxing but also health education and connections to programs like Homies Empowerment.
The two also discussed challenges working within city parks, where community-led improvements have often been blocked by bureaucracy and red tape. Despite the obstacles, Gomez emphasized the importance of collective care, noting how neighbors came together to provide tents, equipment, and other support when the city would not.
Coach G also celebrated the rise of women in boxing, citing events like Beautiful Brawlers and pioneers such as Martha Salazar and Blanca Gutierrez. As one of only a handful of female coaches in the Bay, she highlighted the detail-oriented approach women bring to the sport.
Beyond boxing, Gomez promotes wellness through nutrition, mocktails, and community fundraisers, framing her work as a pathway to strength, self-knowledge, and collective empowerment.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.
The post Fighting for Community: Boxing, Collective Care, and Wellness Movement in Oakland appeared first on KPFA.
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On Hard Knock Radio, Davey D sat down with Oakland boxing coach and community leader Dalia “La Pantera” Gomez, known affectionately as Coach G. The conversation highlighted her grassroots boxing and wellness program at San Antonio Park, which has become a vital hub for young people and families.
Coach G reflected on her upbringing in Oxnard, where parks provided sanctuary and shaped her love for sports. That experience inspired her to keep her program outdoors, even when kids asked about moving into a gym. For her, being in nature teaches resilience, builds community, and keeps youth connected to traditions often lost in today’s screen-dominated culture.
She and Davey D critiqued the privatization of youth sports, where families are pressured to pay thousands for elite leagues. Coach G argued that capitalism and the “rat race” have replaced community values with profit-driven models, shutting out those without resources. Her free and low-cost training stands as a counterbalance, offering not only boxing but also health education and connections to programs like Homies Empowerment.
The two also discussed challenges working within city parks, where community-led improvements have often been blocked by bureaucracy and red tape. Despite the obstacles, Gomez emphasized the importance of collective care, noting how neighbors came together to provide tents, equipment, and other support when the city would not.
Coach G also celebrated the rise of women in boxing, citing events like Beautiful Brawlers and pioneers such as Martha Salazar and Blanca Gutierrez. As one of only a handful of female coaches in the Bay, she highlighted the detail-oriented approach women bring to the sport.
Beyond boxing, Gomez promotes wellness through nutrition, mocktails, and community fundraisers, framing her work as a pathway to strength, self-knowledge, and collective empowerment.
Hard Knock Radio is a drive-time Hip-Hop talk show on KPFA (94.1fm @ 4-5 pm Monday-Friday), a community radio station without corporate underwriting, hosted by Davey D and Anita Johnson.
The post Fighting for Community: Boxing, Collective Care, and Wellness Movement in Oakland appeared first on KPFA.