We take a deep dive into the mayor of Oakland’s proposed budget, a day after the Oakland City Council had its first meeting about the current budget cycle. The city is facing a $300 million dollar deficit and every department has been cut – except for the police. We are joined by Ayodele Nzinga, Oakland’s poet laureate and a multi-hyphenated artist, actress, producing director, playwright, poet, dramaturg, performance consultant, educator, and community advocate; we’re also joined by James Burch, Deputy Director for the Anti Police-Terror Project, an organization that seeks to end police violence in Black and Brown communities; and lastly, we speak with Kijani Edwards, the Oakland Director of The Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) Action, a grassroots, member-led, statewide community organization working with more than 15,000 members across California. All three are members of the People’s Budget Coalition.

Then we go to the US South to get updates from regional grassroots organizer Marquell Bridges on the latest in killings by police officers throughout the region.

Our Resistance in Residence Artist this week is writer, poet, educator, and Executive Director of Youth Speaks, Michelle “Mush” Lee.

Learn more about Youth Speaks: https://youthspeaks.org/

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The post Oakland Mayor’s Budget Maintains Police Funding Amid Major Deficit w/ Ayodele Nzinga, James Burch & Kijani Edwards appeared first on KPFA.