On Monday, March 1st, the director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs and other high-ranking federal officials visited Oakland to tour some of the city’s federal stimulus projects. Ella Baker Center’s Jakada Imani, Executive Director, and Ian Kim, Campaign Director of our Green Collar Jobs Campaign were two of the community leaders invited to speak and meet with the governmental guests. Other participants in the day included representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, Representative Barbara Lee, and Mayor Ron Dellums. Oakland and Philadelphia were the only two cities chosen by the White House for these summits. Jakada Imani reflected, “Elected officials and influential policymakers converged in Oakland because this city is an inspiring model for what is possible when people work together and create solutions.”
Jakada Imani addresses the summit at Oakland City Hall
The summit began with a press conference and an overview presentation regarding Oakland’s efforts on the stimulus program featuring Ella Baker Center’s Jakada Imani. Next, the group toured Oakland — on one of AC Transit’s hydrogen-fuel-cell buses — to see sites supported by stimulus dollars. One of the model programs toured was the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, which was designed by the Ella Baker Center and the Oakland Apollo Alliance as a job-training and employment pipeline to provide “green pathways out of poverty” for low-income adults. Following the bus tour, the group reconvened for a Procurement Summit where representatives from public agencies and the MBDA encouraged minority businesses to participate in stimulus funded projects.
“National solutions almost always start with local innovation. We are seeing that happen with the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, a model now being replicated throughout the country with strong federal support,” said Ian Kim. “President Obama has appointed some great people to lead the Housing and Urban Development department. It was heartening to have them visit Oakland. We are all fortunate to have had a chance to exchange ideas and think about solutions together.”
Read more about this exciting event in the Oakland Tribune
One Comment
hydrogen fueled vehicles are the best but they are still not widely available.:*’