Brown Likka Fridays - 9/20 - Meet Casey Farmer and VanCedric Williams

NOTE: Address upon reservation

Come join us at Brown Likka Fridays, where we meet in a West Oakland backyard for food, fellowship and conversation. The idea started with West Oakland Community Action Network (WOCAN) founder David Peters, who invited neighbors to his porch to talk ... while sharing a bottle of Brown Likka!

During the 2024 election season, we are hosting local candidates to give residents a chance to address their issues and ask questions face-to-face. Here's a look at the guests for September 20:

Casey Farmer

Candidate for East Bay Regional Parks District (Ward 2)

Casey has dedicated her career to the public sector, starting as a special education teacher in Oakland Unified, working for multiple elected officials including Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney and State Senator Nancy Skinner, and leading Alameda County's 2020 Census effort. She currently works as a consultant for various local government and nonprofit projects. She led her high school and college environmental activism clubs and is currently battling Shell Oil to clean up a polluted site in her neighborhood. She is an avid hiker of trails all over the Park District and the mom of twin toddlers who love exploring EBRPD parks.

As Board Director, Casey will work to enhance equity and access to our incredible parks, especially for youth to benefit from the environmental science opportunities and to support their mental health and physical wellbeing. Casey will also champion our vital workforce, the important climate resilience work the District is doing, and ensure strong wildfire protection.

(via Casey Farmer)

VanCedric Williams

Oakland Unified School District, District 3 Director seeking re-election

VanCedric Williams, born in Los Angeles, was the first in his family to attend and graduate from college. Many years ago, as a 6th grader walking home from school with his mother, he shared that he wanted to change the world. She responded, “Son, adults are set in their ways. If you want to change the world, then you need to work with young folx*; they have the most promise.” That conversation with his mother was the catalyst for choosing a career as an educator 20 years later.

His career and passion for public education grew as a paraeducator. He realized that seeing young folk and Black male students’ achievement and success was a must mission from those early years. He understood that being a classified paraeducator is the backbone of every school. He celebrates them. Williams, from that experience, was hooked and pursued a teaching career. He has dedicated himself to teaching students in the most underserved communities for the last 20 years. He has worked hard as a teacher-leader of the Community Dream School Project. He also leads a student mentoring program that encourages, empowers, and enlightens BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students to be their best selves, know their history, and provides leadership through community service.

Williams has concluded that he has not met a child who can't learn. As an education activist, he will continuously and tirelessly advocate for the most marginalized and vulnerable students. If you lift our most marginalized students, then all students would benefit from more classroom funding, increased neighborhood enrollment, community schools, anti-racist policies, and racial and social justice/equity in our schools and communities. Williams invites everyone to become an active participant in the mission for educational justice as he serves and represents you as a Director on the Board of Education. Every Pre K-12 child should receive nothing less than the highest quality public education.

(via OUSD)

Host or Publisher David Peters