I had an interesting discussion the other day at my job in Oakland. It was between a young, hispanic male from San Francisco, a black man from Panama, a white boy from the Oakland hills, and myself, a light skinned mixed girl from the suburbs. Together, we compared and contrasted our diverse interpretations and experiences of the city of Oakland.

All in all, we were able to agree that despite its “rough spots,” at its root it’s a pretty amazing place.