Black Lives Matter: Street Art and Storytelling from the Heart of Oakland

Words and photos by: Jessica Alvarez, Communications & Content Manager

I read somewhere that a revolution has many lanes. While some are posting on social media, others are protesting in the streets. While some are seeking organizations to join or give to, others are educating themselves. Some are having difficult conversations at home and/or work and yet others — others are creating.

As we all decide what lane to choose, it’s important to remember that during a historic time such as the one currently unfolding, every and any action we take to effect change is valid and valuable so long as we “keep our foot on the gas.”

Had I been a younger me, had we not been undergoing this pandemic, you can bet I’d be out on the streets with my fellow brothers and sisters of color. But I’m no longer that young and having developed certain health conditions over the past few years, like many, I struggled with deciding how I could personally support the cause — especially living in a city like Oakland.

A few weeks ago, I found my answer in the heart of downtown. As protests erupted across the U.S. and all over the world over police brutality and racial injustice, Oaklanders took to the streets to make their voices heard: some chanted protest songs and waved signs in the air, some recited poetry, others sang and danced, and others — others painted.

Street art is big in the Town where talent and creativity abound. Almost overnight, the streets of downtown were covered in Black Lives Matter-themed art that was at once pain-filled, rage-fueled, thought-provoking, disturbing yet beautiful, breathtaking and most of all, inspiring.

There, for all passersby to experience, the “writings on the wall” made you feel something that perhaps you hadn’t felt before. They told the real stories — those that the media failed to tell. They spoke volumes about injustice and freedom lost (if it ever was gained) and like all things, including media coverage, they told a tale of impermanence. The paintings were gone as businesses started to reopen and removed the plywood window coverings that had turned to canvases in weeks past.

And yet the problem of racial inequality in the U.S. remains.

As I “read” and experienced these stories firsthand, I decided to document them through photos. Storytelling is powerful; it paints a picture. As storytellers, we use different media to tell our stories. Personally, I tell stories through words, music and photos.

I cruised the streets as I documented stories and shared on social media to a positive response. I decided then that that was the lane I was choosing.

I’m supporting the cause by capturing and showcasing the fascinating protest art and abounding talent of the city in which I live. I’m making an impact by amplifying the voices of those who are grieving, angry, sad, pained and tired of the reality we’ve been living in. I’m making a difference through the work that I do for a living and by embodying the values of the organization I work for.

We’re living in uncertain times — times of turmoil and unease, times that call for reflection, action, solidarity and most of all, unity. It is during trying times that as human beings, we must seek out that which is true, that which is real and that which is certain.

While we don’t know what the future holds, how this virus will unfold across our country and globe, how current social and political events will impact our future and our children’s, what we do know here at Blue Forest, is that we remain committed to our mission and to the health and well-being of our team, our partners and our communities.

We remain committed to doing what is right, to stand by our disenfranchised brothers and sisters and to our company values:

Respect, include, collaborate, innovate, empower and grow.