Our Mission

As a collaborative of racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations, Oakland Rising uses the civic process to build political power for and with BIPOC, working-class, immigrant, and formerly incarcerated community members to bring about systemic change. By flexing people power, aligning like-minded forces, and developing values-based leaders, we are dismantling systems of oppression and building a real Democracy that is inclusive of and led by the communities who have historically and systemically been left out of the political and policy decisions.

We develop key infrastructure necessary to build progressive power by:

1. Flexing People Power: We build and exercise progressive political power through mass-based electoral organizing and integrated strategies, including base-building and policy advocacy.
2. Aligning Like-Minded Forces: We align and coordinate citywide and regional progressive forces through our collaborative model to build the power and profile of the social justice movement.
3. Leading With Values: We recruit, train, advance and support progressive leaders who lead in a collaborative, accountable and values-based way – that centers social justice.

Our Vision

We envision an Oakland that realizes our shared dreams of health, happiness, safety and opportunity for all. A Town that stands for progress and sustainability, that models what is possible in American cities of the 21st century. We believe we can erase the racial, economic, political, environmental and educational inequities that have created barriers between us, and find collective strength in our city’s diversity. We know that Oakland can reach its full potential when residents of any neighborhood, students of any school, riders of any bus can help lead our city into the future. We believe that this vision is possible, and that we will achieve it one vote, one meeting, one march at a time.