Spring 2015 Newsletter: Dunks, Fights and Public Repentance
Oakland Leadership Center’s basketball league (called the Oakland Independent League) has grown from 4 teams to 9 teams over the past couple of years. 17-25 year old men share laughter, joy and life every Saturday for 10 weeks. Team captains are developed as leaders of their peers. Young men are given jobs on the scorebook and the clock. Employment and educational opportunities are brought to the gym. Fans cheer us on from the bleachers.
This year started off with a moment of silence for Maceo Bell, a participant in our league who was shot and killed on a Saturday afternoon on the front steps of his house in between this year and last year. We honored him and then prayed for peace and for safety for all the young men who were gathered with us.
Rev Harry Williams is our unofficial chaplain, and this year he delivered more encouraging and inspirational words of faith and hope to our young men. He reminded us that with God anything is possible. He wove stories of rap moguls and Bible verses together to challenge us and give us hope for the future.
This year a highlight came out of a failure. With competitive young men who love basketball playing with intensity, the juices are flowing and the tension can run high. We believe this environment can ultimately teach self-control, hard work, unselfishness and integrity, but we all have our moments. Two young men had an altercation that was on the verge of a fight for several minutes. We had to end the game early and send people home to ensure everyone’s safety. However, the two young men were able to reconcile and talk through their dispute without violence. Instead of a one game suspension, which would be the standard procedure, we decided to give both young men another option, a more restorative approach. Instead of a local pastor or community leader giving the day’s Chalk Talk, our weekly word of hope and encouragement, would they take the microphone and publicly apologize and encourage the league to work towards peace? They quickly agreed to the arrangement, and each young man gave a sincere and moving public apology over the next two weeks. They crowd cheered for them as they explained that they had already apologized to their teams and reconciled, but they wanted to apologize to the fans and the league and encourage all of us to move forward in peace.
I was genuinely encouraged and moved by the character and courage of these two young men, one of whom, I just discovered, is a well know local rapper. Their actions gave me hope for the future in East Oakland, hope that God is at work in our midst.
Weeks later, we invited the Oakland Police Department to bring a team of officers to play in an exhibition game during our Aim 4 Peace All Star Day which was sponsored by Oakland Unite. Our league manager, a young man named Cal Colding from East Oakland, introduced Lieutenant Armstrong and his team with a heartfelt and honest word about the hostility that exists between young black men and the police department but the hope that this game could be a small step towards something better. We had a jump house for kids, free presents for kids passed out by the City of Oakland’s Street Outreach workers, a BBQ faithfully manned by OLC’s friend Chris Magnuson and a whole lot of fun and laughter together, not to mention some exciting play on the court, full of cross overs, three pointers and dunks in true All Star Game fashion.
Money donated to OLC helps pay for this important league. We want to continue to expand and continue to bring job opportunities, mentoring opportunities and words of encouragement from local pastors. We are grateful for a mini-grant from the San Francisco Foundation to help us pay for it all this year, but the young men are always asking if we can run more leagues and more tournaments with a positive atmosphere.
If you do not already, please consider a monthly donation to Oakland Leadership Center. As programs like the Oakland Independent League grow, our costs to run them expand. Thank you!!
Nate Millheim for OLC
