Category Archives: urban studies

Life in and of the city

Got a Hustle to Pay Rent While Jobless? You’re Part of a $1T Economy

via Colorlines John (a false name) stands at the street corner that I pass by every morning in Oakland, when I walk my dog. An elder black man in his late sixties, John wears the same brown jacket each day, through summer heat and fall chill, and a weathered baseball hat. He shuffles up to [...]

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Black Kids on Bikes

Once a month, a movement courses through the streets of Los Angeles. Moving together, in solidarity, Black cyclists are spurred forward by the revolutions of their wheels. Each individual coming together to join the flood that takes over the streets. Their momentum stirs the air, setting in motion a gale that blows clear across the [...]

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Tent City

“Excuse me, where’s the tent city?” The man with matted dreadlocks and a weathered face from the sun squinted at me. He wore a white tee shirt grey with wear and slung a tattered jean jacket over his shoulder, hot from the afternoon sun. “Why would you want to go there?” Why indeed. Like many, [...]

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  • About

    Yvonne Yen Liu is a nerd for the racial justice movement. She lives in Oakland, California. You can write to her at yvonnegrapher at gmail dot com.

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