Video: Youth UpRising Center Unveils New Skate Park

Youth UpRising (YU), the state-of-the-art youth center next to Castlemont High School, has recently opened a skatepark on the premises, presumably deep East Oakland's first.  The new outdoor digs adds yet another dimension to an already existing slew of amenities. Equipped with recording studios, film editing suites, job services, a health center, cafe, dance studio and amphitheater, YU epitomizes everything youth centers should look like and provide.

Now with a skate park, the center will hopefully attract a more diverse population of youth to the center, while also turning members of their core community on to a new activity.

As a founding member of YU, it's existence and evolution always makes me proud. As a high school student it seemed improbable that something of such scale was really going to be born into an old Safeway on 88th and MacArthur. But, it was not only born, it has grown too! Just last week in fact, YU celebrated its 5th anniversary in grandiose fashion.

Executive Directors, MacArthur geniuses, judges, politicians, founders, funders, families, rappers, dancers, organizers artists and youth were all there to toast the success of the center. Such a well-rounded turnout demonstrates what a gathering place it is thanks to the work of the great staff and the grind of the hardest working hustler in Oakland, Executive Director Olis Simmons.

Now we'll add some skaters to that stew. How appropriate for a place so used to the grind.



And I'd also like to give a shout out toYouth UpRising for their award winning film, "Youth Jail Chronicles." The documentary notes how rampant incarceration is in our communities by talking to local youth who have spent time locked up. It's definitely depressing, but they crown the experience by sharing advice on what others can do to avoid their fate. It's sad that Oakland youth often know the prison industrial complex so intimately, but it's also sad that we more often read about these young people than listen to them. Here is our chance to start.