We are building a coalition of ally groups and recipient partners to systematically redistribute funds gained through privileges.

This is a grassroots and community effort. For transparency and accountability purposes, below are the initial members of this work.

 

DJ III

DJ III is a community organizer, thought leader, and spiritual guide in all aspects of his work whether as a mortgage lender or organizer for Just Cities. Previously head of business development for Clef and co-founder of Tech Equity, DJ brings people together for joy and liberation.

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Jaryn Miller

Jaryn is a service designer using a human centered design methodology. He has worked at a range of companies such as Tipping Point, Kaiser Permanente and currently works at Headspace. He has created meaningful impact through his work addressing critical social issues such as maternal health for black women and the VA.

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Sami Packard

Sami is a San Francisco native, a co-housing dweller, and a facilitator of conversations. She is currently a change management consultant at Accenture and previously directed the Alliance for Community Development, which provides support and connections for under represented small business owners in Oakland.

  • East Oakland Collective

  • East Oakland Youth Development Center

    Description goes here

  • Neighbors for Racial Justice

  • East Point Peace Academy

Our Collaborative Philosophy:

  • Only make financial commitments that can 110% be followed through on.

  • All descendants of enslaved people are owed reparations regardless of income level.

  • Black voices determine the approach for funding distribution and recipients, currently prioritizing long-term Oakland Black residents.

  • Black partners are the point of contact for Reparations Recipients.

  • As part of the no-strings-attached payments, allies do not expect to know who receives reparations, how the money is used or what type of impact is made in their lives.

  • Allies do the majority of the leg work wherever possible to reduce the labor on Black partners.

Our Founding Story:

Jaryn and Sami worked together at Kaiser Permanente. Over lunch they would discuss a range of topics including race, identity, and reparations. When Sami put her condo up for sale, Jaryn encouraged Sami to prioritize offers from the Black community. When no offers from a BIPOC person came in, Jaryn explored with Sami how the proceeds might be re-distributed to the Black community.

DJ and Sami first met in 2015 at a conference and became fast friends with deepened spiritual connections as they each navigated new phases in their lives. DJ joined the fund to further connect the effort to a broader Oakland community led network.