I've been sitting with something for a while: CommuniTea + Coffee.
I wanted to bridge the gap between the buzzword "community" and actually building it. It needed to feel real, so I thought, what's better than sipping a hot cup of tea or coffee while getting to know folks. It reminded me of waking up early with my grandma and uncle, just yapping away. A time of comfort and joy.
We can't build real relationships with our neighbors if we're never in the same space. We don't need parasocial relationships, we need authentic ones. And that starts with knowing who's on our block, what's available to us, and showing up for each other consistently.
Join me for our first CommuniTea + Coffee gathering on Sunday, October 11th. It's a short walk starting at Mallena Cafe and ending at Marcus Books, with a guided conversation about community organizing along the way, tapping into Oakland's rich history.
I'm calling Oakland home now, and I want to show up the way I've shown up on my block.