Abolition Meeting of 5-12-12



Streets Disciples with Diamond  

For our monthly Abolition Meeting for May, we were blessed to have Sister Tenika Blue and Sister Diamond Berry of United Roots.  Their organization is based here in Oakland and they have been doing powerful work with the youth of our city.  They have also created New Beginnings Sister Circle, an 8 week journey into self mastery for young women ages 14-25.  We recognize that in order to stem the tide of human trafficking and oppression of our young women, we as a community have to intervene agressively and in a positive way while they are young.  This Sister Circle allows the girls to talk about the issues they face in a safe, encouraging and non judgemental way that fosters understanding and healing as well as develops connections and positive ties that bind.


Tenika  & Anne

The Allen Temple Streets Disciples is a ministry to the women of our community who have already suffered that lack of love and caring and connection, and who often fall through the cracks of society - in poverty, prostitution and homelessness.  Many of the sisters we serve have already been ensnared by human trafficking, domestic violence or street drama.  So we come together as Jesus's disciples to offer support to fragile families by serving them with free dinners, clothing, resources, support and unconditional love.


Janet & Rev Harry

Tenika and Diamond of New Beginnings Sisterhood Circle were raised right here in the "inner city". From a position of understanding and compassion, they have created a unique support group for our teenage girls who face the difficulties and hardships of the streets.  The Sister Circle stresses self esteem which leads to self empowerment.  Through hands on care and positive information and reinforcement, they teach the girls that they have everything within their own spirits that they need to thrive and succeed, even in the face of hardships.


Diamond, Harry and Tenika

The New Beginning Sisterhood Circle led an edgy, no-holds barred discussion about the challenges and pitfalls that face young women here in East Oakland, such as single parent homes, grandparent raising them, the difficulties and isolation of being LGBT, poverty, no government resources, illiteracy, shame.  They also shared with us concrete solutions on how we as the church can help - creating intergenerational environments of grandmoms, moms, aunties, daughters, nieces, sisters - reconnecting one to the other and elders passing down wisdom and love and daughters receiving guidance and love is the greater part of the solution. 



Streets Disciples and guests

There needs to be a reconnecting of the black community to each other.  There is so much disconnect and isolation, and disrespect and stagnation.  Our greatest institution, the black church, is being co-opted more and more by pimps, players and hustlers who don't know how to connect or dont care about the community.  Our black church are losing too many of our children.  Too many of them believe that they can't count on the church to get help.  Too many feel that they will only be judged harshly.  If they dont know the truth about our church legacy, then we as church leaders must teach them.  We have to go out and find the children.  We have to connect to all those who are fighting for our communities.  We have to break down the walls of isolation and reconnect.