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On Thursday November 10th, the Generation Waking Up team arrived at Occupy Oakland to deliver a "WakeUp" experience, which explores the critical questions facing young people and society. A few minutes later, the plan changed. Read Mary Shindler's words below.
"At Occupy Oakland's one-month birthday celebration, we arrived to do a 'WakeUp' just moments before a young man was shot and killed. On steps lined with candles, and only one mic, we tossed our scripts and asked people to "see" each other.
"Soon after we arrived at Frank Ogawa Plaza, we witnessed a fight. A few feet from us, a group of men were yelling at each other. They disappeared on the other side of the tents. A few minutes later we heard gunshots, and people began running.
"Someone yelled, 'Get down! Get on the ground.'
"We heard screaming and crying.
"A young man had been shot in the head. We later found out he died in the hospital.
"An eery silence of normalcy followed. A few seconds too late, people walked passed the plaza as if nothing had just happened.
"The night passed in a series of moments of anxiety, fear, deep connection, and love. It got dark quickly. And soon people were gathered in the middle of the plaza."
A Change of Plan
"Someone said, 'Mic check!'
"Everyone said, 'Mic check.'
“'Tonight is our one month birthday of Occupy Oakland. There will be no dance party. It is not the time to celebrate.'
"The one-month birthday celebration of Occupy Oakland turned into a somber vigil.
"As we lit hundreds of little candles in paper cups, I thought about my Oakland friends who are working so hard to end the violence and transform their city; the friends who have lost many close friends to gang violence. I have witnessed their pain, touched their backs and breathed deeply with them. And as much as I cry and empathize, I will never know what it's like.
"Aimee Alison, a local reporter, asked, will Alex's death be dismissed as 'just another young black man in a gang-related incident?' We hear about these incidents all the time. After hours of confusion and deliberation, we stepped on stage to offer pieces of the WakeUp to those who had gathered. We decided now more than ever the WakeUp is needed.
"Over the course of the next hour or so, we asked those who were gathered to mill about in the pit of the amphitheater, look into each others' eyes, and see each other for the heroes they are.
"We asked them to witness the bravery and the pain. Musicians led us in song. We encouraged everyone to reflect on their unique purpose, and to see how their role to play in the movement is important.
"A really sweet moment for me was at the end of the milling, when I asked people to share their gratitude for each other in a non-verbal way. I looked around to see people really connecting with each other. In the cold streets of Oakland, I watched people smiling, hugging, and embracing one another.
"I realized in that moment what I stand for. In a moment of fear, anger, sadness, and anxiety, we stepped on stage to share what we believe in: a collective story of interconnection, purpose, and possibility."
Inspiring Action
"As we recognize the pain of the world, we are able to transform that into action. In feeling our pain, we are able to connect to our desire to create a better world. In that moment, when I wanted to run away, or become numb to the pain, I brought that pain into my facilitation. I instead stood on stage and asked a crowd to see each other. To see how precious human life is.
"Last night I realized how important it is for us to tell our story, and share the vision of the world we believe in, especially in the midst of chaos. As I empathized with those grieving the loss of this young man, I felt how badly I want to live in a non-violent society. And how I choose not only to believe this is possible, but how I know we are already creating it."
Mary and other WakeUp facilitators have created their own blog site here.
Watch Drew Dellinger- poet and activist- at Occupy Oakland in the latest Youtube video.
