National Night Out
Transforming a City One Hot Dog at a Time

Tuesday night I cruised several National Night Out neighborhood block parties in and around East Oakland. District 4 (Glenview to Redwood Heights) had the most registered block parties of any Oakland district. [Oak Trib Article on parties in West Oakland] It was amazing to see people meeting and gathering in the middle of their streets, circled by children in motion on bikes, scooters and skateboards. Buffet tables were filled with diverse potluck foods. Each site I went to had someone barbecuing hot dogs and long lines. I met people I haven't seen before yet have connections with through living in the same hood. I met an entire street of folks (who live adjacent to the church I serve as pastor) who were eager to tell me that they vote in our building. What better way to fight crime, increase communication and birth future collaboration than through the simple sharing of hot dogs while chatting on lawn chairs in the middle of the street?

I ended the night with only 3 wishes:
1. That I should have taken the lead to make a block party happen on my street.
2. That NNO was more than just once a year.
3. That I'd waited in line to get one more hot dog.

If you're interested in learning more about crime trends and statistics in Oakland check out this entry on the blog A Better Oakland.

If you went to a NNO party how was it? How do you see it transforming the neighborhood you live in?