East Oakland. Listen up. I am talking to you. Now, you know Oakland has continued to be in the national spotlight. With stories like Occupy Oakland and the recent New York Times list that slotted Oakland as the fifth-best place to visit in 2012, this city continues to maintain an international profile. But are these the stories that folks in East Oakland feel are most important?  

The success of the six month long Oakland Tribune correspondents program shows how traditional journalistic standards, while critical, at times does not allow for certain voices to be heard. Oakland Voices trained and provided participants a platform to publish stories and perspectives that otherwise might not have been heard. Project coordinator Christopher Johnson learned as much as he taught.