In 2003, the City of Oakland witnessed an alarming amount of homicides, predominately targeted towards the African American community. In lieu of the devastating events, founder, Agzja Carey, organized a call to action from her high school peers. It was this call to action that led to the birth of Street Bid’naz: A New Kind of Hustle.
Action
From 2003-2005, Street Bid’naz held bi-monthly meetings at the Family Violence Law Center in downtown Oakland. Members went to different high schools and youth organizations to speak about the current state of Oakland as well as solutions that could help change the city.
Street Bid’naz’s largest event was a Bay Area wide Dance Competition held at Oakland Technical High School. Students from the local colleges and high schools came out to support the cause. Participants were informed on the proper way to fill out a FAFSA as well as the importance of non-violence and attending college. All the money that Street Bid’naz raised went back into the community.
