Our HistoryHomies Empowerment was born in 2009 as a way of supporting and seeing young people and our community through a positive lens.
In 2009, co-founders Lizbeth Gomez and Cesar A. Cruz both worked at a continuation school; they believed young people deserved to be welcomed with dignity, care, and belonging—not fences, suspicion, or surveillance. They envisioned a space where young people could be seen as leaders, creators, and contributors to their own future. During a time when historical tensions existed between rival gangs and neighborhoods in Oakland, Lizbeth and Cesar saw the power that young people held to transform their communities. Together, they created space for youth to learn their shared histories, honor their identities, and build relationships rooted in solidarity and love. They began gathering after school for circles, classes, and dinner, intentionally breaking bread together as a way to nurture community and trust. This was not a quick process; it was a practice built over time with patience, consistency, and deep respect. With a partnership from Urban Services YMCA, gatherings took place at the Eastlake YMCA building on 45th Ave in East Oakland. There, every Wednesday night, young people, neighbors, and community members came together to share meals, reflect, and grow alongside one another. These gatherings eventually came to be lovingly known as Homies Dinners. Homies Empowerment operated as a grassroots after-school program from 2009 until 2014. During this time various community members and Homies board members continued the work to help Homies Empowerment grow, and provide youth with the resources to grow individually and as a community.
In 2017, forty alumni from Homies Empowerment gathered to reconnect and to dream up a way to take the visions of Homies Empowerment to the next level. Young adults began to dream about how we create their own high school. Out of that session came the development of the school design team which included Mercedes Flores-Casiano, Omar Escalante, Dr. G Reyes, Ventura Flores and Dr. Cesar Cruz. Then we were able to hire for the first time Rubi Pelayo and Nathalie Carvajal to join the design team. That team worked extremely hard to continue the design of the school; The FREEdom School, of Homies Empowerment. Its mission is to support the development of the Warrior, Scholar, Healer and Hustler within every person in their own process of individual and community emancipation. |
Programs we have operated
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