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Street Spirit

Website:

www.thestreetspirit.org
Location:

Berkeley, CA
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Type:

Local Newspaper
Formation:

1995
Editor-in-Chief:

Bradley Penner

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Street Spirit is an independent, left-of-center newspaper about homelessness and other issues that is partially written and sold by homeless people. The opinion section of the newspaper has provided tips to not overdose on drugs; described arresting homeless as the same as the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850; argued private land ownership, colonization, and stolen land have contributed to homelessness; supported Palestinians over Israel while urging the City of Oakland, California, to block Israeli shipments into the port and return Israeli land to the Palestinians; stated the United States has contributed to violence and poverty around the world; and criticized the U.S. for genocide against LGBT people. 1

Street Spirit has defended and advocated for protestors attempting to block the University of California, Berkeley, from building a new dorm on the property the university owns. It has also covered the struggles of pro-Palestinian encampments on the UC Berkeley campus, written on how to investigate the police, and produced an article calling the building of a police training facility in Atlanta harmful to the climate. 2 3 4

History

Street Spirit was founded in 1995 by the Quaker nonprofit American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) as a newspaper about homelessness, partially written by homeless people and sold by homeless persons in Berkeley and Oakland, California. 5 AFSC funded the paper until 2016 when financing stopped. 6

Street Spirit was then funded by Youth Spirit Artworks, a group that offers art and job training to homeless youth. 7 In April 2023, Youth Spirit Artworks announced it could no longer afford to support Street Spirit, leading the paper to halt printing on July 1, 2023. 8

To reprint the paper, Street Spirit estimated it needed $250,000. 9 The Western Regional Advocacy Project provided assistance with Street Spirit finances and provided offices as a workspace to Street Spirit leadership once a week. 10 In March 2024, Street Spirit had raised the necessary money and began reprinting the newspaper through individual donations. 11 Street Spirit works with 80-200 homeless vendors to sell papers, and the person selling keeps 100 percent of the money earned. 12

Articles

Street Spirit consists of news articles, opinion pieces, arts and culture articles, and features on homeless individuals’ stories. 13 Street Spirit published a news article that covered pro-Palestinian encampments at the University of California, Berkeley that sided with the protestors. 14 Street Smart covered protests at People’s Park in Berkeley, a park on the National Register of Historic Places for Vietnam War protests, the founding of the Black Panther Party, and 1960s movements. 15 UC Berkeley owns the property and unveiled plans to build a dorm in the park which led to student protests and clashes with police officers. 16

In the opinion section, Street Spirit covered the Supreme Court case Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson that will determine whether local governments can fine, arrest, or jail people for being homeless. 17 The Western Regional Advocacy Project through Street Spirit argued that arresting the homeless is akin to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and that real estate, retail, and tourism profits are threatened by homelessness. It further argued that governments should be providing public housing, tenant protections, and other support instead. 18

Street Spirit published an opinion article by Berkeley Copwatch on why and how to investigate the police. 19 The article proposed that individuals go to crime scenes and interview witnesses on their own, look for surveillance cameras and ask to see the footage, and file Public Records Act requests against police departments for police reports, bodycam footage, dispatch records, and other relevant information. 20 Berkeley Copwatch stated its recommendations were in response to police abuse. 21

Street Spirit published opinion pieces opposing the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2023 meeting in San Francisco stating it would harm the homeless and elderly attempting to purchase groceries; supporting Oakland City Council’s resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and urging Oakland to support ending military aid to Israel, passing a resolution calling for returning land to the Palestinians, cutting off port access in the city to Israel, stopping America’s genocide against LGBT people, and ceasing the United States’ complicity to create violence and poverty around the world; stating that Blacks and Native Americans are the victims of stolen land and colonization with the main cause the ownership of private property; opposing the construction of the Public Safety Training Center (Cop City) in Atlanta claiming it will harm the environment; and an article on tips for preventing an overdose on drugs. 22

Finances

Subscriptions and donations to Street Spirit are fiscally sponsored by the Western Regional Advocacy Project, a civil rights organization for people experiencing poverty and homelessness. 23 From July 2023-March 2024, Street Spirit raised $250,000 to republish the newspaper from over 300 individual donors with most giving between $5 and $250 and sixteen people donating $1,000 or more. 24

Street Spirit makes public donors who gave more than $5,000 in a year, including the Charles Schwab Charitable Fund, Grapevine Giving Foundation, Carol Boone, Suzi Garner, Gail Buuck (of the Buuck Family Foundation), David Buuck (of the Buuck Family Foundation), and East Bay Community Foundation. 25

Leadership

Bradley Penner has been editor-in-chief of Street Spirit since July 2023. 26 Penner was previously a technical editor at Stillwater Sciences. 27 In 2022, Penner was an English teacher at Fusion Academy. 28

Alastair Boone was editor-in-chief at Street Spirit from 2018 until 2023 and now works as director of the newspaper. 29 In 2017 and 2018, Boone was an editorial fellow at CityLab in Washington, D.C. 30 Boone was on the senior opinion staff at the Daily Californian, the student newspaper of the University of California, Berkeley, from 2015 through 2016. 31

References

  1. Santos, Joemae. “San Francisco Activists Say: No to APEC!” Street Spirit. November 3, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/11/03/no-to-apec/; Wood Street Community and Homefulness. “Wood Street and Homefulness ‘Liberation Together’ Statement at Oakland City Hall.” November 29, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/11/29/wood-street-and-homefulness-liberation-together-statement-at-oakland-city-hall/; Tiny. “Decolonizing Homelessness.” Street Spirit. June 30, 3023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/06/30/decolonizing-homelessness/; Price, India. “Affordable Housing on Stolen Land.” Street Spirit. June 30, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/06/30/affordable-housing-on-stolen-land/; Riley, Hannah and Micah Herskind. “Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ is Putting Policing Before the Climate.” Street Spirit. March 1, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/03/01/atlantas-cop-city-is-putting-policing-before-the-climate/; West Oakland Punks With Lunch. “Harm Reduction: Tips for Preventing Overdose.” Street Spirit. September 6, 2022. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2022/09/06/harm-reduction-tips-for-preventing-overdose/.
  2. Farrell, Wren. “UC Berkeley Students Form ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment.’” Street Spirit. May 9, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/05/09/uc-berkeley-students-form-gaza-solidarity-encampment/.
  3. “The Fight for People’s Park: The Struggle, The Love, The Sweat, The Blood.” Street Spirit. May 8, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/05/08/the-fight-for-peoples-park-the-struggle-the-love-the-sweat-the-blood/.
  4. Berkeley Copwatch. “Why and How to Investigate When Police Abuse.” Street Spirit. April 2, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/04/02/why-and-how-to-investigate-when-police-abuse/.
  5. Chinowsky, Grace. “Reviving the Oakland Paper: ‘Street Spirit’ Will Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Real Change. September 27, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/09/27/reviving-oakland-paper#:~:text=While%20working%20at%20Street%20Sheet,residents%20in%20the%20East%20Bay; “About Us.” Street Spirit. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/about/; Trefny, Ben. “Street Spirit Gets New Editor-in-Chief.” KALW. August 28, 2028. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.kalw.org/show/crosscurrents/2018-08-28/street-spirit-gets-new-editor-in-chief.
  6. Chinowsky, Grace. “Reviving the Oakland Paper: ‘Street Spirit’ Will Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Real Change. September 27, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/09/27/reviving-oakland-paper#:~:text=While%20working%20at%20Street%20Sheet,residents%20in%20the%20East%20Bay.
  7. Chinowsky, Grace. “Reviving the Oakland Paper: ‘Street Spirit’ Will Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Real Change. September 27, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/09/27/reviving-oakland-paper#:~:text=While%20working%20at%20Street%20Sheet,residents%20in%20the%20East%20Bay.
  8. Chinowsky, Grace. “Reviving the Oakland Paper: ‘Street Spirit’ Will Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Real Change. September 27, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/09/27/reviving-oakland-paper#:~:text=While%20working%20at%20Street%20Sheet,residents%20in%20the%20East%20Bay.
  9. Chinowsky, Grace. “Reviving the Oakland Paper: ‘Street Spirit’ Will Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Real Change. September 27, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/09/27/reviving-oakland-paper#:~:text=While%20working%20at%20Street%20Sheet,residents%20in%20the%20East%20Bay
  10. Chinowsky, Grace. “Reviving the Oakland Paper: ‘Street Spirit’ Will Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.” Real Change. September 27, 2023. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2023/09/27/reviving-oakland-paper#:~:text=While%20working%20at%20Street%20Sheet,residents%20in%20the%20East%20Bay.
  11. Ornstein, Natalie and Supriya Yelimeli. “Street Spirit Homeless Newspaper is Back in Print.” Berkeleyside. March 1, 2024. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.berkeleyside.org/2024/03/01/street-spirit-homeless-newspaper-back-in-print.
  12. “Vendor Program.” Street Spirit. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/vendor-program/.
  13. “Street Spirit.” Street Spirit. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org.
  14. Farrell, Wren. “UC Berkeley Students Form ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment.’” Street Spirit. May 9, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/05/09/uc-berkeley-students-form-gaza-solidarity-encampment/.
  15. [1] “The Fight for People’s Park: The Struggle, The Love, The Sweat, The Blood.” Street Spirit. May 8, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/05/08/the-fight-for-peoples-park-the-struggle-the-love-the-sweat-the-blood/.
  16. “The Fight for People’s Park: The Struggle, The Love, The Sweat, The Blood.” Street Spirit. May 8, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/05/08/the-fight-for-peoples-park-the-struggle-the-love-the-sweat-the-blood/.
  17. Western Regional Advocacy Project. “Is It Illegal to be Homeless in America? SCOTUS Will Decide.” Street Spirit. April 29, 2024. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/04/29/is-it-illegal-to-be-homeless-in-america-scotus-will-decide/.
  18. Western Regional Advocacy Project. “Is It Illegal to be Homeless in America? SCOTUS Will Decide.” Street Spirit. April 29, 2024. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/04/29/is-it-illegal-to-be-homeless-in-america-scotus-will-decide/.
  19. Berkeley Copwatch. “Why and How to Investigate When Police Abuse.” Street Spirit. April 2, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/04/02/why-and-how-to-investigate-when-police-abuse/.
  20. [1] Berkeley Copwatch. “Why and How to Investigate When Police Abuse.” Street Spirit. April 2, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/04/02/why-and-how-to-investigate-when-police-abuse/.
  21.  Berkeley Copwatch. “Why and How to Investigate When Police Abuse.” Street Spirit. April 2, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/04/02/why-and-how-to-investigate-when-police-abuse/.
  22. Santos, Joemae. “San Francisco Activists Say: No to APEC!” Street Spirit. November 3, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/11/03/no-to-apec/; Wood Street Community and Homefulness. “Wood Street and Homefulness ‘Liberation Together’ Statement at Oakland City Hall.” November 29, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/11/29/wood-street-and-homefulness-liberation-together-statement-at-oakland-city-hall/; Tiny. “Decolonizing Homelessness.” Street Spirit. June 30, 3023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/06/30/decolonizing-homelessness/; Price, India. “Affordable Housing on Stolen Land.” Street Spirit. June 30, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/06/30/affordable-housing-on-stolen-land/; Riley, Hannah and Micah Herskind. “Atlanta’s ‘Cop City’ is Putting Policing Before the Climate.” Street Spirit. March 1, 2023. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2023/03/01/atlantas-cop-city-is-putting-policing-before-the-climate/; West Oakland Punks With Lunch. “Harm Reduction: Tips for Preventing Overdose.” Street Spirit. September 6, 2022. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2022/09/06/harm-reduction-tips-for-preventing-overdose/.
  23. “Join Email List/Donate.” Street Spirit. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/email-list/; Western Regional Advocacy Project, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2022.
  24. Boon, Alastair. “After Eight Months Out of Print, Street Spirit is Back!” March 1, 2024. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/2024/03/01/after-eight-months-out-of-print-street-spirit-is-back/.
  25. “About Street Spirit.” Street Spirit. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://thestreetspirit.org/about/; “The Buuck Family Foundation.” Buuck Family Foundation. Accessed May 13, 2024. https://buuckfamilyfoundation.org.
  26. “Bradley Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-penner-879135133/.
  27. “Bradley Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-penner-879135133/.
  28.  “Bradley Penner.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-penner-879135133/.
  29. Trefny, Ben. “Street Spirit Gets New Editor-in-Chief.” KALW. August 28, 2028. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.kalw.org/show/crosscurrents/2018-08-28/street-spirit-gets-new-editor-in-chief; “Alastair Boone.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastair-boone-b95056a0/.
  30. “Alastair Boone.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastair-boone-b95056a0/
  31. “Alastair Boone.” LinkedIn. Accessed May 12, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/alastair-boone-b95056a0/.
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Street Spirit

2726 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Berkeley, CA