Real Talk About the Town is a a unique election season series utilizing virtual and live forums to hold real, unfiltered conversations about the issues shaping communities.
Since its inception in 2022, our series has gone beyond the candidate's talking points and provided valuable insights allowing Oakland residents to decide if a candidate is worthy of their vote, while providing the essential information to hold them accountable beyond election day.
With the primary election coming up on June 2nd, we are excited to share the Spring Season of Real Talk About the Town and help you address some basic questions:
Why should I care about this issue?
Has this candidate earned my vote?
Now that I am more informed, how can I be more involved?
In each episode, our team goes straight to the source to hear the people of Oakland break down their views on the political landscape, infused with some of The Town’s best musical talent. Stay tuned, as we plan to release a new episode every Thursday through April 30th.
The Real Talk About the Town Spring 2026 Season is designed to prepare you for the June 2nd Primary Election and inspire conversations with your loved ones and community members about what is good in Oakland and how we can make it better.
In Episode 1 of Real Talk About the Town, Dr. Saleem Gilmore sits down with Congresswoman Lateefah Simon to hear about her journey to the halls of Congress. They discuss her passion for Oakland residents and the bills she has authored to help improve our day-to-day lives during her time in Washington. We also hear from Sujata Srivastava of SPUR, first time voters at Oakland Technical High School and seasoned voters at Lake Merritt discuss their vision for the future.
In the second episode of Real Talk About the Town, The Community and the Classroom, Dr. Saleem Gilmore talks with Baba Greg Hodge, the Executive Director of the Brotherhood of Elders Network. The two Oaklanders discuss the 40x40 Council, a community collaborative designed to reverse decades of disinvestment in East Oakland. The episode also explores the history of youth voting with Lukas Brekke-Miesner, the Executive Director of Oakland Kids First and Dan Hu, Director of Partnerships for CalMatters. Our man on the street Randy Seriguchi continues his conversation with some of our newest voters at Oakland Technical High School, to hear about their vision for civic engagement. The episode concludes with another installment of Town Sounds and the creative genius of Bianca "BB" Brown.
Stay tuned for the next episodes in the series to be released Thursdays this month.
You have many options to make your voice heard on June 2:
Vote by mail
Use a 24-hour ballot drop box
Visit a Voting Center on Election Day
Check your voting options and find locations at the Alameda County Registrar of Voters website.
