Candidate for
Council Member; City of Oakland; Council District 3

Derrick H. Muhammad is a life-long resident of Oakland who attended Skyline and Fremont High Schools. As the oldest of 3 children, in a single parent home, his mom relied on him to " hold down the fort", while she struggled with multiple jobs to keep his family intact. The Oakland of Derrick's youth was filled with fond memories of summers swimming at Fremont High's swimming pool and playing tag football in the street. Back then, there were still strong middle-class neighborhoods in Oakland. Everyone watched out for each other. Kids played at Fairy Land. Families gathered at Festival at the Lake and the Carnival at Foothill Square. Neighborhoods felt safe.

Because Derrick had heavy responsibilities placed on him growing up without a father, he knows first- hand the challenges of single parents in Oakland. This understanding began a deep commitment to creating a better life for inner city youth. One of his first jobs was working with youth at a boy's detention center in Los Angeles County. Then, as an AmeriCorps member, he participated in community organizing- gaining valuable insight into the kind of serious, systemic problems facing people in large cities. He provided tutoring and facilitated a life management skills curriculum that included conflict resolution, goal setting and overcoming peer pressure. These were some of the profound experiences of Derrick's early adult life.

But Oakland was changing rapidly and a vicious cycle of shrinking job opportunities, hopelessness, lack of education, and violence spreading throughout the city would produce an even larger impact on Derrick and his passion to create a better Oakland. On April 22, 2005 his 23 year old younger brother was gunned down in an Oakland bar. This gave Derrick even greater determination.

By then, Derrick had been working at the Port of Oakland as a longshoreman. He was a dad with two children, but he quickly took a path that would bring him closer to bringing greater hope and justice to the citizens of Oakland. So while he was doing backbreaking work unloading containers at night, he also managed during the day to get his doctorate in jurisprudence from UC Davis School of Law- one of the top 25 law schools in the country.

Derrick went to law school to develop greater skills to analyze complex social problems and negotiate workable solutions to them. He went to law school with a great sense of purpose and incredible desire to make the kind of changes in Oakland that can eradicate the drugs and violence, to give a reasoned voice to those skeptical that anyone in government is paying attention to their problems. Derrick currently serves the City of Oakland as a Commissioner on the Citizens Police Review Board and serves as public affairs for the California Congress of Seniors.

As a longshoreman for almost 8 years and member of the ILWU, he knows about the need for good middle class jobs in Oakland. He knows that it is possible to make a difference if you work hard and get a good education. Derrick also knows that Oakland needs committed leadership to tackle the large challenges ahead. District 3 needs someone with a lifelong investment in restoring it to greatness. Derrick has shown that he is determined and hardworking, that he is caring and committed. He has the skills and ideas that will work for District 3.