About Alexander Park

Contact Alexander Park

Education:

UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

August 2011 - May 2013

University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

January 2008 - July 2008

Semester abroad in South Africa's third largest municipality

Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota

August 2005 - May 2009

Sociology major; African Studies concentration

Published Stories:

How Design Links Storytelling to Social Enterprise

MediaShift

That a story can give voice to a cause and incite a social movement is an old concept. But at a recent gathering of more than 100 documentary filmmakers, social entrepreneurs and designers, the real question was not whether stories can make change happen, but how to make storytelling a systemic part of how a social enterprise disseminates its message and gathers support for its cause.

Oakland Massacre: Shooter Kills Seven at Christian Nursing School

Time.com

Oakland has the misfortune among California cities to be racked by daily shootings and frequent bouts of violence. But the events on Monday morning stunned even jaded crime watchers.

In Jingletown, Diamond Tool & Die is a survivor from Oakland’s industrial past

Oakland North

On the Oakland waterfront, in a historic area called“Jingletown” that recalls the sound of full-pockets and big paydays from years ago, an American manufacturing survival story lives on amid big box stores and artists’ residences.

Thomas Peele on his new book, Your Black Muslim Bakery and Chauncey Bailey’s murder

Oakland North

When journalist Chauncey Bailey was gunned down in front of a downtown Oakland parking lot in August 2007 by a 19-year-old named Devaughdre Broussard, the shock of his murder made international headlines, and drew a spotlight to the reporter’s last, unpublished story.

Clergy members defend Occupy camp after fatal shooting

Oakland North

At a Friday afternoon press conference outside the Interfaith Tent on Frank Ogawa Plaza, at the edge of the Occupy Oakland encampment, nine clergy members from around the East Bay made impassioned statements to media and passersby in defense of the camp following renewed calls to dismantle it in the wake of the fatal shooting nearby the night before.

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Bay Area clergy give active religious presence to Occupy Oakland protesters

Oakland North

Every village needs a church—or perhaps a non-denominational interfaith tent—to fill the spiritual needs of its inhabitants, and according to a recently formed group of Bay Area clergy, the Occupy Oakland encampment at Frank Ogawa Plaza is no different.

Occupy Oakland protesters plan to march on the port during strike

Oakland North

Members of the Occupy Oakland general assembly discussed more details of the proposed general strike in the early evening Friday, agreeing after much fanfare to march on the Port of Oakland on Wednesday, November 2— the day of the proposed general strike— at 5 p.m.

Group seeks to recall Oakland Mayor Jean Quan

Oakland North

As police and Occupy Oakland protesters squared off in front of City Hall this week, organizers of a recall campaign took their first formal steps this week toward an effort to remove Mayor Jean Quan from office.

Oakland’s Intertribal Friendship House will celebrate 56 years of supporting Native American community

Oakland North

One of the most diverse cities in the world,Oakland hosts a variety of community centers where newcomers who speak little English and know nothing of the local customs can find information and meet others like themselves. Almost all of these groups serve immigrants from foreign countries, but one of the oldest such places was never meant to serve immigrants at all.

PHOTOS/TEXT: Oakland Mongolians find fellowship on the volleyball court

Oakland North

In recent years, Oakland has emerged as a major entry point for Mongolian immigrants. Nine years after Oktyabri’s arrival, more than 1,000 are believed to live in Oakland’s downtown alone, with more living in surrounding neighborhoods.

In tense press conference, resigning Batts calls bureaucracy “an obstacle to do my job”

Oakland North

At a tense press conference at City Hall shortly after delivering his letter of resignation to the City Council, Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts criticized a bureaucracy that he said failed to “let the Chief be the Chief.”

VIDEO: Local Muslims give food to homeless, working poor

Oakland North

Every Saturday morning, volunteers from North Oakland’s Lighthouse Mosque come to the Rainbow Recreation center on East 14th Street and Seminary Avenue in East Oakland to give hot food and groceries to people in need.

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VIDEO/TEXT/MAP: Ethiopian families gather in Oakland to celebrate the Ethiopian Orthodox holiday of Meskel

Oakland North

Hundreds of Ethiopian immigrants and their families from around the Bay Area gathered at the Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral on Mountain Boulevard Sunday for Meskel, or the finding of the True Cross, one of the most important holidays in the church's calendar and a national holiday in Ethiopia.

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August shooting at downtown Para Diso club alarms neighbors

Oakland North

During a tense meeting near Oakland’s downtown last week, residents of the 23rdStreet and Telegraph area voiced their concerns over recent violence at the nearby Para Diso Lounge. On the community meeting agenda was a shooting on Saturday, August 27, which left neighbors shaken and two cars riddled with bullets ...

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Bay Area Liquor Stores Shun Idea of Selling Pot—Too Risky

New America Media

With the legalization of marijuana emerging as a possibility in California, legislation currently working its way through Sacramento would allow any vendor to sell pot with a common liquor license. Given the state of the economy, you’d think small businesses like liquor stores would jump at the chance to increase revenues by retailing weed along with beer...

An Interview with Richard Rodriguez

The Umbrella Factory

Rodriguez contentedly acknowledges that his life is rife with contradictions-- but, he says, contradiction lies at the heart of the American experience. Since leaving Berkeley, Rodriguez has undertaken an exploration of those inner conflicts, culminating with Brown in 2006. Originally intended as a book about Hispanics in America...

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Shell Retires Renewable Energy Business

Breakthrough Blog

Shell might not have been a major player in clean tech, having never dedicated more that around 1 percent of its investments to renewable energy, or a paltry 1.25 billion dollars between 1999 and 2006. But as of this week, Shell has decided that it won't be a clean tech player at all...

Robert Johnson Aims to Make Coastal Resort A Luxury Vacation Destination

allAfrica.com

Washington, DC — Liberia, just years removed from civil war, may not seem like an ideal place to open an all-inclusive luxury resort. But one group of American entrepreneurs want to change that perception, and do it very soon...

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Awards:

First Place, Sociological Insight Annual Paper Competition (May 2009)

First Place, Midwest Sociological Society Student Paper Competition, undergraduate level (April 2009)

Work Experience:

Reporter

Oakland North  - Oakland CA  ( August 2011 - December 2011 )

Pitching and writing 2-3 stories weekly for the Religion & Community beat

Editorial Intern

California magazine  - Berkeley CA  ( March 2010 - June 2010 )

Wrote, edited and fact-checked stories for the University of California's fully independent alumni magazine

Intern

KQED Radio  - San Francisco CA  ( February 2010 - July 2010 )

Screened guests, conducted research and pitched show ideas for a daily two-hour panel discussion and interview-based show on the largest National Public Radio affiliate in the United States

Intern

allAfrica Global Media  - Washington DC  ( July 2008 - July 2008 )

Processed stories from over a hundred media sources from across Africa for online publication

Managing Editor

The Mac Weekly  - Saint Paul MN  ( August 2006 - May 2009 )

Recruited writers, edited stories, held three weekly meetings, laid out pages, wrote 1-4 stories per week and authored a style guide and companion manual of reporting & writing for Macalester College's fully independent student newspaper

Program Host

WMCN Macalester College Radio  - Saint Paul MN  ( October 2005 - May 2009 )

Co-hosted a weekly jazz and Afrobeat program on broadcast and internet radio

Skills:

• Experienced with quantitative and qualitative research methods ● Familiar with Excel ● SPSS ● QuarkXPress ● Outlook ● Final Cut Pro ● HTML / CSS ● public records ● Working knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese

• HTML, basic CSS, public records

Other Works:

Award-winning sociology paper on a 2008 period of anti-immigrant violence in South Africa, and its relation to national political trends of the time. The article has since been cited multiple times in other scholarly works. Published in Sociological Insight 2009, Vol 1, pp. 31-51  Read more...

Article about the paper from Minnesota Public Radio  Read more...