A friend of my who is also an Oakland homeowner was kind enough to hold two sessions of CORE training. CORE stands for Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies, and it’s a free training program designed to prepare city residents to be effective emergency responders.

The man in this drawing was one of the other attendees at the session. I liked the way he sat quietly, taking it all in. His calm and calming presence was a welcome contrast to the very serious topics on the agenda.

Ajuan Mance