Sahra Sulaiman
Sahra is Communities Editor for Streetsblog L.A., covering the intersection of mobility with race, class, history, representation, policing, housing, health, culture, community, and access to the public space in Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles.
Recent Posts
What Really Happened to Dijon Kizzee
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The 2nd deputy doesn't draw his gun until nearly 2 seconds after Kizzee's gun has skittered along the ground to its final resting place
Unhoused Man Beaten by LAPD
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Making the case for why, if L.A. is serious about reimagining public safety, it must embrace the conversation around defunding the police
What It's Like to Live on the Street During COVID-19
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A true eviction moratorium might have kept Miguel housed and stable; now he fears for his mental health and his ability to get back on his feet
Street Vendor Who Can't Afford to Self-Quarantine Is Attacked
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Vendors across the city wonder how they will feed their families; a Street Vendor Emergency Fund aims to help.
Community Service Comes Full Circle for Members of Black Kids on Bikes at King Day Parade
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Youth BKoB inspired to join in the King Day parade years ago now serve as inspiration for the next generation
Transit Public School Set For Blighted L.A. Lots
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For black stakeholders eager to shed the despised "Death Alley" label and address the damage rooted in segregationist policies, the stakes feel especially high
“I Can’t Go Everywhere that I Thought I Could Go”: When Black and Brown Cyclists Need Safety from More than Traffic
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“I knew where I was,” muses Slimm, the 25-year-old road captain from the Los Ryderz Bike Club regarding his fateful decision to roll past 65th on Broadway – the heart of East Coast Crips territory, “but I was just riding by…” Keeping track of whose territory you are in is key to survival for many […]
Mobility Justice Advocates Gather in Leimert Park for Untokening California
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She had had enough of hearing her community spoken about in offensive ways by well- (and not-so-well-) meaning planners and advocates, enough of giving 110 percent of herself only to realize a fraction of what she put forward was being seen as having value, enough of how disinterested those with power over what happened in marginalized communities remained in the larger picture, and enough of being tokenized.
Twitter Chat on #Untokening of Mobility Advocacy Explores Costs of Tokenization
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"But whatever you do," the head of the history department told me, "do not use words like 'multicultural.' Parents will call to ask what on earth we're teaching their kids."
America Walks “Walking Toward Justice” Webinar: The Color of Law & Residential Segregation
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A conversation about how to have uncomfortable conversations, moderated by Charles T. Brown and featuring Tamika Butler, Sahra Sulaiman, Sonia Jimenez, and author Richard Rothstein.
Tamika Butler to Step Down as Head of LA County Bicycle Coalition
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Perhaps the most powerful thing Butler did during her tenure was to consistently give of herself to create space for others on the margins in a field where there is currently precious little.
Justice-Oriented Mobility Advocates to “Untokenize” Active Transportation Movement at November Convening
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The Token One He was so glad I had “talked about people of color committing violence against other people of color,” he gushed, shaking my hand. My eyebrows shot up. The focus of my talk at last October’s CalBike’s annual summit had been the extent to which the socio-economic and cultural landscapes of a community […]