Speaking Truth in Troubled Times

Oscar Grant III Protest and Outrage

This powerful audio piece captures the raw emotion and collective outrage following the fatal police shooting of Oscar Grant III by a BART officer on January 1, 2009. Through a mix of protest chants, speeches, and reflections from community members, we hear the voices that rose up in the streets demanding justice. The audio also includes moments from a solemn vigil held in Oscar Grant’s memory—honoring his life and the movement his death helped spark. Together, these sounds document a pivotal moment in Oakland’s history and a key spark in the fight against police brutality that would later help fuel the Black Lives Matter movement.