Hack the Hood's Last week: Favianna Rodriguez

We're in our final week of Hack the Hood, and what a long way we've come! Through our journey at Hack the Hood this summer, we've always strived to teach important lessons about social justice alongside our tech and entrepreneurial training. Monday's speaker, Oakland activist, artist, and entrepreneur Favianna Rodriguez spoke to these issues and specifically how she uses art as a platform for activism. Favianna's talk inspired us to think about using our talents to engage with our communities, in Oakland and beyond. ​

Favianna's top points: 

• "Art is really important to shape what we want to see." Our communities need to see ourselves represented not only in the media but in all forms of culture. 
• Cultural change always precedes political change. Laws change very slowly, and sometimes, they are very obviously not in the favor of people of color. Cultural change needs to take the lead. 
• What is culture? Culture is what shapes us.