Vernon Dailey: former ‘canvass king,’ currently in search of housing
By Sasha Weilbaker on Street spirits is a monthly feature in which a Street Spirit vendor, or someone who lives on the street, tells us their story.
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Street Spirits is a monthly feature in which someone who lives on the street tells us their story.
Shawn Moses: Recently housed and full of hope
By Sabrina Kharrazi on Street Spirit vendor Shawn Moses just moved into housing after spending more than ten years on the street.
Tyrone Jones: Husband, landscaper, adventurer
By Noah Baustin on Street Spirit vendor Tyrone Jones selling papers by the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Vine Street. But Berkeley feels like a far cry from Jones’s childhood in a small community north of St. Louis, Missouri.
Al Mayfield: Jazz musician, fisherman, optimist
By Simone Rotman on On Friday November 13, Al Mayfield sells Street Spirit at his usual spot: the corner of College Avenue and Shafter,
Olantis Livingston: the Big Man of Downtown Berkeley
By Katherine Blesie on Meet longtime Street Spirit vendor Olantis Livingston. “I’ve been through the good, the bad, and the ugly, and this right here is my therapy.”
Alando Williams: friend, father, South Berkeley staple
By Katherine Blesie on Around 12 years ago, Alando began selling Street Spirit. “I’m out here every other day,” he explains. “Some days I come out here and don’t make nothing. I just like conversating with people.”
Ken Jones: Cat owner, Street Spirit vendor, Berkeley staple
By Alastair Boone on Ken Jones stands on the corner of Addison and Shattuck, waiting for people to exit a concert at the Freight and Salvage, or a play at the Berkeley Rep. In the cool evening light, he catches the eye of patrons spilling out of the theaters, flashing a broad smile at each person who looks up as he broadcasts his patter over the crowd.
Celebrating the life of Mike Zint
Michael “Mike” Zint, an outspoken activist whose “Poor Tour” around Berkeley thrust the plight of homeless people in city officials’ faces, died on February 14. He was 53.
Jojo: singer, writer, free spirit
By Emma Arnesty-Good on JoJo doesn’t always consider herself homeless. The twenty-nine-year-old prefers to live outside of that label. “I consider myself a part
Danny McMullan: Advocate, agitator, longtime contributor
By Julia Irwin on in 1984, Danny McMullan was zipping down the highway on his motorcycle —eager to join his friends by the bay—when he hit a power box. The force of the impact tore his right leg clean off and left Danny, then 21, with broken bones in his pelvis, ribs, arms, clavicle, and back.
Travis: Sommelier, traveler, clothing designer
By Emma Arnesty-Good on When Travis moved to San Francisco in 2011, he was 21 years old and had $174 in his pocket. His first job was tossing salads at a restaurant on 2nd and Market. But soon, his career in the service industry would take off. His next job was at Quince, a fine dining restaurant that now has three Michelin stars.
Derrick Hayes: Street Spirit vendor, community member
By Alastair Boone on Walking down Franklin Street in Downtown Oakland you’ll see a larger than life mural of a man in a baseball cap. With gentle eyes and a wide smile, he looks east over the city, watching over the people passing by. Small businesses line Franklin Street to the left and right. Below the mural is a parking lot, and shiny office buildings tower above. In between lies the portrait of Derrick Hayes, a 59-year-old homeless resident of Oakland who has been selling Street Spirit for almost 20 years.