Wanda Ali Batin Sabir
P.O. Box 30756
Oakland, CA 94604

Education:
Holy Names College
Oakland, CA
BA, Humanistic Studies, 1991

University of San Francisco
MA, Writing, 1997


Recognition Awards in Art and Literature:
Ida B. Wells Barnett Leadership Award, 2002, Contra Costa College; 1998 Best of the Bay“Best Newspaper” SF Bay Guardian for the SF Bay View Newspaper; Unsung Heroes, District 3, City of Oakland, 1995-96, Queen of Hearts, Center for Visual Design, 1994, Oakland Pride, Evergreen Baptist Church,1993, Alex Haley Community Service Award, 1992, In the Company of Poets Magazine.


2005-2006 Activities
Host and Participant in the 15th Annual African American Celebration through Poetry: Revolutionary Struggles: The Black Panther Party Revisited on its 40th Anniversary, Saturday, and February 4, 2006.

Hosted and continue to organize Maafa Awareness Month Activities October 1995-2005: Ritual, Film Festival, Poetry Readings, and Panel Discussion; Curated Art Exhibit 2003-4. Locations included Laney College Theatre, the African American Art and Culture Complex, the Malonga Center Casquelourd Center for the Arts, Ocean Beach.

The 2005 panel included Oakland City Council member Desley Brooks’ participation, along with Professor and African Studies Scholar, Dr. Theophile Obenga, Psychologist, Dr. Rita Bobino, Professor of African Diaspora Studies, Manu Ampin, MA; and Public Health Professional, Aduni Luckett, MPH.

Hosted and Organized: Maafa 2005: Hurricane Katrina, 9/20,05: Hosted and Organized a Poetry Event and Silent Art Auction at la Pena Cultural Center: Lee Williams, Ishmael Reed, Tennessee Reed, Ginny Lim, devorah major, Wanda Sabir, Karla Brundage, Kim Shuck, June Jordan’s Poetry for the People, Raymond Nat Turner, Leroy Moore, Paradise, Kaylah Marin, Charles Blackwell, and others. Raised over $2000 for the Houston Center for Independent Living for people with disabilities.

Hosted, Organized and Featured in “The 14th Annual African American Celebration through Poetry: 40 years after the Voting Rights Act,” 2/5/05.

Hosted Panel: “When Media makes History at Berkeley Rep, 5/7/05.” Panelists were Bob Calo, Andrew S. Ross, and Marshall Kilduff re: The People’s Temple – Free Post-Performance dialogues.

Hosted and Organized “Poetic Protest 2005: Electorial Politics.” at College of Alameda on Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20, 2005. Featured poets included Wanda Sabir, Rafael Jesus Gonzalez, Mary Rudge, Reginald James and others

Panelist AfroSolo Arts Festival XII: “A Day of Learning: Develop, Fund and Market, Your Work,” August 8, 2005”

Panelist, Black Choreographers Festival: Here and Now,” February 12, 2005: Why has it been 10 years since the last Black Choreographers’ Festival?

Hosted and Organized Film Screening and Panel Discussion: “Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed, Unbought,” at the African American Museum and Library, Oakland, January 17, 2005. Panelists included: U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, 9th District; Aileen Hernandez, Statewide Chair of the California Women's Agenda, Founder of Black Women Stirring the Waters and Second National President of the National Organization for Women (NOW); and Sister Makinyah Kouate, Human Rights Activist, First Corporate President of the Associated Students of Merritt College and Pan-Africanist.

Hosted “Haiti 200th Anniversary and US Policies Panel” at Laney College (2005) with Haiti Action Committee. The panel included representatives from HAC, Haitian nationals, a Representative from Hon. Barbara Lee’s office and a film by KPFA 94.1 FM correspondent Kevin Pena at Haiti’s 200 year anniversary celebration February 2005.

Host and presenter at, Lil Bobby Hutton Day. April 16, 2005. The theme was "Bobby Hutton, Oakland legend." Other special guest speakers and live entertainment were: Elbert "Big Man" Howard, author of "Panther on the Prowl," Straight Out Scribes and others, at the West Oakland Library.

English Teacher
College of Alameda, Peralta Community College District, September 1997-present
Contra Costa College, September 1998-2003
Holy Names College, August 2002-December 2002
Media Alliance, Grammar Intensive Workshop, 2001
Chabot College, August 1999- December, 1999
Maybeck High School, June 1997-June, 1998

Have taught a variety of college level English courses: basic skills (both reading and writing), preparatory English courses, as well as university required classes and curriculums. Facilitated inter-department collaboration between the English Dept. and English for International Students Dept. at CCC, as well as fostered a closer working relationship between the Forensics Dept. and Drama Dept. at CCC.

Currently Instructor of Record in the Basic Skills English/English as a Second Language Lab, where students served include: native and non-native speakers, as well as students with developmental and learning disabilities. I supervise a staff of ten: teachers, a clerk and tutor(s), coordinate schedules, stay abreast of current software and protocols for ESL and Basic Skills English, host college-wide trainings, and inter-district collaboration with other ESL and Basic Skills English staff. We also host study groups geared for specific disciplines such as: automotive, computer information systems, dental assisting, and child development.

Arts Editor
San Francisco Bay View, June 1998- present
Columnist
Oakland Tribune, January 2001-present

Freelance Journalist, January, 1994-present
Theatre, music, dance, visual arts, and literary reviewer, as well as, editorial columnist and features writer for local and national publications.

Berkeley Public Library, December, 1995-September, 1996
Berkeley, CA
African American Community Outreach Information Network, Forum Coordinator
Developed monthly programs, facilitated community discussions

Women Organized in Response to Life Threatening Diseases, September, 1995
Oakland, CA
Coordinated a book reading/sales fund-raiser, at the 4th Annual Women and HIV Conference, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, CA

Vanguard Public Foundation September, 1995
San Francisco, CA
Publicist, logistics planner for the “Mass Meeting of the Affirmative Action Coalition,” Cathedral Hill Hotel, San Francisco, CA

California Poets in the School, “Embrace of Poetry” October, 1995
Oakland, CA
Helped plan all day seminar. Recruited facilitators for small group discussions, open reading, introductions, panels.

East Bay AIDS Foundation December, 1994, 1995
Oakland, CA
World AIDS Day, Event Organizer for Alameda County

The New Volunteer Center July, 1992-June, 1995
Oakland, CA
AIDS Volunteer Clearinghouse Director. Responsible for setting up three year pilot program, monitoring its implementation, prioritizing allocations. This included writing grants, reports to funders, establishing collaborations between community based organizations, government organizations, corporations and foundations, technical assistance to CBO’s, public education on AIDS and Volunteerism.

Oakland Public Library August,1990-present
Oakland, CA
Coordinated writing workshops, poetry celebrations, business forums, author events, as well as facilitated collaborations between the library and Oakland Parks and Rec.: Blues & Barbecue 8/96.

Points of Light Foundation June, 1993
Orlando, FL
Presenter at the Annual Conference, “Building Community.”

Publications:
Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Bay View Newspaper, Oakland Post Newspaper Group, In Dance (January, 2005, Cover story); Jazz Steps/San Francisco (1999-2002), Drum Voices Journal, University of Indiana Press (2001, 2002, 2003); Houzin' Project, Poor News Network (2003); The Peralta Press, Theatre Bay Area’s “Call Board” Magazine, Africana.com, Media File: Media Alliance; Asian Weekly, the S.F. Chronicle, Hayward Review, Berkeley Voice, Montclarion, El Cerrito Journal, Sun Reporter, California Voice; San Francisco Bay Area Reporter, ICON Newspaper; HearSay – National Writer’s Union (local chapter), Images and Imagination: Encounters with the Photography of Dorthea Lange, Edited by Ben Clark; the University of San Francisco’s Ignatian Literary Magazine; The Squaw Valley Review, Volume 4; Friends of the Oakland Public Library Newsletter, Black Issues in Higher Education, Black Scholar Journal, Alameda County New Public Health Proposal, Mama Bears “Books and Notes.”

Presentations:
1995/6: Perspectives: KQED Radio. 1994/5: Gyne-centricity: KPFA Radio. 1999: AIDS Update “Panel Discussion on AIDS Theatre.” 2000: Media Alliance: “Writers’ Tips of the Trade.” 2001: National Writer’s Union Roundtable:“Women Writers Share Trade Secrets.” 2003: Spirituality and African Activism, San Jose State University.

Interviews: Television, KPIX, Soul Beat, Cable Stations: Oakland, Alameda, San Mateo, San Francisco. Radio, KCBS, KPOO, KPFA, KALX, Berkeley High School Jacket. Print, Oakland Tribune, Montclarion, San Jose Mercury News.

Professional Affiliations:
Library Advisory Commission, City of Oakland, 1995-2004

Board Member, Friends of the Oakland Public Library, 1995-1998

Trustee, Center for Northern CA Study of the History of Black Family Life, 1998-present

Coalition for West Oakland Revitalization, 1993-present

Women’s National Book Association, San Francisco Chapter, 1995 - 2001

International Black Writers and Artists, Local 5, 37, 1987- present

Bay Area Poets Coalition, 1995 - 2001

National Writer’s Union, 1998 - present

Squaw Valley Community of Writers, 1997 - present

Bay Area Book Reviewers Association 1998 - present

New California Media 1994 – present

Modern Language Association – 1999

Society of Professional Journalists – 1999 - 2001