Jacob Simas

Jacob Simas is Managing Editor of The Oaklandside. Before that he worked at Univision, the largest provider of Spanish-language news in the U.S., where he led social-impact initiatives and established the Rise Up: Be Heard journalism training program for young people and community organizers in underserved areas of California. Prior to that, he was a senior editor and director of youth and community media at New America Media, where he led a community news network that amplified student and youth reporting in California news deserts. Simas has lived in Oakland for the past decade with his wife and two children, who attend Oakland public schools, and his father was born and raised in East Oakland. He is an advisory board member for Youth Beat and a former volunteer host and producer with KPFA.

jacob@berkeleyside.com

Community

As a brutal civil war rages, Ethiopians in Bay Area ask why the world isn’t tuning in

by Jacob Simas July 22, 2022, 1:11 p.m.August 4, 2022

With the world’s eyes on Ukraine, Bay Area Tigrayans, Amharas, and other Ethiopians are fighting to be heard.

Oakland

Oakland’s curfew in context: The long history of curfews against anti-racist movements

by Jacob Simas June 03, 2020, 6:59 p.m.October 4, 2022

To understand why countless Oakland residents will gather to defy the curfew tonight, it’s important to understand how curfews have long been used to quell pain and fury in communities of color.