I interview longtime activists about their experience with initiating and nurturing social change in their communities. This month’s feature is Cassandra Lopez (aka Mama Cassie), civil rights aficionado, mother, grandmother, devoted wife, educator, Detroit native, and grassroots organizer in Oakland, California.

Tell us a little about your background in community organizing. 

I grew up in Detroit on the lower East Side in a predominantly African American community. I was always curious wh...