Mya Whitaker

Mya Whitaker is an Oakland native that has a profound love for her city. “Passionate,” “real” and “connected” are just a few ways to describe this young visionary; one who envisions Oakland being a place that is safe, where people aren’t afraid of inner-city youth, but embrace them and help them to [each] discover their unique potential.
Once labelled as what some may call a “troubled youth,” the birth of her son Ky was the turning point that caused her to begin self-inventory and evaluate her personal choices. She not only set-out on a path to discover her role in society, but to serve a community that is ridden with violence, plagued with drugs, gangs and destruction.
After seeing many of her peers succumb to violence as a way of life, Mya was determined that this would not be her destiny. Mya is committed to seek and employ ways to prevent the violence that she was once a part of. As a conduit of social change and empowerment, Mya is a strong believer that Oakland can save itself from the issues that exist.
Mya has many years of experience working professionally and voluntarily with youth and families in Oakland. She serves as a counselor, debate instructor to inner city youth and a commissioner for Oakland’s Police Oversight Commission. She understands what it’s like being a Black youth in Oakland who has overcome challenges of her own, still with room grow. Mya prides herself on being “touchable” and “relatable” when it comes to the people of Oakland. By yielding herself as a public servant, she maintains that she is able to directly influence the youth of her community as well as be a conduit that bridges the gap between the young and old.
Mya is a recent graduate of San Francisco State University (May 2016) and is currently the Program Director for the Bay Area Urban Debate League.