Cat Brooks

Cat Brooks (born Sheilagh Polk) is an American activist, playwright, poet and theater artist. She was a mayoral candidate in Oakland's 2018 election, facing incumbent Libby Schaaf.

Cat Brooks
Cat Brooks at a 2018 fundraising event
Personal details
Born
Sheilagh Polk

1975/1976 (age 44–45)[1]
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
ResidenceOakland, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas

Career

Brooks received her bachelor's degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she studied theater.[2] After graduating, she began her acting studying at the National Royal Theater Studio in London, before moving to Los Angeles and working at Creative Artists Agency. In 2002, Brooks joined the nonprofit organization Community Coalition, where she focused on issues of education and racial justice.[1]

After the shooting of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer, Brooks became active in organizing against police violence.[1] She co-founded the Anti Police-Terror Project and served as the executive director for the Bay Area National Lawyers Guild.[3] She also became an organizer for the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2015, Brooks was arrested protesting Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's ban on night-time marches on public roadways.[1][4]

In 2018, Brooks was a candidate for mayor of Oakland, running against the incumbent, Libby Schaaf.[5] Her campaign involved collaborative assembly meetings intended to gather public feedback on local policies. She endorsed repealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.[4] After taking a break for the duration of her unsuccessful mayoral campaign, Brooks resumed her job as co-host of the weekday morning program UpFront on Pacifica Radio station KPFA-FM in Berkeley.[5]

Her one-woman show Tasha is loosely based on Natasha McKenna, who was tasered to death in police custody.[6]

Personal life

Brooks was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, to a black father and a white mother. Brooks's mother was an anti-nuclear activist who took her to protests as a child.[1]

She lives with her husband and daughter in West Oakland.[2]

References
  1. Artz, Matthew (July 7, 2015). "Black Lives Matter leader Cat Brooks playing the role of her life". East Bay Times. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  2. "Meet Cat". Cat Brooks for Oakland. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  3. Emslie, Alex (November 22, 2016). "Lawyers Group Blasts Oakland Cops for Response to Trump Protest". KQED. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  4. Schuffman, Stuart (June 18, 2018). "Oakland Mayor's Race: The Evolution of Cat Brooks". Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  5. BondGraham, Darwin (May 1, 2018). "Oakland Elections: Cat Brooks Jumps in Mayor's Race". East Bay Express. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  6. Janiak, Lily (July 28, 2018). "Oakland mayoral hopeful Cat Brooks brings activism to stage with SF's 3Girls". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
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