Conversations on cultural growth, education reform and the police force flooded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Oakland on Saturday, at a panel hosted by mayoral candidate Dan Siegel, former legal advisor to Mayor Jean Quan.

At the event, speakers like Maria Poblet, executive director of the “Causa Justa” movement, spoke on the diverse communities and the many languages that used to fill the Oakland streets.

“You would hear Tagalog, Laotian, and the language of my ancestors, Spanish,” she said.

Poblet said the recent increase in rent caused a shift in the diversity of Oakland. According to the census of Alameda, Oakland lost more than 25 percent of its African American population as families were priced out and moved to Antioch and Hercules.

She argued that those families do not receive the cultural support in those communities that they would receive if they were able to stay in Oakland. She referred to Siegel’s time on the Rent Stabilization Board in Berkeley and the need to be able to help bring prices back down.

Social activist and author Tom Hayden praised Oakland for what he saw as its high level of activism compared to the rest of the United States. Hayden, a childhood friend of Siegel, hopes Siegel will bring progress into politics.

Hayden ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Los Angeles back in 1997, and tried to explain why he believes it is difficult for some individuals to get elected. Hayden claimed he carried a majority of the minority vote in the election but lost a substantial part of the white vote. He believes the odd years of voting for city electoral years play a huge role in outcomes.

Hayden called out the University of California, Berkeley, for how “shameful” its admission rate from Oakland is, and that public education in Oakland needs rectifying.

Speaking on behalf of Siegel’s education reform plan was Melanie Cervantes, Bay Area artist and founder of “Dignidad Rebelde.” She discussed how graphic art projects translate community engagement into visual language, and helps civilians see unity for themselves.

Cervantes pointed out that Oakland schools have campus security, and security from the school district’s police department, on top of Oakland City’s Police Department. In light of this, she supports Siegel’s plan to shift funds away from security to bring the art and afterschool programs back into Oakland.

Also at the event was former Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who condemned the use of police weapons on civilians during past Occupy Oakland protests, the same issue that led to Siegel’s resignation as Quan’s legal adviser.

“If I am elected there will be zero tolerance for police abuse, the job of the police is to work with neighbors, with communities, and send back the military equipment and protect people’s rights,” Siegel said.