Main Spotlight: Moving Forward While Recognizing the Past
Diana Schwartz at River District Association shares the civil rights history of Danville, Virginia, and the ways that the community recognizes the past while creating a more inclusive future.
Carolyn Johnson, CEO of Black Cultural Zone, speaks to guests at a community event in Oakland, CA. © Malcolm Wallace of Malcolm Wallace Images.
East Oakland, my hometown, is steeped in history and brimming with potential. It’s where I learned the profound power of community and the critical importance of preserving our rich cultural heritage. Yet, over the past few decades, I’ve witnessed the neighborhood I cherish grapple with mounting challenges: gentrification, displacement, and the alarming erosion of Black cultural spaces. This erosion is deeply intertwined with the tragic decline of the Black population in Oakland – a reduction of almost half between 1990 and 2020. Once a vibrant hub of Black middle-class life, East Oakland now bears the brunt of these devastating social and economic forces that have created an unsustainable environment for families.
Black Cultural Zone (BCZ), the Main Street organization for East Oakland, is dedicated to tackling these challenges and fostering a vibrant community with economic prosperity for all. Our work with the Rise East initiative offers promising opportunities to invest in our community and realize our vision for East Oakland.
A Community-Led Revival
Rise East is an ambitious, decade-long initiative, seeded with $100 million, to transform East Oakland into a thriving community. It exemplifies the power of community-led development, where those who intimately understand the neighborhood are the architects of change. It is a movement and a commitment to revitalizing East Oakland while preserving Black history and culture.
At the core of Rise East lies the 40×40 Council, a coalition of four backbone organizations – Black Cultural Zone, Brotherhood of Elders Network, East Oakland Youth Development Center, and Roots Community Health. This collaborative effort guarantees that our initiatives are deeply rooted in the needs and aspirations of current and legacy residents.
A longtime resident stands in front of a mural in East Oakland, CA. © Malcolm Wallace of Malcolm Wallace Images.
Our vision for East Oakland includes:
- Equitable Housing and Thriving Businesses: Preserving affordable housing and commercial real estate options for current residents and fostering the growth of Black-owned businesses.
- Empowering Economic Opportunities: Creating pathways to sustainable employment, nurturing entrepreneurial endeavors, and providing robust workforce development programs.
- Prioritizing Community Safety: Implementing comprehensive public safety strategies that address the root causes of crime and violence, fostering a sense of security and well-being for all residents.
- Investing in Our Youth: Prioritizing youth education, fostering leadership development, and ensuring equitable access to quality educational opportunities.
- Promoting Health and Well-being: Expanding access to quality healthcare services, promoting healthy lifestyles, and creating a community that supports the overall well-being of its residents.
The Rise East 10-year plan guides this work, our roadmap to make deep, lasting improvements in East Oakland for current, future, and legacy residents. More than 400 residents contributed their ideas to this plan. Some of the action items in the plan include:
- The 40×40 Community Fund for Economic, Social, and Cultural Wellness will distribute rapid-response funds for housing and economic stability, micro-grants for Black-owned businesses, and arts and culture funds.
- Launching the 40×40 Community Data Trust to provide community-level insights and accountability.
- Investing in local leaders to serve as community ambassadors and peer navigators.
- Coordinating, organizing, and advocating for policy, government funding, and other systems.
The Black Cultural Zone will be instrumental in helping Rise East realize its vision by fostering a thriving ecosystem where commercial spaces and corridors flourish alongside vibrant Black-owned businesses. This will be achieved through collective stewardship by current and legacy residents, ensuring East Oakland residents have access to affordable and stable housing while preventing Black displacement and facilitating the return of legacy residents.
The Black Cultural Zone will prioritize community economic development by establishing a community commercial stewardship program that empowers residents to advise on and participate in the activation of BCZ-acquired real estate. It will also launch programs to promote homeownership among East Oakland families, including those previously displaced, through initiatives like matched savings, loan guarantees, and other forms of financial assistance. To prevent and reverse displacement, the BCZ will leverage public and private resources to provide financial assistance and services that help residents avoid eviction, foreclosure, and homelessness. Furthermore, the BCZ will develop thriving commercial and cultural corridors that support Black-owned businesses, providing emergency assistance and empowering residents as neighborhood and commercial navigators. Finally, the BCZ aims to create 10 mixed-use Hubs in East Oakland by 2029 to serve as centers for community gathering, economic activity, and cultural expression.
This transformative work is made possible by significant philanthropic investment by local, regional, and national funders who have committed a cumulative $100 million over the next five years.
Children skate at the UMOJA Outdoor Skate Park in East Oakland. © Malcolm Wallace of Malcolm Wallace Images.
Centering Culture, Arts, Collaboration, and Community
Rise East is more than a local initiative. It’s a model for urban regeneration that can be applied to communities nationwide. By centering cultural expression, prioritizing community engagement, and fostering equity and sustainability, we can create vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods where everyone can thrive.
Transformative investments like Rise East offer an amazing opportunity to create significant change. East Oakland is not the only community facing these challenges, and we hope that the lessons we learn through this initiative support similar efforts in other communities. Together, we can rebuild our cities and build a brighter future for generations.
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