Oakland, A Northern Californian Black Urban Experience

Oakland, CA is a city that is located in Northern California, on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay. This city originally belonged to the Costanoan Indians before the Spanish land grant, Rancho San Antonio, settled there in 1820. In the 1840s, more people migrated to what we now call Oakland, in hopes of obtaining gold during the California Gold Rush. Because of this new influx of people arriving in the area, in 1852, a town site was acquired. The plot of land was officially named Oakland, and the city was founded. In 1854, the area was extended, including a town which was once known as Brooklyn, CA (2). 

In 1869, Oakland began to develop its harbor once it was chosen as the western stop of the transcontinental railroad. This development, along with the city's great proximity to the San Francisco Bay, allowed many people to travel to Oakland. The transcontinental railroad resulted in a great influx of African Americans who were searching for a new life. African Americans were able to be employed by The Transcontinental Railroad as porters, maids, cooks, redcaps, and waiters (4).

Having the job of a Pullman porter was a well respected job for black people in the 1800s. It provided black people with security, and it allowed them the opportunity to travel the country (2).

 During the late 1800s Black people found a new way to advance in their communities. They began to shift their spending to Black-owned restaurants, which would ultimately lead to a separate black economy. This was a way to grow generational wealth (2).

 Unfortunately for those who lived in San Francisco in 1906, a huge fire and earthquake occurred. This ultimately led to a large change in Oakland’s population. Many civilians fled San Francisco and seeked refuge in Oakland in hopes of a chance at a better life. Even more people migrated to Oakland after the Bay Bridge, which links Oakland to San Francisco, was built in 1936, and when military and naval installations were built in the 1940s. A great deal of the people who were moving to Oakland were African Americans who were seeking to work in Oakland’s industrial factories, especially during World War II (2).

In different parts of the U.S., Black people were treated differently. The South was one of the worst places to be based on the blatant racism and violence Black people faced from White people. When given the opportunity, black people migrated to different states, such as California. Eventually, Black people were able to work industrial jobs, whereas previously they were unable to (7). 

In the 1960s, Oakland began to decline for a few reasons. Firstly, inner-city areas were affected by crime and poverty. Secondly, racial tensions grew between the Black community and the White community. These tensions resulted in the creation of the Black Panther Party (BPP) in 1966. The Black Panther Party was originally created to patrol black neighborhoods and protect the Black community from acts of police brutality (5).

Members of the BPP were also very passionate about the health and well-being of those in their community. They made sure to help their communities by creating free health clinics, feeding children breakfast and lunch for free, providing screenings for genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia, and promoting the idea of community health workers. The BPP was able to do good for their people without earning any income, as they were funded on donations. This showed the passion that the organization had for their communities (5).

As a result of the Black community in Oakland coming together through the Black Panther Party, Oakland was able to vote for the city’s first Black mayor, Lionel Wilson, in 1973 (5). 

Today, as a way to allow their Black community to progress socially, emotionally, and academically, Oakland has developed a six-week summer youth program, Lincoln's Oakland Freedom Schools, set in place for inner-city Black youth ages 5 to 14. These programs resulted in a significant increase social and intellectual competencies, increased attitudes toward school and academic performance, contributed to an expanded sense of self-worth, and resulted in a greater sense of self-control and mastery ( Nobles, 1991 ;  Spitler, Kemper, & Parker, 2002 ;  Strobel, Kirshner, O’Donoghue, & MClaughlin, 2008 ). The children spent time reading, participating in relevant activities based on the books, playing together, eating African/African American foods during lunchtime, playing traditional African beats on the drums, going on field trips, and working on arts and crafts throughout their days. The result of the program was wonderful, and has shown to make a significant difference for the youth of Oakland (1).

Oakland is known for its business services, health care, transportation, and its retail services today. Unfortunately, due to the increasing cost of living in the city, many black people who have been living in Oakland for years, are being displaced and forced to move to more affordable places.

In the past, redlining, which resulted in White people being able to buy homes outside of overcrowded cities, occurred. This phenomenon allowed White people to gain generational wealth, while Black people were stuck living in overcrowded, bad neighborhoods in the cities. They were not given loans for houses, and were unable to gain wealth for themselves, much less for the generations to come (3). 

The gentrification of Black and Brown communities in Oakland has a negative affect on these communities. Oakland is now a borderland city due to the displacement of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. Anti-blackness is also an important role in Oakland’s gentrification. This takes place in the form of evictions, foreclosure, and the mass policing of the Black, and communities of color. This is resulting in non-Black people buying a lot of property that previously belonged to Black people and communities of color, which is allowing gentrification in Oakland to emerge (6).

Redlining is a result of why today, Black people are attempting to catch up and buy their own homes in better neighborhoods. Due to gentrification, it is becoming harder to escape ghettos, especially since the prices to live in cities, specifically Oakland, is steadily increasing. This shows why gentrification is such a huge problem. Wealthy White people are now going back to the very cities that they left in the past, which is making it harder for black people to achieve generational wealth in their communities (3).