City Government

OP-ED: Open Process Will Strengthen Redrawing of Oakland Districts

Published

12 years ago

July 12, 2013

Last month, the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act and put the rights of voters of color at risk.

This week, Oakland residents can step forward and do their part to defend these critical rights. Will you stand and be counted at these public hearings?

The 2010 Census showed demographic shifts in Oakland’s population and – with the power of the Voting Rights Act behind it – established the need for a transparent, engaging redistricting process in 2013.

As leading advocates for open data, transparent public process, government accountability and equity, we know that district lines can be drawn to hold neighborhoods together, or to divide them; to dilute the voting strength of people of color, or to elevate their communities of interest.

Oakland’s citywide vote has been unbalanced for some time. While district lines are initially drawn on the basis of total population, historic housing segregation patterns put more eligible, registered and high-turnout voters in Districts 1 and 4.

In citywide campaigns, it is common knowledge that political consultants focus their efforts on these two districts, historically disproportionately white, creating a vicious cycle where residents more likely to vote receive more campaign information and reinforcement of their voting behavior.

Between the years 2000 and 2010, Oakland lost overall population – but gained voting age population. Within that voting age population, the numbers of Latino and Asian residents increased dramatically, especially in East Oakland districts.

However, white residents also increased, especially in gentrifying condo developments that attracted residents from across the Bay Area. While the City’s African-American population declined, this community remains concentrated in compact, contiguous communities of interest – and a transparent, open redistricting process can protect all communities’ interests for the next decade.

The district lines we draw matter because they both reflect and shape communities of interest. Defining the district often determines whose voice is heard on what issues. That is why voting rights advocates have fought so hard to protect “one person, one vote” and the rights of communities of interest under redistricting.

It is time for open data and an open process that allows Oaklanders to learn more about their community – and their rights. We commend the City Council for broadening outreach and engagement efforts and look forward to a robust process.

Urban Strategies Council is proud to partner with ACCE, Oakland Rising, League of Women Voters of Oakland and concerned residents to engage Oaklanders in learning more about Voting Rights, redistricting, and one person, one vote.

Our coalition is honored to have received funding from the James Irvine Foundation to support this work. You can learn more and add your voice at www.oaklandvotes.org or follow #OaklandVotes on Twitter.

An Oakland Votes redistricting meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday July 13 at the Dimond Recreation Center, 3860 Hanly Road in Oakland.

Junious Williams is the CEO of Urban Strategies Council, a social impact organization using research, policy, collaboration, innovation and advocacy to achieve equity and social justice.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

4 days ago

December 25, 2025

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

1 week ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

1 week ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.