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OPINION: Lakeview Tiny Homes in Oakland Are Segregated, Critic Says

NNPA NEWSWIRE — It’s unfair to take up spaces that should be for people at the lake and give them to folks from Alameda. I’ve called into City Council many times, and I’ve also addressed Mayor Schaaf on this issue. We can’t have the administration formulate pilot programs that separate whites and Blacks. It’s also important that we take a look and make sure that there’s equality when it comes to finances that are going to each side of this community.

Published

3 years ago

February 25, 2022

Oakland Post

Nino Parker holds a sign outside of The Lakeview Village tiny homes on Feb. 22. Photo by Zack Haber.

By Nino Parker, introduction by Zack Haber

Since Nov. 16, Black Oakland residents Nino Parker and Assata Olugbala have been protesting outside The Lakeview Village, a tiny home community sitting along East 12th Street near Lake Merritt that Oakland has been using to shelter homeless people. Parker and Olugbala call it a racially segregated community.

One portion of the community is made up of people who used to live in tents, self-made homes, and vehicles at Union Point Park. Before living in the park, many of these people were evicted from homes in Alameda. After protests and negotiations with Oakland in March 2021, these people were able to secure a degree of self-governance in exchange for them agreeing to move from Union Point Park to a portion of The Lakeview Village called a “co-governed encampment.” During the site’s setup, the City of Oakland rented out hotel rooms for them. While they currently live in the same small pallet shelters as others onsite, this crew is in the process of building additional infrastructure for themselves and provides some of their own security.

People living in the other portion of Lakeview Village don’t live in a “co-governed encampment” and aren’t allowed the same degree of self-governance. They can’t build their own infrastructure and don’t have access to some of the services that those who live in the “co-governed encampment” have. The following are Parker’s words edited for readability and brevity:

My name is Nino Parker, homeless Black advocate, Bay Area. Recently, a lot of people have heard there’s been an issue at the Lakeview tiny homes. The problem is there are two neighboring communities, with a fence that separates them. One community is made of almost entirely of white people who used to live in Alameda. Of the 15 people that live there, only two are Black. That side got an advantage of having not only hotels that added up to $66,000 in bills, but they also got $350,000 in funding. On the other side of the fence, the community is mainly Black and mixed-race people from Oakland.

It’s unfair to take up spaces that should be for people at the lake and give them to folks from Alameda. I’ve called into City Council many times, and I’ve also addressed Mayor Schaaf on this issue. We can’t have the administration formulate pilot programs that separate whites and Blacks. It’s also important that we take a look and make sure that there’s equality when it comes to finances that are going to each side of this community.

What we need at this point, I think, is to take the fence down. That way we can work on a lot of the other issues in the near future here when it comes to allowing everyone access to whatever is in the tiny home community. If one portion has a kitchen, everyone should have access to a kitchen or any structures that are built there. We need to make sure that there’s equality in this program.

Our protest has been very hard. We’ve been here for over three months. The head of the LLC that had formerly been helping run the co-governed encampment assaulted me, which has damaged my hip, causing me great pain. One white resident has repeatedly stolen my signs. Some other residents, but not all of them, have verbally assaulted me and Assata. The city has stood by and done nothing. But we’re committed to make sure that this city is fair and equitable in its own services to Blacks and whites.

We don’t want programs separating two communities. That’s what this is about. I understand some of the young people here don’t understand what Jim Crow was. Jim Crow was when we had people, Black people, that sat on the back of the bus or sat in the balcony of the theater or had to go in the back door or the colored door. This reminds me of Jim Crow, but in this case it’s OakCrow.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

1 day ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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‘Donald Trump Is Not a God:’ Rep. Bennie Thompson Blasts Trump’s Call to Jail Him

“Donald Trump is not a god,” U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said he not intimidated by President-elect Donald Trump, who, during an interview on “Meet the Press,” called for the congressman to be jailed for his role as chairman of the special congressional committee investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021, mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.

“Donald Trump is not a god,” Thompson told The Grio during a recent interview, reacting to Trump’s unsupported claims that the congressman, along with other committee members like vice chair and former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, destroyed evidence throughout the investigation.

“He can’t prove it, nor has there been any other proof offered, which tells me that he really doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” said the 76-year-old lawmaker, who maintained that he and the bipartisan Jan. 6 Select Committee – which referred Trump for criminal prosecution – were exercising their constitutional and legislative duties.

“When someone disagrees with you, that doesn’t make it illegal; that doesn’t even make it wrong,” Thompson said, “The greatness of this country is that everyone can have their own opinion about any subject, and so for an incoming president who disagrees with the work of Congress to say ‘because I disagree, I want them jailed,’ is absolutely unbelievable.”

When asked by The Grio if he is concerned about his physical safety amid continued public ridicule from Trump, whose supporters have already proven to be violent, Thompson said, “I think every member of Congress here has to have some degree of concern, because you just never know.”

This story is based on a report from The Grio.

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City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org