Activism

The Rise East Project: The 40 x 40 Initiative to Bring New Vision on Quality of Life in Black East Oakland

In 2021, the 40×40 initiative was created by a coalition of community-based organizations, Roots Community Health Clinic, Black Cultural Zone (BCZ), the Brotherhood of Elders Network and East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) to address systemic issues of racism and displacement of African Americans in a roughly 40×40 block area in East Oakland, an area with the highest concentration of Black folks in the Bay Area.

Published

1 year ago

October 5, 2023

Oakland Post

At Roots Empowerment Day 2022, ROOTS was seeking input from the people for the first phase the 40x40 Council took in the development of services Rise East will provide. Courtesy photo.

By Tanya Dennis

Part 2

Rise East is a $100 million privately funded initiative that will rebuild Black neighborhoods in a 40×40 block area is East Oakland over 10 years. Project partners are Oakland Thrives, the 40×40 Council and Blue Meridian Partners.

The number 40 in sacred scripture signifies, new growth, new life, and transformation.

In African American history, the number 40 signifies the broken promise of 40 acres and a mule made by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and General William T. Sherman at the end of the Civil War in 1865.

On Oct. 15, 1966, The Black Panther Party demanded 40 acres in reparations for Black folks in their party’s ten-point program demanding payment for that overdue debt.

Greg Hodge is CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network. Courtesy photo.

Greg Hodge, CEO of the Brotherhood of Elders Network says “Roots was already serving this area under the leadership of Dr. Noha Aboelata when the pandemic hit, hitting the Black population the hardest, the most underserved in the city.

Within this area, household income and life expectancy are lowest among Black residents compared to other racial/ethnic groups. There is a 15-year gap in life expectancy between Black residents in East Oakland (70 years) and white residents of the Oakland Hills (85 years), Hodge said.

Dr. Aboelata and staff questioned how they could further support the nearly 50% of Black families living in poverty and safely address the issues face by the unhoused, the re-entry population and youth.

The Black Cultural Zone has served as the epicenter of growth and activity from the beginning. East Oakland Youth Development Center and the Brotherhood of Elders Network are now committed partners who are working to bring real change to East Oakland.

According to Roots, the vision is to transform the 40×40 block area into a place where people have what they need to heal, thrive, rejoice, and prosper, a vision far different from today’s reality where African Americans experience the worst quality of life indicators, including life expectancy, homelessness, and educational success. As the demographics of Oakland rapidly change, and with the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affecting the Black community, Roots members knew time was of the essence in addressing these disparities.

According to Hodge, “The 10-year Rise East plan will make deep and lasting improvements in the 40×40 and will affect 30,000 residents of African descent.”

More than 400 residents contributed their ideas to the Rise East plan. Together, residents and the 40×40 coalition launched the $100 million neighborhood improvement Rise East project with the assistance of the Blue Meridian Group.

For continuing success and growth, investment from the Alameda County, the City of Oakland, and the Oakland Unified School District is required.

As partners in Oakland Thrives, these institutions supported Rise East in concept. “Now it’s time for them to invest resources,” Hodge said. Blue Meridian’s money must be matched for Rise East to be a successful public investment.

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Activism

LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST

Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST

Published

5 days ago

November 12, 2024

Oakland Post

Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?

Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.

STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa

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Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 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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Activism

Stop-the-Hate Message Shared with Tens of Thousands at Calif’s Largest Black-Themed Street Festival

Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19. At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Office of the Civil Rights Staff and CBM Representative. Courtesy Photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

Hundreds of thousands gathered at the 19^th annual Taste of Soul Festival in Crenshaw — an event dubbed “California’s largest block party” — on Oct. 19.

At the event, California Black Media (CBM) partnered with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) to spread the word about the California Vs. Hate, a statewide hate crime online resource and telephone hotline, launched in 2023.

“Held in the heart of south Los Angeles on Crenshaw Blvd, over half a million people attend the one-day event that brings out the best our community has to offer,” said Brandon Brooks, Stop the Hate project director at California Black Media.

“The festival promotes local businesses as well as it brings out local and statewide resources to assist community members, Brooks continued. “The day has proven to be a great opportunity to speak to people directly and provide information to combat hate crimes and incidents.”

During the event, Brooks said he, James Williams, Community Based Organization Manger for California Vs. Hate and Leah Brown-Goodloe from CBM informed and shared literature with tens of thousands of festivalgoers about the state’s Stop the Hate resources.

CBM’s Stop the Hate outreach was held at the beginning of United Against Hate Week (UAHW), a commemoration held annually across the country to recognize the fight against all forms of hate.

UAHW was first launched in 2018 by elected leaders, staff, and community groups from 13 cities in the Bay Area who organized a “United Against Hate” poster campaign responding to White supremacists marching in Northern California streets in the aftermath of Charlottesville riots.

In 2018, Los Angeles County, LAvsHate, a campaign that provided anti-hate crime information and resources to report hate incidents and hate crimes.

According to CRD director Kevin Kish, the L.A. initiative provided a model for the state’s program.

Today, UAHW has grown into a national movement with events organized across the country to mark the day.

In June, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released the 2023 Hate Crime in California Report. According to the report, hate crimes in California decreased by 7.1% from 2,120 in 2022 to 1,970 in 2023.

However, incidents and crimes against Black Californians remained higher than average with 518 reported cases in 2023.

When it comes to reported hate crimes, we know that Black Californians are the most targeted group for hate and discrimination in our state,” said Williams. “The California Civil Rights Department wants people to know that we are committed to reaching the Black community through outreach events and campaigns, including our first-ever billboard campaign, forging new partnerships, or increasing awareness about the hotline and available resources to historically hard-to-reach and underserved Californians.”

Williams said he wants to remind all Californians that there is “support when you report!”

“No matter your background or where you come from, if you’ve been targeted for hate, you can get help accessing legal, financial, mental health, and other services by calling 833-8-NO-HATE or by going to CAvsHate.org,” Williams added.

How To Report A Hate Crime:

CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.

For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.