In November, Californians passed Proposition 57 by a 64.5 percent vote. Formally known as the California Parole for Non-Violent Criminals and Juvenile Court Trial Requirements Initiative, and strongly endorsed by Governor Jerry Brown, Oakland’s former mayor, the new law attempts to ease prison overcrowding by increasing parole opportunities for inmates and changing how juvenile offenders are charged. Now local and state agencies are grappling with the complexities of putting Proposition 57 into effect and debating the effects it will have…
Brandon Peacock is now captain of a ship. That ship is actually a restaurant—Eve’s Waterfront, the newest establishment to inhabit the waterfront property on the edge of Jack London Square. Peacock isn’t known for any particular style of food—whatever he does, he does well, whether it’s ramen from scratch, decadent mac and cheese, short ribs or rotisserie chicken. “The entire menu is new,” said Peacock. “I try to change as much as possible and take a new approach is on…
Late night bites can soon be a reality for anyone who purchases a ticket to a New Parish show.
Ricky Henderson tried not to smile. He strode onto the Oakland Athletics’ field with his unmistakable swagger—a delicate mix of confidence, bravado and humility—embodied by his sleek blazer, grey trousers, sunglasses, and a peek of his chest exposed by his shirt’s top two open buttons. He strolled down the field as the crowd applauded, with a calculated cool upon his face until—he couldn’t help it—he flashed a smile. Henderson played 14 years of baseball–in four different stints–on that field as…
Cynthia Mackey, a 56-year-old self-employed digital marketer, loves to talk about Airbnb. She laughs and smiles, growing excited as she talks about the joy that comes from opening up her home in Oakland’s Adams Point to a world of strangers. Mackey started hosting for Airbnb, an online international marketplace for booking accommodations, in July, 2013. She purchased her 3-bedroom home 18 years ago with her brother. They used to rent out the basement in-law unit. But when her brother moved…
Oakland Unified School District’s 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Festival culminates on March 7.
Denmark Gatewood had a captive audience. On Saturday, he sat on a small stage reading children’s books filled with stories about Black children, written by Black authors to a group of mostly Black children and parents. Despite the gathering at the African American Museum and Library (AAMLO) for the Barbers, Books & Bridges’ (BBB) event, this triple combination is not a common feat, for more reasons than one. The storytelling and educational event was centered around this year’s theme for…
Oakland’s 7th annual Restaurant Week is underway with over 100 participating restaurants in neighborhoods across the city.
“What is the name of the type of whiskey that is named after a fast sailboat?” It’s Wednesday night at Room 389—trivia night, to be exact. Scattered throughout the dimly-lit watering hole are teams of no more than six, some clustered at the bar and high-top tables, some standing with answer sheets in hand, and others fortunate to be sitting at a booth. It’s round IV—the final round—and a team called Joan and The Scammers are contending for the number…
A former grocery store and pizza spot turned community center is getting a fresh look thanks to the work of Refa One, a community artist. Refa started painting the sprawling seven-panel mural in October and hopes to finish by the end of the year. The mural, located in West Oakland’s Lower Bottoms neighborhood, includes a mix of African and African-American imagery, symbolism and cityscapes, from Timbuktu to Oakland. Refa has been painting murals in Oakland for over 15 years. Click…
Saved from staggering by the blue bench beneath him, a man sits. It’s Thursday at Mosswood Park and, perhaps, this is his usual spot. The sun reflects off his balding head, which is framed by salt and pepper puffs of hair and connected to a beard that’s more salt than it is pepper. He gazes across the basketball court, staring at no one in particular. A group of folks make a diagonal beeline across the court. They are a motley…
The Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded on October 15, 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The party was a political organization that agitated for greater rights for Black people in the United States. Seale and Newton captured the attention of the country (and of law enforcement) through their tactic of openly carrying rifles and shotguns while observing police officers in their community.
Local chefs take over Steel Rail’s kitchen on Friday nights for the restaurant’s fall series, Off the Rails.
This year’s “four full nights of lights” features light installations from over 40 local artists, five different awards, local food trucks and beverage vendors, live music performances and a shuttle from the 19th Street BART Station directly to the gardens.
They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it but what if your goal is to transform it? After three years of steadily increasing attendance and growing popularity, Oakland Music Festival (OMF) CEO and founder Alfonso Dominguez decided to do something different—change the format of the festively entirely. What started as traditional, one-day music festival has morphed into a nine-day span of performances, panels, workshops and networking events. On Friday, OMF 2016 was officially underway. Over 45 different artists are…
It was just after 6 o’clock on Saturday outside of Bows and Arrows in Berkeley when people started pulling up with bikes. First one, then two, then three—then over a dozen. They were there for T-Mack.