Oakland residents lead the fight to rename and reclaim public spaces

At Oakland’s inner harbor near the water’s edge stands the bronze statue of Jack London—a famed 20th Century author, labor union advocate and racist who promoted eugenics and white supremacy. Communities of color make up 75% of the population in Oakland. This summer, Oakland residents petitioned to remove a monument dedicated to London and to…

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Mourners gather to commemorate victims of Oikos University shooting

Over 800 people gathered Tuesday night at Allen Temple Baptist Church in East Oakland to commemorate the seven killed in Monday’s shooting at Oikos University. The diversity of the victims, who included immigrants from Korea, Nigeria and Nepal, was mirrored in the crowd, which represented all facets of the community. During the two-hour vigil several…

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Despite promises, the $484 million Oakland Airport Connector yields few local jobs

One year after construction began, has the controversial, $484 million Oakland Airport Connector project created the jobs it promised? “It requires a lot of physical strength and it wears on the body,” said Tiffany West, 31, of her work as a carpenter’s apprentice. Every Monday through Friday, from 7 am to 3:30 pm, West is somewhere along Hegenberger Road between the Oakland Coliseum and the airport shoveling debris, fine-grading sites for paving or building the footings for the connector’s elevated guideway.

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Oakland residents propose initiative to implement term limits for councilmembers

A coalition of Oakland residents is pushing for an initiative that would impose term limits on the city council. Under the proposal, councilmembers could serve up to three four-year terms and then would be forced to step down, which proponents say would help add new voices to the city council and thus improve policy making on crime, budget deficit and other pressing issues in the city.

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After five-hour meeting, still no council vote on Oakland city budget

On Tuesday night the Oakland City Council once again postponed a vote to adopt a biennial budget, pushing the decision back until this Thursday, hours before the new fiscal year begins on July 1. With the divergence between councilmembers on the each others’ budget proposals, the timely adoption of a budget resolution remains uncertain.

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