Culture
A Youth-Driven Interactive Map of Rapidly Changing West Oakland
West Side Stories is a primer for newcomers and a forum for longtime residents.
It goes on and on, the roster of African American political and cultural icons who’ve called West Oakland, California, home. The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters once headquartered there. Huey Newton and Bobby Seale wrote the Black Panther Manifesto on 57th Street, and rallied in DeFremery Park. The Pointer Sisters, MC Hammer, Bill Russell, and Curt Flood grew up nearby.
Since the 1950s, West Oakland has remained predominantly black. And while it’s seen its fair share of luminaries, mostly it’s been a community of middle to low-income families.