Black Cultural Zone initiative aims to revitalize part of East Oakland
By CBS Bay Area
It’s a walk down memory lane for Ari Curry.
“Right now, we’re headed to the headquarters of Roots Community Health. They’re one of our 40-by-40 partners,” Curry, Black Cultural Zone deputy director of media and communications, told CBS News Bay Area.
He’s taking a stroll through the East Oakland neighborhood he grew up in.
“For me, this is personal. East Oakland is part of who I am, and I’ve been really fortunate,” he said.
The Black Cultural Zone is working on a revitalization initiative, the Rise East 40×40 project, which spans from Seminary Avenue to the Oakland-San Leandro border.
The nonprofit raised $100 million to invest in resources like health care and workforce development, along with projects like a food market hall and more than 100 affordable housing units.
“The long-term goal for me and the Black Cultural Zone is that we have about 12 districts in the area, that’s the East Oakland Black Cultural Zone, which is the equivalent of the island of Manhattan. So, there are 12 commercial districts. This is the Liberation Park district. This is going to be the entertainment zone,” CJ Johnson, the CEO of Black Cultural Zone, told CBS News Bay Area.
Johnson said that most of the residents in the neighborhood are predominantly African American and have faced inequities for decades.
“Forced to live here as things were disinvested. So you see the lack of access to good retail, good food, good education, to parks, to safety. That’s been going on for a long time, and this was a real center for foreclosures,” she said.
She added that she looks forward to revitalizing the vacant storefronts near Liberation Park, which are riddled with graffiti, into safe spaces for the community.
“Displacement pushes us out even further, which breaks up homes and communities. You need Auntie around the corner to take care of the little kid while you grab something from the store. That’s how I grew up, and the goal is to bring that back,” Johnson said.
While things are still in motion, there are plans to bring a community garden, movie halls, and more local businesses to the 40-by-40 neighborhood. Johnson added that they expect the project to be complete within the next five years.
