By Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large–
Oakland has long been known for its rich and diverse culture, as well as its vibrant Black arts scene. Oakland was often referred to as “the Harlem of the West” due to the famous and talented headliners who performed in the city, and to the strong and vibrant local clubs and other arts-related businesses, including in the Seventh Street corridor in West Oakland, and beyond. In more recent decades, Oakland’s Black arts, music, and culture scene has been a major factor in the vibrancy of downtown, including the 14th Street corridor.
In 2016, the Oakland City Council adopted Resolution 85958, which designates the 14th Street corridor from Oak Street to Frontage Road in Downtown Oakland and West Oakland as the “Black Arts Movement and Business District” (BAMBD). This district also includes the area of or within four blocks of 14th Street.
The goal of the district designation is to “highlight, celebrate, preserve, and support the contributions of Oakland’s Black artists and business owners and the corridor as a place central historically and currently to Oakland’s Black artists and Black owned businesses.” The designation is intended to help support a critical mass of arts and entertainment establishments in the area, and to help promote and celebrate the region’s significant current and historical Black leaders, arts, political movements, enterprises, and culture.
This effort continues, as does the work to bring resources to the area, including through grants and philanthropic funding. And for the City Administrator to continue considering other tools and incentives to support the implementation of the district, including streamlined permitting, funding, staffing, and new place-making elements.
The BAMBD is the first designated cultural zone in Oakland and plays a significant role in the historic and cultural foundation for Oakland. The continued support in developing a greater recognizable identity of the BAMBD through signage and capacity building will help leverage community efforts to highlight, celebrate, preserve, and support the contributions of Oakland’s Black artists and businesses.
Recently, Councilmember Carroll Fife proposed legislation to bring additional support and visibility to the BAMBD. The resolution proposes to implement a series of public streetscape improvements, including public banners along Oakland’s Fourteenth Street corridor, to honor, uplift, commemorate, and increase public awareness of important Black cultural, sports, arts, and historical people and institutions.
The resolution also seeks to help identify and uplift the corridor being known and recognized as The Black Arts Movement and Business District, and to provide resources to enhance existing cultural institutions—and to recognize and remedy the ways they have been challenged. It is important that we not only honor the important history, but also that we take action to build a vibrant future that supports the ongoing presence and vitality of Black arts and culture in our community.
Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland (https://tinyurl.com/2dtjmazc ) and Facebook (https://tinyurl.com/2p9dd5ta).
Out of the Closet and into City Hall
Published on February 8, 2024
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