09. Gentrification: A West Oakland Story (Part 2)

For this episode on gentrification, we sat down with our neighbor Stanley, to provide us some context on how he has seen his neighborhood in West Oakland change. He recounts his Black Panther days, the high crime rate, and all the drugs that were in the neighborhood, but also the strong Black population that once occupied The Lower Bottoms (headquarters of the Black Panther Party.) Stanley has lived in Oakland for 57 years and is a dedicated advocacy coordinator at the Western Service Workers Association. In his role, he sees the influx of individuals and families fighting to keep their electricity, water, and a roof over their heads.

For more information about the group that kept Stanley keep his home, please visit the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals here.

And if you're ever in West Oakland and would like to learn more about the center Stanley works at, visit them at 1141 Peralta St in West Oakland.