ST EOBHCSunset 072321 - Flipbook - Page 29
Building resident power
and voice in East Oakland
“The bulk of the work does not
happen at the level of the Hub
because (EOBHC meetings)
were open to all—that meant
the system leaders were in the
room. We couldn’t do a strategy
meeting with our opponents in
the room. So, we had to have
separate meetings.”
—EOBHC CBO partner
While supported by BHC funding, experienced base-building organizations knew that organizing
work was best done outside of EOBHC spaces. For example, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable
Economy (EBASE) and Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) convening Oakland United,
which advocated that the Oakland Coliseum Redevelopment Project prioritize good jobs, affordable
housing, a healthy environment, and accessible transit. In addition to EBASE’s membership of labor
unions and faith groups, Oakland United had the support of EOBHC CBO partners such as Alliance
of Californians for Community Empowerment, Causa Justa:Just Cause, Communities for a Better
Environment, East Bay Housing Organizations, Faith in Action East Bay, and Urban Peace Movement.
Improving the material
conditions for residents
in East Oakland
Throughout the course of EOBHC, several
EOBHC-affiliated CBOs fueled statewide
campaigns for legislative reform. For
example, in 2016, Justice Reinvestment
members helped get Proposition 57
passed, which requires that judges,
not prosecutors, determine whether
juveniles should be prosecuted and
sentenced as adults. It also allows parole
consideration for persons convicted of
nonviolent felonies upon completion
of their prison terms for their primary
FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK EAST OAKLAND: EOBHC Sunset Report
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