West Oakland — Decode the Ten-Point Program

Your journey begins at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, a place inaugurated in 1991 and named in honor of Oakland supervisor Frank Ogawa (1918-1993). This central space was the scene of the Occupy Oakland demonstrations in 2011, with notable clashes between protesters and police on October 25, 2011. Activists temporarily renamed it Oscar Grant Plaza in tribute to Oscar Grant, killed by police in 2009. It is here, on this approximately 1.6-hectare surface, surrounded by Oakland City Hall and the Alameda County Courthouse, that the first piece of your mission's puzzle awaits you, a call to action for civil rights that marked the city of Oakland.

Adjacent, Oakland City Hall stands, a Beaux-Arts building constructed in 1914 by Palmer & Hornbostel. With its 106 meters (347 feet) height, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Its dedication in 1914, with President Woodrow Wilson present, testifies to its historical importance. After the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, it was restored and reopened in 1993 for $90 million. This Downtown Oakland landmark is a symbol of authority and power, a striking contrast to the demands of the Black Panther Party you are exploring.

A short walk brings you to the Alameda County Courthouse, built in 1936 in the PWA Moderne style. This building, adjacent to City Hall at 1225 Fallon Street, has housed the superior courts of Alameda County since 1937 and is an integral part of the Frank H. Ogawa Civic Center. In the 1960s, this site was home to numerous notable trials related to civil rights movements in the Bay Area, making every stone a silent witness to the struggles for justice. Your investigation will lead you to discover subtle messages there, reflecting the tensions and hopes of the era.

Your route then takes you towards the 14th Street Station, a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station opened on September 11, 1972, at the intersection of 14th Street and Broadway. Designed by architect Ernest Born, it has incorporated artistic mosaics since its inauguration. A major transit hub connecting Downtown Oakland to West Oakland and beyond, it was enhanced in 2015 with ADA accessibility elevators. This station symbolizes the vital connections of the city, a place where ideas and people converge, and where the Ten-Point Program could resonate with a diverse population seeking change.

Finally, your exploration concludes in the Old Oakland Neighborhood, a historic Victorian district developed in the 1870s-1890s along 7th Street towards West Oakland. This was the center of African American jazz and blues in the 1940s-1960s, dubbed '7th Street West Oakland,' and is partially listed on the National Register in 1998 as the Old Oakland Historic District. Despite the impact of the I-880 built in the 1980s, the spirit of West Oakland, founded in 1852 and a center of the post-WWII African American community, remains. From this interactive tour, you will gain a deep understanding of the legacy of the Black Panther Party, founded here in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, and the importance of the Port of Oakland, the 9th largest container port in the world in 2023, in the life of this California city.