Bay Area

City of Oakland Evicts Unhoused Black Men from West Oakland Parks

Published

6 years ago

March 19, 2020

On March 10, the City of Oakland evicted and confiscated the belongings of approximately two dozen unhoused Black men who had set up tents in Union Plaza and Fitzgerald Parks, which sit at 34th and Peralta Streets in West Oakland.

“This makes me feel like I don’t belong,” said Glenn, a 50-year-old lifelong Oakland resident who grew up about five blocks away from the parks. Glenn says police had instructed him and others to move to the parks after evicting them from a nearby underpass a month and a half before.

“The City moves you to a location and then just like that they tell you to move again,” said 46-year-old unhoused resident Kelly Barnes.

The unhoused residents say that most of them are from the neighborhood and that police asked them to leave not only the parks but the entire nearby area where their family and social connections are. Police handed them a map with a section marked off where encampments are no longer allowed.

The map shows a redline forming a box that stretches a mile and a half in perimeter between Hollis and 32nd Streets, San Pablo Ave, and the 580 Freeway.

Residents claim when they asked where they could go, they weren’t offered any shelter but police officers suggested moving to Wood Street, an area where unhoused Oakland residents have congregated in increasing numbers for the last 8 years. The residents claim they don’t want to move there.

“I don’t know nobody down on Wood Street,” said Poo, a 53-year-old unhoused resident. Poo claims Wood Street is less clean than where’s he’s staying and that he’s used to his area and feels safer there.

Residents say police handed them this map, marking off an area that stretches between Hollis and 32nd Streets, San Pablo Ave, and the 580 Freeway. They claim police told them it represented a no encampment zone inside which they could no longer stay.

The unhoused residents felt they weren’t informed in enough time to find a new place to stay.

While there was flyer attached to a pole next to the park dated Friday, March 6, residents claim they didn’t know they had to leave until police talked to them on Monday evening — giving them less than 24 hours notice before their eviction. “Flyers had been torn down,” said Barnes.

The unhoused residents are upset that their belongings were confiscated and they see no route to getting them back. Most of them lost their tents and were left totally without shelter. The weather was rainy the following weekend and temperatures reached the low 40s.

The Oakland Post emailed both The Oakland Police Department and The City of Oakland’s media relations to ask where and how the unhoused residents could reclaim their property, as well as when The City or police informed them of the eviction. The Oakland Post will update the online version of this story when and if a response is received.

At the time this story was sent to the press, some residents remain at the Union Plaza and Fitzgerald Parks with a few tents, but most unhoused residents have been sleeping outdoors.

“Sitting at this bench right here, talking and nodding out. That’s our night. That’s what we go through, and it’s just not right,” said Barnes.

Zack Haber

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Oakland Post: Week of July 22 – 28, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 22 – 28, 2026

Published

4 days ago

July 27, 2026

Oakland Post

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Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant Plans Bay Area Farmers Market Initiative

Published

2 weeks ago

July 18, 2026

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Agricultural Engineer Effie Gant displays watermelons from her Sacramento farm at the Temescal Festival in Oakland. Photo by Carla Thomas.

In her 80s and still actively working as an agricultural engineer, Effie Gant continues to break barriers in urban farming and community leadership.

The certified USDA grower and respected urban farmer, based in South Sacramento, was recently spotted vending at the Freedom Farmers’ Market by the Temescal Street Fair on Saturday, July 11, where she proudly displayed dozens of sweet, juicy watermelons.

Festivalgoers gathered not only to purchase her produce but also to enjoy activities like the popular watermelon-eating contest. Yet beyond the festive atmosphere, Gant has a larger vision.

Gant is now setting her sights on the Bay Area, where she plans to launch a farmers’ market to increase access to fresh, locally grown food.

Known for her leadership in sustainable agriculture and food justice, she brings decades of hands-on experience and community advocacy to regions where food access remains inconsistent.

She has built a strong reputation through her work with Meadowview Urban Farm and the Yisrael Family Urban Farm, cultivating crops such as watermelons, honeydew melons, and collard greens. Her approach emphasizes sustainability, education, and empowering residents to grow their own food, even in small urban spaces.

As a USDA-certified grower, Gant blends technical expertise with grassroots engagement to combat food insecurity.

Beyond farming, Gant serves as CEO and President of Highways to Hedges, a nonprofit focused on environmental justice and community development. She is also president of the Hampton Station Neighborhood Association and board chairman for HHCORE, where she advocates for safety, equity, and economic opportunity.

Her proposed farmers market will connect small-scale farmers with urban communities while elevating Black farmers and other underrepresented growers.

“I want to teach the next generation about farming and how lucrative it can be,” Gant said. “You don’t need hundreds of acres. You can start with one acre or even your backyard.”Gant also noted her involvement in a collective of farmers who supply produce through government-supported programs.

“We operate as a team, and we all benefit,” she said.

Through workshops, speaking engagements, and hands-on training, Gant and her organization continue to educate communities about agriculture and food justice. Her market initiative will emphasize affordability, cultural relevance, and nutrition education.

Her broader work includes creating edible forests in partnership with Soil Born Farms, planting fruit trees directly in neighborhoods to expand food access. As a mentor with the Center of Expertise on Food Justice and Health Equity, Gant remains a leading voice in building sustainable and resilient food systems.

Gant says she welcomes the community to join her in creating a new farmer’s market.

“Farming is essential to life,” she said. “I want to train as many people as I can to use food and farming as a tool for empowerment, health, and long-term change.”