Arts and Culture
OPINION: Will Geoffrey’s Inner Circle Become Another Victim of Hi-Rise ‘Destruction?’
The Oakland City Council should reject Tidewater’s proposal. It does not fit the Council’s 2016 Resolution setting up the Black Arts Movement and Business District. It proposes to construct something no one in Oakland needs — more offices or more non-affordable housing — and harm something everyone needs, a historic African American business led by the kindest of Oakland’s residents, someone who feeds the homeless at his own expense and entertains everyone with wonderful music at a reasonable price. This process has been discriminatory, inept, capricious, and perhaps illegal, boldly favoring wealthy developers over Black business.
Oakland’s Planning Process Helps Wealthy Developers, Harms Black Businesses Like Geoffrey’s Inner Circle
By Kitty Epstein and Paul Cobb
Tidewater Capital, a multimillion-dollar corporation, plans to build a 27-story building to house affluent people in the middle of the Black Arts Movement and Business District. It will harm one of Oakland’s most important Black businesses, Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, and will not serve Black Oaklanders in any way.
The Oakland City Council should reject Tidewater’s proposal. It does not fit the Council’s 2016 Resolution setting up the Black Arts Movement and Business District. It proposes to construct something no one in Oakland needs — more offices or more non-affordable housing — and harm something everyone needs, a historic African American business led by the kindest of Oakland’s residents, someone who feeds the homeless at his own expense and entertains everyone with wonderful music at a reasonable price. This process has been discriminatory, inept, capricious, and perhaps illegal, boldly favoring wealthy developers over Black business.
Supporters are asked to come to a special session at Oakland City Hall City Council chambers on Tuesday Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. where the issue will be on the agenda.
The reasons the city council should reject this development are described below:
- The Oakland Planning Department has gone rogue in its effort to develop downtown Oakland as high and as fast as possible. It will require the action of the City Council to restore some accountability and lawfulness to the process and to protect Oakland’s beautiful legacy: the connection between Oakland’s downtown, views of sunsets at Lake Merritt and the first and only cultural district, the Black Arts Movement and Business District.
- Any new development in this designated Black cultural district should contribute to that purpose. The Black Arts and Business district needs such things as a). parking for its clients, b). additional galleries, bookstores; and coffee shops amenable to Oakland’s dwindling Black population; c). beautiful signage commemorating the contributions of Black Oaklanders.Instead, this proposed development will remove the one remaining downtown parking lot and draw in additional gentrification. This is a violation of the resolution of the BAMBD.Further, the proposed development poses a direct threat to Geoffrey’s Inner Circle (GIC), which is a treasured Oakland location destination point that holds live music productions such as jazz events. GIC also is a venue space for funerals, weddings and private partis. GIC has hosted community forums, political gatherings and has served the homeless and unhoused population years over.It is a designated national historic site that has never received any of the many subsidies, services and recognitions normally afforded to such a site and would be threatened by every aspect of the construction process.
- In contrast, according to the city’s ‘Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP)’, the entire district of Chinatown is off-limits to any prospective development downtown. There will be zero high-rises, proposals or permits, or such approved for this district. The Black Arts Movement and Business District is Oakland’s first and only cultural district. We formally request that the entire BAMBD district be zoned out of projected development and experience a moratorium on any current and future development plans except those specifically contributing to its purposes and discussed in public meetings with the Black community.The city has proven it has the ability to enact this form of protection as it has done so before in Chinatown, which is not a registered cultural district such as BAMBD but is treated, respected, and protected as such. Please see the map of development from the DOSP.
- The decision to allow this building was made by the Oakland Planning Commission, which is composed entirely of people who make a living working with developers and are, therefore, naturally inclined toward their interests and points of view.
- The Planning Department had multiple meetings with Tidewater but said it was too busy to meet with Mr. Pete or his representatives. They never allowed Mr. Pete to meet to hear the harm to his building the development would cause.
- Mr. Pete was required to pay several thousand dollars to appeal the Planning Commission’s decision. The date for the appeal was set at a Rules Committee by a Tidewater representative. It was not agendized and therefore, Mr. Pete was not present to offer his preferred date.
- Several weeks ago, Mr. Pete made a Public Records Request for communications between Tidewater. There has been no response.
- The city apparently has some process for these appeals, about which Mr. Pete has never been informed. Mr. Colbruno has acknowledged that he and other Tidewater staff have met repeatedly with council members about this issue. However, we are told that council members cannot speak with Mr. Pete because of this unique process. We believe that many Oakland elected officials want to make Oakland more responsive to the population, particularly the Black community, which is being driven out of the city. It needs to start here.
- Uncle Willie’s Barbeque and Fish was literally put out of business and had their building destroyed by the neighboring developers, The Marriott. They are in litigation, but as it stands, the health department has shut down Uncle Willie’s for this reason. Is Geoffrey’s Inner Circle going to be NEXT?
- The Council should require a revamp of the Planning Department, and the Mayor should reconstruct the Planning Commission so that it represents native Oaklanders who, such as Geoffrey Pete, have contributed to this city for nearly 40 years.
Arts and Culture
Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities
Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.
By Mike Kinney
The Richmond Standard
Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.
The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.
The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.
The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.
Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.
San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.
“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”
Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.
Art
Mario Van Peebles’ ‘Outlaw Posse’ Screened at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre
The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago.
By Carla Thomas
The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago. Filmmaker Van Peebles shared his passion for independent artistry and producing projects with his son, Mandela, who also starred in the film, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer. Next week, The Post will publish an in-depth interview featuring Peebles’ reflections on his work, future projects, and continuing his father’s legacy and Rhodes on her grandfather, a real-life cowboy.
Arts and Culture
Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony
The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.
By Post Staff
The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.
Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.
Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.
Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.
The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.
Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.
Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”
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