Activism

Activists are Gathering to Prevent Eviction of Homeless in West Oakland

Published

6 years ago

October 21, 2020

Puffy, a 66-year-old resident who lives on a tract of land owned by Game Changer LLC, stands near the property under the 880 Highway. He is one of the residents who activists are trying to protect from eviction. Photo by Zack Haber.

Bay Area residents have been gathering to stop the Alameda County Sheriff from executing an eviction order against unhoused residents who live on an approximately 1.47 acre tract of land just west of Wood Street in West Oakland.

So far the eviction has not been enforced.

“They were supposed to evict us on Tuesday [Oct 13], but the activists showed up,” said Puffy, an unhoused person who is 66 and claims he has lived in West Oakland since 1989 and on the tract for two years and seven months. He has been out of work due to a disability that makes sustained movement impossible.

Puffy said on Tuesday that Sheriff Officers “drove by, but they didn’t stop.”

Fearing that giving his full name could allow Game Changer LLC, the company that owns the land and petitioned for the evictions, an easier ability to retaliate against him, Puffy declined to give the Oakland Post his legal name. Although seven parties appear on the ‘Notice to Vacate’ that the Alameda Sheriff delivered on Oct. 6, only two full names appear.

Shortly after the ‘Notice to Vacate’ was delivered, the United Front Against Displacement, a direct-action centered housing justice group, put out a call to resist the eviction, which was legally allowed to occur after 6:01 a.m. on Oct. 13. Over 50 protestors responded, showing up at or just after 5 a.m. on that Tuesday.

“We’ve really been focused on preventing the Sheriff’s Officers from entering the lot itself,” said Dale Smith of UFAD. “People are definitely throwing down and that’s a good thing.”

It is currently unclear when Sheriff’s Officers plan to enforce the eviction.

“We are following due process,” said Alameda County Public Information Officer Sgt. Ray Kelly. “We have 180 days to enforce the order. We will enforce when we feel the time is best for all parties.”

Activists are focused on non-violent defense. On Tuesday, they brought about 10 brightly covered shields to defend the land. They set up a canopy for shade, which is next to the Game Changer tract, on land owned by CalTrans near Wood Street and Grand Avenue.

The canopy has been there ever since, from early mornings on weekdays until around 4:00 p.m., the end of the working day. Small groups of protestors who want to help with the defense sit under the canopy, chatting, eating snacks, and drinking water — which they have been sharing with homeless people living nearby — as they keep an eye out for Sheriff’s officers. If officers show up to enforce the eviction, the protestors plan to make a call out to over 60 people who would be willing to show up on-site again.

San Francisco resident Fred Craves owns Game Changer LLC and also owns Bay City Capital. Bay City Capital’s website describes itself as a “life science investment firm” and describes Craves as “a leader in healthcare venture capital,” boasting he has invested in “nearly 100 companies” that have raised “more than $1.6 billion.”

While Craves has not responded to Oakland Post’s request to comment on this article, Pat Smith of Smith LLP, has agreed to speak on his behalf. She has represented Craves in legal matters related to the tract, which he purchased in March 2016 for about $1.3 million.

Starting in the summer of 2019, Smith has worked with Craves to arrange an 18-month lease for a dollar a year between Game Changer and the City of Oakland. In an interview, she said the lease could be extended after 18 months if both parties agreed and that she envisions the agreement lasting two to three years.

Both the City and Game Changer agreed that if leased, the City would use the tract as a Safe Parking Site for people living in RVs.

“I think the owner feels like he’s being able to do something positive for the City and the homeless,” Pat Smith said.

But activists disagree.

“He’s clearing this lot to keep making money,” said Dale Smith. “But there’s a lot of people who live on the lot or in the area that have lived there longer than he’s owned the land or tried to develop the land.”

Dale Smith expressed worry that if residents cede the land to Craves, it could eventually displace all the homeless people in the area. The tract, which is now mostly vacant and always has fewer than seven inhabitants, sits in the middle of an area on and around Wood Street, in between 18th and 26th streets, and under and near the 880 Highway that is densely populated by people living in vehicles, tents, self-made homes, and a few who sleep under no cover at all.

No one knows exactly how many people live in the surrounding area, but most people claim well over 100. While some residents could move into a Safe RV Parking Site, the site would be unavailable to those who do not live in vehicles who make up a majority.

The current stand-off is not the first one protestors and Game Changer have engaged in. Game Changer helped the City pay a towing bill in order to clear the tract of land on November 5 and 6 of last year, stating a similar plan to lease the land to the City for a safe parking site.

During the clearance days, about 35 protestors including homeless residents on the land, showed up to a rally against the clearance. A handful of determined residents stayed on the property. This delayed the construction of the Safe RV site.

“A bunch of people showed up with a bunch of people from the camp,” said Puffy describing last year’s rally, “and the dogs started barking and these big burly cops decided they didn’t want to [mess] with all the people or the dogs. So they left.”

Shortly afterward, Game Changer erected a fence around their property and hired a security guard, which has not dissuaded some residents from staying on the site.

In late July 2020, the city released e-mails through public records request indicating that if the City created a Safe RV Parking Site on Game Changer’s land, they would invite some residents in the area to stay on the site but that those who were not invited or who did not wish to join a Safe RV Parking site would be cleared from the area.

No formal agreement currently exists between the City and Game Changer, but the City is still interested in pursuing a lease according to spokesperson Karen Boyd.

“The City is in negotiations to lease the property for the Safe RV Parking Program,” she said. “The timing depends on when/if the property will be free of occupants and personal property.”

It is unclear what will happen to residents at a Safe RV Parking site after Game Changer and the City end a lease. Pat Smith said that would most likely happen after two or three years, but possibly longer, when Craves would then develop the property.

“I realize it’s a finite period,” Pat Smith said. “But hopefully the homelessness problem will start to be addressed more successfully by the city.”

In the meantime, protestors plan to stay on the site to defend against eviction, although they are unclear as to how long they plan to stay.

Mavin Carter-Griffin, who was given a ‘Notice to Vacate’ and claimed she has lived in the area for over eight years, expressed gratitude for their presence.

“They’re here and they’re being really protective, which is great,” she said. “They’re helping to stave off the eviction.”

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Activism

The Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Hold Day of Advocacy at the Capitol in Sacramento

A member of the “Divine Nine,” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on Jan. 13, 1913, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The organization was established by 22 women who sought to shift the group’s focus from social activities to public service, academic excellence, and social activism.

Published

1 week ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) presents a Senate resolution to the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Farwest Region at the State Capitol on May 4. Photo courtesy of the Senate Rules Committee.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

On May 4, members of the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., convened at the California State Capitol for the organization’s 23rd annual Delta Days in Sacramento.

The two-day advocacy event brings together chapters from across California to engage directly in the legislative process, connect with lawmakers, and advocate for policies impacting Black communities.

Members of the sorority were honored on the Senate floor by Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro), who is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

Richardson welcomed the Farwest Region during the presentation of a Senate resolution recognizing outgoing Regional Director Kimberly Usher for her leadership and service.

“In addition to the Far West Region, we are led by a fearless leader, regional director Kimberly Usher. She has now served her full term of what’s allowed,” Richardson said. “We are going to be having our regional conference, but we wanted to give it to her here, officially recognizing her service.”

The resolution was co-authored by Richardson and fellow members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Delta Sigma Theta, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

Usher has served in the leadership role since 2022.

“We are founded on sisterhood that is deeply rooted in scholarship, service, and social action,” said Weber Pierson, a member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“Today, we continue a legacy of empowering communities and upholding the high cultural, intellectual, and moral standards established by our founders over a century ago,” she added.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Rep. Kamlager-Dove Introduces Bill to Protect Women in Custody After Reports Detailing Miscarriages and Neglect

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

Published

1 week ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) on May 7, reintroduced updated legislation aimed at strengthening protections and healthcare standards for pregnant and postpartum women held in federal custody, including in immigration detention facilities.

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

The legislation builds on a bipartisan version previously passed by the House during the 117th Congress. The updated bill includes new standards for healthcare access, mental health and substance use treatment, high-risk pregnancy care, family unity protections and increased federal oversight.

“Proper pregnancy care is a human right, regardless of your immigration or incarceration status,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody.”

The bill would also limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for pregnant women, improve data collection on maternal health in custody and require additional staff training and enforcement measures.

Supporters of the measure said the legislation is intended to address long-standing concerns about maternal healthcare and safety in detention settings, particularly for Black women and low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by incarceration and health disparities.

“Pregnant women in custody should never be subjected to dangerous and inhumane treatment that threatens their health, dignity, or the well-being of their babies,” said Patrice Willoughby, chief of policy and legislative affairs for the NAACP and a longtime public policy and government affairs strategist, in a statement.

A 2021 report estimated there are about 58,000 admissions of pregnant women into U.S. jails and prisons each year. Kamlager’s statement also cited a recent investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law that identified allegations of severe mistreatment or medical neglect involving at least 54 pregnant women or families in county jails between 2017 and 2024.

Federal policy under the Department of Homeland Security restricts the detention of pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants except in extreme cases. However, the agency reported that ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, including 16 recorded miscarriages during that period.

The bill is cosponsored by several House Democrats and backed by organizations including the NAACP and the Vera Institute of Justice.

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Activism

OPINION: The Fire of Oakland’s Justin Jones

Jones made headlines three years ago when he was one of a pair of Justins. Along with fellow State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), he fought their removal from the state house in Tennessee and won reinstatement. Now, Pearson is running for Congress and Jones is still fighting for all of us.

Published

1 week ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville). File photo.

By Emil Amok Guillermo

You may know Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville).

He grew up in Oakland and the East Bay. His mother is Filipino. You can tell by his full name Justin Shea Bautista Jones.

His father is African American.

He is fighting for all of us.

Now, Pearson is running for Congress and Jones is still fighting for all of us.

The recent 6-3 Supreme Court decision barring the use of race in drawing congressional districts marks a major turning point in U.S. history.

The decision took away the Voting Rights Act’s power to assure minority voices were both heard and represented.

“What we’re seeing now is this new Jim Crow system in which Black and Brown communities are without voice in our political process,” he told Fredricka Whitfield on CNN last weekend.

“That’s a canary in the coal mine for the rest of the nation. If they come for one of us, they’re coming for all of us, and some of my message to America is that the South is the front line of democracy,” Jones said. “They are dismantling multi-racial democracy here in the South, in states like Tennessee and Louisiana. But they aren’t going to stop here.”

That’s why Jones said we have to start paying attention to the South, and start helping them fight back there,” he said.

“I want to be clear that this terror, this type of system they’re enacting, are the same systems my grandparents told me about who grew up in Tennessee, a system where people like me couldn’t even be in political office. That’s the time they’re bringing us back to and I’m not sounding the alarm to be alarmist. But I am sounding it because we’ve seen this before in our history.”

Jones talked about Reconstruction and about what happened between the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1960s, when there was no Black political representation.

It’s a rebellion to keep our democracy going forward, he said.

“Stand with us and help us fight back against this extremist power grab — this racist power grab against our vision of a multi-racial democracy,” Jones added.

“While there is a litigation strategy, it’s important to maintain what he called a “movement strategy” that leads to the largest voter mobilization and registration that has ever been seen in the South,” he encouraged.

In 2026.

“Tennessee is an oppressed state,” Jones said. “It’s a state where one in five Black voters can’t vote because of felony disenfranchisement. It is where you can use a gun permit to vote, but you can’t use a student ID card to vote.

That’s the Asian American African American voice of Justin Jones.

Read his words for inspiration.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a veteran journalist, commentator, and comic stage monologist. His new show “69, Emil Amok: Anchorman—The News Made Me Do It,” is at the San Diego Fringe at New Destiny/Lincoln Park, 4931 Logan Ave. Ste. 102. May 14-23, at various times. Get tickets here.