In East Oakland, CA, a powerful coalition of Black-led organizations has secured $100 million to fund Rise East, a decade-long effort to transform 40 blocks into a model for what real community-led development can look like, Shoppe Black reports.
According to the outlet, after decades of disinvestment and promises not met, the project marks one of the most significant grassroots investments in Oakland’s history, aimed at reversing long-standing patterns of displacement and economic exclusion.
A Vision Rooted In Community
At the center of Rise East is the 40×40 Council, a group of Black-led nonprofits working together to create long-term stability by focusing on three key areas: education, public safety, and housing.
The 40-block area, according to Shoppe Black, spans from Interstate 580 to the San Francisco Bay and from Seminary Avenue to the San Leandro border. It’s home to Oakland’s largest concentration of Black residents, a community that has long endured the ongoing effects of redlining and underinvestment, making this initiative deeply personal for those who live there.
How The $100M Came Together
The funding milestone took years in the making. In 2021, the national philanthropic group Blue Meridian Partners offered Rise East a $50 million challenge grant, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. However, there was just one condition: the community had to raise a $50 million matching amount locally to unlock the full amount…