The City of Oakland is revising the Port’s environmental code to require airport tenants to shift ground support equipment to zero or near zero emissions. This change can improve air quality in East Oakland, but the Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation (BCZ CDC) notes that the EV transition also has upstream impacts that often fall hardest on Black, Brown, and low income communities.

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BCZ CDC is calling for a just green transition that includes financial assistance, realistic timelines, and technical support. The goal is not only cleaner air but also fairness, economic opportunity, and lasting environmental justice for East Oakland residents.

In 2019, a collaborative was formed between the Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation/East Oakland Black Cultural Zone Collaborative, Brotherhood of Elders Network, East Oakland Youth Development Center  and Roots Community Health to work towards this collective vision for a healthier 40x40. These organizations called the 40x40 Council, each with their particular area of focus have been committed to and vested in uplifting the community for decades. Residents of the area have been served by them, employed by them, lived in community with them.

While led by the 40x40 Council, this long-term, generational strategy to improve the lives of future, current and legacy residents is informed by and achieved in concert with the area’s families, residents, and other community-based organizations.

Launched in September 2020, Akoma Grand Market began as a bi-weekly outdoor farmers market at Liberation Park in East Oakland, organized by the Black Cultural Zone (BCZ). The Market was created to reclaim and transform a once-abandoned lot into a vibrant community hub, bringing together local Black and Brown farmers, artisans, food vendors, wellness providers, and community organizations in a lively, welcoming marketplace.

Now, more than a marketplace, the Akoma Grand Market is a business incubator promoting economic empowerment, cultural celebration, and social connection. It serves as a cornerstone for community activation in East Oakland and advances BCZ’s vision for thriving, neighborhood-led development.

The Levitt VIBE Oakland Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, which partners with changemakers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused outdoor spaces through the power of free, live music—bringing people together, fostering belonging, and invigorating community life.Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt concerts are welcoming and inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together. In 2025, the Levitt Foundation is supporting 650+ free concerts in 50+towns and cities with a total audience of nearly 1 million people. In addition to supporting free concerts, the Levitt Foundation is dedicated to advancing equitable music ecosystems through research and partnership.