Chef Anula Edirisinghe said she’s closing her downtown Oakland restaurant due to rising rent and slow foot traffic in downtown.
Author Archives: Amir Aziz
Amir Aziz is a photographer and videographer from Oakland, California. Using photography as his primary medium, Amir documents life and times in his community and the rapid changes in his environment. He's covered music events and social justice movements in the U.S. and abroad for local and international publications. Before shelter-in-place, he traveled to over 10 countries producing multimedia projects juxtaposing the experiences of locals elsewhere to those in his hometown of Oakland. Amir hopes to continue to bridge the gap between African diaspora communities and oppressed groups in the world through multimedia storytelling.
Posted inArts & Community
Photos: A new annual block party kicks off in deep East Oakland
The first-ever East Oakland Futures Fest took place over Juneteenth weekend, a celebration of culture and neighborhood featuring scraper bikes, food vendors, art, and live music performances.
Posted inEducation Equity
Photos: Inside the community school started by families protesting the closure of Parker elementary
We visited the campus on the last official day of instruction, and on the first day of the volunteer-led school.
Posted inArts & Community
Photos: Native cultures, resilience, and resistance at the Mills College Pow Wow
The event returned to East Oakland after a year off due to the pandemic, joined by the Indigenous Red Market.
Posted inArts & Community
Photos: The Oakland Roots kick off a new season
The soccer team played its first home game of the 2022 season at Laney College on Saturday. Pre-game festivities included a performance by hip-hop collective Grand Nationxl.
Posted inArts & Community
Photos: Positivity on display at Oakland’s Black Joy Parade
Thousands gathered downtown on Sunday for a celebration of Pan-African culture.
Posted inArts & Community
Pictures of the year: Images from Oakland in 2021
Our photojournalist Amir Aziz selected his favorite photos that captured the spirit of Oakland this year.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Watch a 100-year-old Oakland building get moved
See videos and photos of the 100-year-old clubhouse getting wheeled across an Oakland hills development site.
Posted inBusiness
Scarred but resilient: Telegraph Avenue emerges from the pandemic
Lines around the block for cupcakes and a boom year for a flower shop, but a shoe shop for the stars is calling it quits, one of several COVID-19 casualties.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
Photos: Rally and vigil follows Juneteenth shooting at Lake Merritt
Councilmembers Nikki Fortunato Bas and Carroll Fife rallied hundreds Tuesday evening to support their vision for public safety in Oakland.
Posted inArts & Community
Photos: Oakland pride on display at ‘510 Day’
The annual celebration of Town community, culture, and resilience at Lake Merritt included a car caravan this year.
Posted inCity Hall & Policing
‘We still have so much work to do’: East Oakland residents gather to process the Chauvin verdict
We asked community members at a sunset healing circle at Liberation Park to share their feelings about the murder conviction of the Minneapolis officer who killed George Floyd.
Posted inArts & Community
‘From Oakland to Atlanta,’ community members send messages of solidarity, resistance, and healing
Fear in Asian-American communities continues to build after a mass shooting in Atlanta and continued reports of violent street assaults. Last night, hundreds gathered in Chinatown to show solidarity.
Posted inArts & Community
Fairyland reopens its doors in time for spring
After closing in December, the Oakland theme park is welcoming back eager families looking to explore its magic.
Posted inHealth & Environment
The Black Cultural Zone envisions a thriving East Oakland
We spoke to two of the organization’s leaders about their plans to revitalize Black neighborhoods in deep East Oakland.
Posted inArts & Community
Dr. Huey P. Newton Way unveiled in West Oakland
A stretch of Ninth Street was renamed to honor the Black Panther Party co-founder. We captured photos from the ceremony.
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Unhoused Oaklanders on getting through a night of extreme wind
Officials told people to stay inside to avoid Monday’s dangerous gusts, but many Oakland residents don’t have that option.
Posted inArts & Community
Holiday shopping? The Black Cultural Zone’s outdoor market is open for business this Sunday
This month’s holiday-themed Akoma market will feature local farmers, food vendors, artists, and retailers selling their wares in a festive—and COVID-safe—environment.