Afrikatown Archives - Community Rejuvenation Project

Another Perspective on Oakland’s Public Art Ordinance

March 17, 2017

CRP Blog & Updates, Op-Eds, Public Art Policy

Recently, the Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) addressed Oakland’s controversial public art ordinance, analyzing the implications of a since-withdrawn staff report (a copy is here) outlining proposed changes, as well as some background on the history of the ordinance itself. While the staff report’s small changes to clarify language and buttress the ordinance against lawsuits seemed reasonable, the tacked-on proposal to incentivize the in-lieu contribution is both both problematic and unnecessary. CRP has since gotten word that the item has been pulled,…

Cultural Resilience, Community Engagement, and Addressing Displacement from an Equity Standpoint

November 13, 2015

crproject

Campaigns (Current), Campaigns (Past), Op-Eds, Public Art Policy

In the wake of the recent completion of the mural dedicated to murdered painter Antonio Ramos and Soul of Oakland and OCNC rallies to defend Oakland’s culture, CRP painted the outside walls of community organization Qilombo as part of an anti-gentrification rally. Most of the massive wall, which features portraits of Assata Shakur,Thomas Sankara, and Amed Sekou Toure against a red black and green backdrop, was done in just one day. Qilombo is currently facing another eviction attempt, this time from…

West Coast Journeys: A Trenton Artist Visits Oakland

August 31, 2015

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CRP Blog & Updates, Guest Blog

(Guest blog by Kasso) In February 2015, I finally made my way to the West Coast, after years of talking about visiting. A few weeks before my scheduled takeoff, my friend and artist, Leon Rainbow, told me about an organization based in Oakland, CA that did similar work to that of SAGE Coalition. The Community Rejuvenation Project, or CRP for short, is a pavement to policy 501(c.)3 non-profit organization that cultivates healthy communities through public art, beautification, education & celebration. I…

New CRP Mural: “Welcome to Afrikatown”

March 19, 2015

crproject

CRP Blog & Updates, Events

The Community Rejuvenation Project (CRP) was blessed and fortunate to have been involved with the creation of a new mural, “Welcome to Afrikatown,” painted in solidarity with community organizing space Qilombo, community advocacy group the Black Angels, non-profit organization Planting Justice, and educator Denae Martinez, who teaches at San Francisco State, Laney College, Merritt College and Fremont High School. The mural came about after CRP was suggested for the project by Planting Justice, a frequent collaborator. For CRP founder and…