West Oakland Was Once an Economic Hub for the Bay’s Black Community. What Happened?

Urban planning decisions decimated the neighborhood

Seventh and Pine in Oakland in the early 1920s. Photo: Oakland Public Library

Today, West Oakland’s Seventh Street isn’t what many would call idyllic. Save for a liquor store, check cashing center, or grocery co-op, many of the buildings are vacant and padlocked. The guts of sprawling tent encampments spill out onto…