On July 4, 2018 at 4:29:07 PM, OneFam and Rev Cafe (onefam@protonmail.com) wrote:

Hello,

We are writing in collaboration with our neighbor, Tony Coleman, and all of OneFam in our fight against eviction. Attached to this email is an endorsement we hope the Omni will sign in support of OneFam and in opposition to our eviction. We are fighting for our right to stay in this space, however it is important to recognize that the OneFam fight is about a larger battle against displacement endemic in our community.

West Oakland is more than a collection of buildings. We are fighting to save history. The famous traffic light is commemorated at 55th and Market in North Oakland, but where is today’s equivalent of 1967’s 55th and Market? Head straight south on Market and you wind up in the Lower Bottom, OneFam’s neighborhood. A place that is not only steeped in Black Panther Party history, and Black history going back a century, but remains a predominantly Black neighborhood that currently experiences a great need for many of the things that BPP fought for in the ‘60s.

OneFam started years ago with Bikes 4 Life. It has since grown to include other spaces on the property: the 7th Street Revolution Cafe, a performance and meeting space, and an outdoor events space where the historic Lincoln Theater once stood. These locations host a wide range of community gatherings, including music events such as weekly open mics and blues nights. OneFam also has roots in the Oscar Grant movement and many meetings happened in OneFam spaces.  

The displacement of Black and Brown residents and businesses by more affluent white residents is now the norm everywhere, including the once vibrant 7th Street. OneFam is the last pre-gentrification business, affectionately deemed “the last one standing” by some long-term West Oaklanders. For over six months, OneFam has responded to hostility from the landlord, who returned as the sole owner of the property after not being around for years. Absence left OneFam and the other tenants to deal with repairs, increasing cost of utilities and other results of neglect by themselves. Now OneFam is being wrongfully evicted. OneFam is an amazing organization that has been a part of this community but also has plans for the future.

The goals of OneFam are as follows:

• Inspire community members to take part in politics by building a social justice movement with a diverse mix of artists and activists
  
• Raise the consciousness of young people and turn them into local leaders by creating a space for education and awareness about the issues of their community.
  

We know that working together, we can push back against displacement and ensure that OneFam is not just the “last one standing” but instead a victory on 7th Street. Hopefully the first of many.

Very truly yours.

P.S. If you or anyone you know would like to make a charitable donation to OneFam, you may do so online through www.tinyurl/save1fam. Donations of $250 or greater are tax-deductible