East Oakland’s Rise East Secures $100M To Launch Black-Led Revitalization, A Vision That’s Rooted In Community

In East Oakland, CA, a powerful coalition of Black-led organizations has secured $100 million to fund Rise East, a decade-long effort to transform 40 blocks into a model for what real community-led development can look like, Shoppe Black reports.

According to the outlet, after decades of disinvestment and promises not met, the project marks one of the most significant grassroots investments in Oakland’s history, aimed at reversing long-standing patterns of displacement and economic exclusion.

A Vision Rooted In Community

At the center of Rise East is the 40×40 Council, a group of Black-led nonprofits working together to create long-term stability by focusing on three key areas: education, public safety, and housing.

The 40-block area, according to Shoppe Black, spans from Interstate 580 to the San Francisco Bay and from Seminary Avenue to the San Leandro border. It’s home to Oakland’s largest concentration of Black residents, a community that has long endured the ongoing effects of redlining and underinvestment, making this initiative deeply personal for those who live there.

How The $100M Came Together

The funding milestone took years in the making. In 2021, the national philanthropic group Blue Meridian Partners offered Rise East a $50 million challenge grant, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. However, there was just one condition: the community had to raise a $50 million matching amount locally to unlock the full amount.

That challenge sparked a huge push from local organizations, donors, and community members who rallied to meet and surpass the goal. Now, with the full $100 million secured, work is underway to put those dollars directly into the community, with local voices leading every decision.

What The Investment Will Fund

Per Shoppe Black, the $100 million will support a range of Rise East projects that aim to create real, lasting wealth and opportunity for East Oakland residents:

• Affordable housing to help families stay in their neighborhoods
• Youth workforce programs that include stipends up to $10,000
• A wellness hub that supports both mental and physical health
• Cultural spaces like Liberation Park and the International Welcome Center
• Revitalization of the MacArthur Boulevard commercial corridor

For Carolyn Johnson, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone and one of Rise East’s leaders, this is about more than just new buildings or programs. It’s about shifting power back to the community.

“Everyone in this country deserves to live a life of ease—and so do we,” she said, per Shoppe Black.

Johnson stressed that Rise East is not a redevelopment plan being imposed by outside developers or officials. Instead, every decision is being made by the people who know East Oakland best—its longtime residents and community leaders.