City Lines: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption (Encore)
This episode was originally published on Jun 14, 2023 as A History of Development and Disruption: Hella Town. This week on Making Contact, we bring you a story of urban planning and how race has shaped American cities. In his book, Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption, Mitchell Schwarzer explores the origins and the lasting impacts of transportation improvements, systemic racism, and regional competition...
Building Back Black Wall Street
Black Wall Street, or the historically Black neighborhood Greenwood, Oklahoma is the site of a once prosperous, thriving, Black community. It is also the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a violent attack waged by white supremacists, killing hundreds of residents and leveling homes and businesses. In the second episode of our three part Black History Month series, we talk about how the community built back. In fact, Greenwood’s...
But Next Time Part 4: The Road to Rebuilding and Recovering, Better (Encore)
When communities face the aftermath of catastrophes, what does it take to ensure that the next time will be different? In Houston, it takes a city council member who bicycles in her neighborhood to hear from constituents about what they need most. It takes 12 moms who organize to take legal action against the landlords that have kept their families in moldy, substandard apartments. And it takes a city official who blows the whistle on...
A History of Development and Disruption: Hella Town
This week on Making Contact, we bring you a story of urban planning and how race has shaped American cities. In his book, Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption, Mitchell Schwarzer explores the origins and the lasting impacts of transportation improvements, systemic racism, and regional competition on Oakland’s built environment. Schwarzer, an architectural and urban historian, pulls from his...
The Nakba: 75 Years On
This week marks the 75th anniversary of the Nakba, or the “catastrophe” in Arabic. It refers both to the events starting in late 1947, when Zionist militias expelled over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes, and the ongoing destruction and occupation of their lands. Today, Palestinians continue to commemorate the Nakba by reclaiming their history, resisting the occupation, and calling for their right to return. We start...
On the Brink: Homelessness Before and During COVID-19
On the Brink: Homelessness before and during COVID-19 When the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. many of us were told to “shelter in place” in order to minimize the spread of disease. But, for a lot of people who are forced to live on the street, its not possible to just close the door and retreat into safety. Today’s show is about homelessness. We start by following two women as they undergo several evictions, even...
Finding Home: Displacement and Homelessness from Cape Town to California (Encore)
On this edition of Making Contact we go from Cape Town, South Africa to Los Angeles and Oakland, California— three cities grappling with evictions, displacement, and homelessness. Like this program? Please show us the love. Click here and support our non-profit journalism. Thanks! Featuring: Needa Bee, Oakland-based Housing Advocate Messiah Ali, Oakland Resident Tom Waldman, Director of Communications, Los Angeles Homeless Services...
A Tale of Two Heights
Two neighborhoods — Boyle Heights in Los Angeles and Crown Heights, Brooklyn New York — are experiencing the gamut of changes associated with gentrification. And some are pushing back against those who would cash in on the eviction and displacement of longtime residents. On this edition of Making Contact we hear how one Crown Heights restaurant drew the protest of local residents, and how a coalition of activists in Boyle...
Finding Home: Displacement and Homelessness from Cape Town to California
On this edition of Making Contact we go from Cape Town, South Africa to Los Angeles and Oakland, California— three cities grappling with evictions, displacement, and homelessness. Like this program? Please show us the love. Click here and support our non-profit journalism. Thanks! Featuring: Needa Bee, Oakland-Based Housing Advocate Messiah Ali, Oakland Resident Tom Waldman, Director of Communications, Los Angeles Homeless Services...
