About
About the Black Liberation Walking Tour (BLWT)
The Black Liberation Walking Tour (BLWT) is a community-led cultural asset map celebrating Hoover-Foster’s multi-generational Black history and culture. It asserts resident voices and documents sites of cultural and historical significance in the neighborhood. It celebrates belonging through the 100+ year narrative ribbon leading from the early West Coast civil rights movement through the second wave of the Great Migration to the Black Liberation actions of the present day.
A project of the West Oakland Cultural Action Network (WOCAN), the BLWT captures oral histories to document the lives, art, and culture of long-time residents, historical figures, and rapidly disappearing former Black cultural spaces. They are creating this archive to mitigate cultural erasure and physical displacement. They’re galvanizing a collaborative development effort grounded in claiming community and cultural spaces by working towards the reestablishment of the Hoover-Durant Public Library branch.
This walking experience is guided by local native David Peters, founder of the West Oakland Cultural Action Network, and Gene Anderson, author of Legendary Locals of Oakland, an Oakland historian whose family has historical roots in West Oakland. Peters and Anderson are passionate about telling the history of this area to share historical stories and proclaim its Black heritage.
The BLWT was rated by Condé Nast Traveler as one of six standout Black History Tours in the United States.
BOOK YOUR EXPERIENCE TODAY!
**Group booking available. Please email directly to: oakblwt@gmail.com re: Group booking
