Dec 9, Daily Brief: EB Express articles spurs discussion of racism/gentrification in West Oakland, what will Bay Bridge cost?
Having dinner with two buddhist nuns from bori-sa zen center in oakland by JasonUnbound
The East Bay Express story on Max Allstadt's experience of character assassination via email, which lays the blame squarely on Marcel Diallo, has generated HUGE discussion, particularly in West Oakland.
Some excerpts from the letters and related comments:
- Duane Deterville:This piece was an "attack on the right of Black folks to build and beautify our own cultural district in the same manner that North Beach does for Italians, Chinatown does for the Chinese, and the Fruitvale District does for Latinos."
- Kirstin Miller, Executive Director, Ecocity Builders, Oakland: "After getting to know Marcel for several years now, I don't believe he sent the e-mail; he wouldn't stoop to that level and he's too smart to set himself up like that."
- Gabriella Condie: "Gentrification is a very complex force in West Oakland and to treat it so superficially, one-sided, while disregarding the older community living there who is working to build up their cultural district without a phony or corporate sponsored tone should be commended not misunderstood by a determined under-informed outsider journalist."
- Max Allstadt: "To put it bluntly, there is no doubt in my mind that Marcel Diallo is responsible for the email that slandered me."
Is this situation really as divided as it sounds? Can't we all focus on what we'd like to accomplish together? And isn't it really even more complex?
Some other questions of the day:
How much will the Bay Bridge fixes really cost? An investigation by McSweeney's Magazine, The Public Press and Spot.us says that the BayBridge--when all is said and done "will wind up costing tax- and toll-payers more than $12 billion—a figure that leaves even the officials in charge “staggered.”
How much of that sum is interest? This report says $12,592,390,093
Do pot growers ever acquire stolen TVs and get busted when cops go looking for them? This one did--SF Gate has a story about a West Oakland resident whose 2-story house was stuffed with 300 pot plants--street value $105,000--who got busted when cops came knocking about a stolen big-screen TV.
Have plans tonight? Tonight's the launch party for the new issues of Race, Poverty & the Enviroment, the Urban Habitat magazine whose latest issue focuses on climate change issue. Celebration starts 6 PM at Somar Bar and Lounge. 1727 Telegraph Avenue and 18th St in Oakland--come by if you feel like it. Or, if that's not your thing, check out the OL calendar for lots more to do.
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About Susan Mernit
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I believe your summary of my letter to the Express is somewhat misleading.
Believe it or not, I actually agree with many of the commenters who felt that Robert Gammon had not accurately depicted Marcel Diallo's creative efforts. Marcel did host numerous gallery shows and events. Marcel did host successful music shows at the Black New World. (Though it was later shut down for having no permits and then, last week, it was foreclosed.)
I believe that Mr. Gammon's mischaracterization of Marcel's creative efforts made it easier for Marcel's supporters to dismiss the article as biased. However, every one of Mr. Gammon's other facts were sourced from public records, and every one of them is true.
So, to be perfectly clear:
I believe that the creative events on Pine Street really happened, and I also believe with certainty that Marcel Diallo is responsible for the email that slandered me.
There's much more to be said about this situation, and you're right Susan, much of it is far more complex than many of the comments would suggest.
But the libel still happened, and the evidence is still very strong. I haven't even revealed all of it yet, but I invite readers to see my comments posted online in the Express's letters section for some additional points that didn't make it into Gammon's article.
-Max Allstadt
I believe your summary of my letter to the Express is somewhat misleading.
Believe it or not, I actually agree with many of the commenters who felt that Robert Gammon had not accurately depicted Marcel Diallo's creative efforts. Marcel did host numerous successful gallery shows and events. Marcel did host successful music shows at the Black New World. (Though it was later shut down for having no permits and then, last week, it was foreclosed.)
I believe that Mr. Gammon's mischaracterization of Marcel's creative efforts made it easier for Marcel's supporters to dismiss the article as biased. However, every one of Mr. Gammon's other accusations was sourced from public records, and every one of those accusations is true.
Not only that, but Mr. Gammon omitted an important piece of the court record: The email that was sent from Marcel's house appears to have taken over 6 hours to write. The address was registered at 2:47am. The email was sent at 8:55am, and all records of access to that gmail account are from 924 pine street, Marcel's personal residence. Google and Comcast NEVER testified that anything could have come from 1195 Pine, (the Black Dot Cafe).
This and other evidence (which I'll reveal in time) lead me to believe that the various wi-fi conspiracy theories put forth in defense of Marcel are laughable at best.
So, to be perfectly clear an accurate summary of my sentiments on the Express article would read a little more like this:
I believe that the creative events on Pine Street really happened, and I also believe with certainty that Marcel Diallo is responsible for the email that slandered me.
Lastly I believe Susan's right: the divisions shown in both the East Bay Express article and the letters and comments that followed - these views of gentrification and race are among the most polarizing you're likely to see anywhere. But it's a terrible source to get an overview of West Oakland. This was a specific story about a dispute between two men. The story of West Oakland is much bigger than either of us, and while contentious at times, the story of West Oakland is not all about conflict. There's a lot more joy than strife over here in the West.
Max, thank you for sharing your views here. "The story of West Oakland is much bigger than either of us, and while contentious at times, the story of West Oakland is not all about conflict. There's a lot more joy than strife over here in the West."--I know thia is right and am glad you feel this way--but I also think there are alot of hard--and hurt--feelings this situation has both created and revealed.