A WikiExplorers' Oakland Culture Crawl


Below is an article about the history of West Oakland and  I-980 with the WikiExplorers' having a "Culture Crawl" while attending the 2026,  Bioneers Conference at UC Berkeley. 

​A WikiExplorers' Oakland Culture Crawl 

​March 28, 2026 – UC Berkeley Campus


​The WikiExplorers were still filled with excitement about learning and knowledge as exploration from the Bioneers Conference as they walked away from the UC Berkeley campus. The air was fresh carrying the scents of eucalyptus trees. At the Bioneers Conference, they heard about sustainable cities, climate justice, and the power of thinking locally and thinking globally.  Now, Ms. Rivers was ready to connect those big ideas to a very personal piece of Oakland's past.

​“Alright, WikiExplorers,” she announced, stopping near the Downtown Berkeley BART entrance. “Our brains are full of future-forward ideas, but today, we’re going on a treasure hunt for history – and a little bit of mystery – in West Oakland.”

​Marcus, ever the pragmatist, adjusted his camera strap. “Mystery, Ms. Rivers? Like, buried gold?”

​Ms. Rivers chuckled. “Better, Jalen. Buried stories. When I was your age, my friend Florence and I used to wander all over. One day, we stumbled into a part of West Oakland that felt like a fairytale. Huge houses, like mansions, with towers and fancy woodwork. I remembered them being so grand, like they were from a different world. But when I went back years later, so many were gone. Today, we’re finding out why, and what’s left.”

​BART to Oakland: A Glimpse of the Divide

​Their BART train rumbled under the Bay, emerging into the heart of Oakland. As they walked from the 12th St. Oakland City Center station, Ms. Rivers directed them west, toward Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The bustling downtown gradually gave way to quieter streets, and then, a jarring sight.

​“Look down there,” Ms. Rivers said, leading them to an overpass. Below, a deep, concrete trench sliced through the city – the I-980 freeway. Cars whizzed by, appearing small and fast in the concrete canyon. “This is part of the answer to my mystery, kids. This is the 980.”

​Nia squinted, her tablet camera already zoomed in. “It’s like a giant scar.”

​“Exactly, Nia,” Ms. Rivers agreed, her voice tinged with old sadness. “They called it ‘urban renewal,’ but for West Oakland, it was a wall. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of those grand old homes I remembered were torn down to build this. It cut off this community, polluted the air, and created what many still call a ‘freeway to nowhere’ because the grand bridge it was supposed to connect to was never built.”

​Jalen, clutching his camera, looked from the freeway to the surrounding neighborhood. “So, our Bioneers lessons about environmental justice? This is it, right?”

​“This is it,” Ms. Rivers nodded. “But even in the face of such destruction, people fought to save what they could. And that’s where we’re going next.”

​Preservation Park: A Rescued Village

​Just a block from the freeway’s edge, they entered Preservation Park. It was like stepping into an entirely different world. A meticulously maintained Victorian garden, complete with a bubbling bronze fountain, surrounded a collection of vibrant, ornate houses.

​“Look!” Marcus gasped, pointing. “Some of them have wheels under them in that drawing we saw!”

​Ms. Rivers smiled. “You’re right! Eleven of these beautiful homes were literally picked up and moved here, block by block, from the path of that I-980. They were saved. This whole park is a testament to the power of community action, even when facing overwhelming odds.”

​Nia was immediately drawn to a Queen Anne with intricate "gingerbread" trim, snapping photos from every angle. Jalen, fascinated by the story of the moves, focused on the foundations and the sturdy, salvaged redwood timbers. Marcus, seeing the historical and architectural details, started capturing close-ups of carved cornices and stained-glass transoms.

​The commons.gallery Workshop: Digitizing History

​They found a bench near the fountain, the gentle sound of water a soothing backdrop. Ms. Rivers pulled out her tablet. “Alright, WikiExplorers. You’ve captured amazing history. Now, we’re going to share it with the world using a brand-new Wikimedia Commons feature: the commons.gallery.”

​She walked them through the process: uploading their high-resolution photos, tagging them with "West Oakland History" and "Victorian Architecture," and then, with satisfying clicks, dragging and dropping their best shots into a curated online exhibition.

​Nia expertly titled her shots: "Queen Anne Spindle Work," "Victorian Finial Detail." Marcus tagged his: "Foundation of a Relocated Home." Jalen, after interviewing a friendly park visitor about the history, crafted captions for his photos: "The Remillard House: A Survivor's Story."

​Together, they named their gallery: "The Survivors of the 980: A WikiExplorers Legacy Project."

​Lake Merritt: A Final Grand Dame

​Their last stop was a short walk to the edge of Lake Merritt, where the elegant Camron-Stanford House stood sentinel.

​“This was the first mansion on the lake,” Ms. Rivers explained, gazing across the water. “It, too, was almost lost. It reminds us that every old building has a story, a history of survival against change.”

​As the sun began to dip, painting the lake in hues of orange and purple, the WikiExplorers looked back at their day. From the Bioneers Conference, where they learned about a sustainable future, to the visible scar of the I-980, and finally, to the resilient beauty of Preservation Park, they had witnessed how the past informs the present, and how their actions today—even just taking photos—could help shape tomorrow’s understanding.

​Their digital gallery was more than just pictures; it was a testament to the enduring spirit of Oakland, a bridge between two cities—one lost, one striving for a greener, more connected future.

​

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers go to the St Louis Jazz Festival

Image
WikiExplorers go to Senegal, a children’s story for ages 10–12, to learn about their shared history in music.  From Harlem to Dakar to St. Louis: The WikiExplorers Travel to Senegal   Ten WikiExplorers sat in a circle on the classroom floor in Harlem, laptops open, backpacks half-zipped, and ready to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to Dakar, Senegal.  “Dakar is right here,” said Amina, pointing at the map on her screen. “And St. Louis is way up north,” Malik added. “It used to be the capital of Senegal!” They were traveling to Senegal to attend a jazz festival in St. Louis, a city known for its music, rivers, and beautiful old buildings. Their assignment was special: learn about the shared history of African and African American music, find knowledge gaps on Wikipedia, and help fill them—with words, photos, and interviews. None of the children had ever been to Africa before. But Africa didn’t feel far away. Research Before the Journey Before the trip, the WikiExplorers met ...
Read more

Edgar Cayce’s prophecy and African Americans

  Edgar Cayce, sometimes called the “Sleeping Prophet,” gave thousands of psychic readings in the early 20th century. Much of his work focused on health, spirituality, and esoteric subjects like Atlantis, but in his life readings he also spoke about the destiny and role of various groups of people in history—including African Americans. Cayce’s prophecy and his views as they relate to African American history: 1. Spiritual Destiny of African Americans Cayce suggested that African Americans carried a deep spiritual mission. He often spoke of “souls” incarnating in different races and regions to fulfill certain purposes. About Black people in America, he indicated that they held a role in bringing balance, humility, and spiritual renewal to a world overly focused on materialism. He stated that African Americans would play a key role in the spiritual awakening of America . He connected their history of suffering and resilience with a kind of spiritual refinement—what he descri...
Read more

What's missing in New York City’s current political conversation.

What's  missing in New York City’s current political conversation and race for mayor While much of the world — from Singapore, South Korea, and Finland to parts of Africa and the Middle East — is pivoting toward innovation-driven economies, many of New York’s current political candidates (including Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa) are speaking in reactive, not visionary, economic terms. New York City Needs an Innovation Vision The Global Shift Across the globe, cities and nations are redefining what drives their economies. They’re no longer relying on industrial output or traditional services but are building innovation-driven economies — ecosystems that combine research, technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship to generate new industries and sustainable prosperity. Singapore has invested in innovation districts and research hubs linking academia with industry. Finland transformed its post-industrial economy through design, technology, and education. China and In...
Read more