Oakland residents are gathering right now at the Lake Merritt Ampitheater for Pray 4 The Land: An Interfaith Community Gathering to protest the development of a luxury apartment building on City-owned land in the Eastlake neighborhood. The deal has been in the works for years between developer Urban Core and the City of Oakland — the City would sell off prime lakeside real estate for $5 million, and Urban Core would develop a 24 story apartment building. Urban Core expects to rent one-bedroom units for $3,100 a month. We’ll hear more about the City Hall politics behind this deal.
Guests:
- Nischit Hegde, Eastlake United for Justice
Timmy Lu, Chinatown resident
For more on the racial politics behind the East 12th deal, check out Salima Hamirani’s coverage for Apex Express. 
Then, the new anthology, Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction from Social Justice Movements is out this month. Named for visionary sci-fi writer Octavia Butler, this anthology illuminates the challenges we face today and pushes us to imagine the possibilities for liberation. Guests:
- Walidah Imarisha, co-editor Octavia’s BroodAdrienne Maree Brown, co-editor Octavia’s Brood
Adrienne Maree Brown will be facilitating a dialogue on science fiction and social justice at the Oakland Release of Octavia’s Brood – this Wednesday, April 22, 6pm-7:30pm at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland – 559 14th Street Oakland. Octavia’s Brood is available at AK Press. You can follow their national tour online.