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Blues City: A Walk in Oakland

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"Blues City," which is a part of a series of books published by Crown that features prominent authors and their observations of several key locations around the United States, is written by Ishmael Reed ("Mumbo Jumbo," "Flight to Canada," etc.) about Oakland, California. Reed, known for his "writin' is fightin'" style of nonfiction (see his most recent collection of essays, "Another Day on the Front" [2003], for a taste of his pugilistic prose), is as calm as you will see him in "Blues City." A journal of sorts, Reed relates his experiences on various historical tours around Oakland as well as his attendance at scattered cultural festivals around the city. In the process, Reed portrays Oakland as an important site of multicultural achievement, as a city inhabited by whites, blacks, latinos, asians and gays who have contributed significantly to the economic and cultural development of the city. It is interesting to note that Reed does not dwell on Oakland's present-day reputation as a hotbed of crime. But he is not entirely apologetic about this city which he definitely loves. He cites how the founding of Oakland happened because East Coast whites stole land from the Peralta family who inhabited the land before them. He also talks about the drug epidemic that plagues the Oakland neighborhood he lives in. The most poignant sections of the book focus on David Hilliard, one-time chief of staff of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Reed attends a tour of sites of historical importance to the Black Panthers. The Panthers had been highly influential regarding Oakland politics over the years, but their contributions have been neglected, forgotten or viewed as criminal disruptions (see Elaine Brown's "A Taste of Power" [1992] for a more detailed description of the Black Panthers' immersion into the political world of Oakland), and Hilliard's tour is filled with fond memories as well as darker ones. Reed's portrayal of Hilliard's disappointment, disgust and sadness with how the Panthers were destroyed as well as the kind of political movements that currently operate on the Left is well-balanced and poignant--never condescending or reverent. But if there is anything this book seems to be, above all else, it is a rant against current Democratic mayor Jerry Brown. Brown, according to Reed and others, has betrayed his campaign promises to the minority communities who supported them by gentrifying Oakland. In these instances, the Reed's punchy rhetorical style returns. For those such as I, this is classic Reed. But others might find that some of his more controversial statements have little to do with Oakland, and that the book lacks any sort of organizational system. This book is far from being a complete statement on Oakland, but it does not have to be--it is simply one man's perspective on the city.

Ishmael Reed, Oakland, CA's longtime resident, poet, novelist, essayist, and faculty member of UC Berkeley, pens a love song to the much maligned city across the bay from San Francisco, its more glittery neighbor. In the process, he proves that Gertrude Stein was wrong, wrong, wrong when she pronounced, "There is no There, there." Au contraire, there's plenty of There: beautiful hills, vibrant waterfront, central Lake Merritt, richly diverse neighborhoods, political radicalism that spills over the Berkeley line, cultural diversity, etc.
Reed delves into Oakland's past: Bret Harte, Jack London, Bobby Seale and the Black Panthers, Gay Pride uprisings - and into the present with Mayor Jerry Brown who lives along the newly-emerging gentrified waterfront, Yoshi's (the Japanese jazz restaurant and nightclub, the artists and blue-collar workers and the ordinary working stiffs who give the "other" city by the bay its uniqueness.
I've lived here for more than 30 years myself, and I learned a LOT I never knew before.

Ishmael Reed's "Blues City" is a lot like Oakland itself: full of promise, but fraught with serious problems. To be sure, Reed is a provocative writer. His resume speaks volumes to his varied literary talents -- poet, novelist, essayist -- and large swaths of the boook reflect these skills. Reed tells it like it is in Oakland and he's surely developed a deep fondness for his adopted hometown. Sadly, though, the book frequently veers off course and morphs into political tirade. In other parts, Reed descends into bitter racism. This, in itself, doesn't make the book a disaster. But it certainly seems that the author taints what could have been a timeless memoir of Oakland with large dollops of political and racist invective. After all, Jerry Brown will some day leave office. But "Blues City" deserves to stay on our shelves for many years to come.

Blues City paints a literary portrait of Oakland, California at the turn of the millennium. Using accounts of cultural events, neighborhood excursions, and interviews with cultural figures and politicians, Ishmael Reed takes a broad view of the city, one that runs from the time of European conquest to the year of the book's publication (2003). In a breezy, conversational style, he reveals that Oakland has been the site of continuous conflict between white elites and egalitarian, community oriented people of color. The former, whether as European colonizers, gold rushers, or dot.com gentrifiers, have been arrogant thieves; the latter, whether as Native American tribes, Chinese laborers, or black train yard workers, have suffered and resisted. The plaintive, garrulous strains of the blues embody this experience for Reed: Oakland is a Blues City.

Reed recounts his dialogues with a councilman, a columnist for the Oakland Tribune, a prominent ex-Black Panther, a well-known artist, among others; he describes visits to Lake Merritt, the Oakland Convention Center, Chinatown, Jack London Square, Yoshi's bar, Preservation Park, as well as additional places; he tells us about a Kwanza celebration, Oakland's Gay Pride March, a powwow, and other functions. He uses his encounters with these people, places, and events as a platform upon which to discuss the city and its many travails, both past and present. He has clearly done a lot of reading into the city's history. His commentary is erudite and sensitive.

He expresses particular concern about Oakland at the time of writing, when Jerry Brown was Mayor--indeed, invective directed toward Brown is a constant throughout the book. Reed faults him for being aloof, overbearing, and, above all, a force behind the expulsion of black people from Oakland through gentrification. Reed is specifically opposed to Brown's "10K Plan," with which he hoped to "revitalize" downtown by getting 10,000 new people to move to the area, and he objects more generally to the reconstruction of the city into a playground for the wealthy (who are apparently always white for Reed). Reed thinks the city government is too focused on making deals with developers and that it should do much more to support affordable housing, social services, and non-profits.

Reed's choice of interviewees, locations, and events allows him to say important things about the city, but he is too concentrated on the city as a site of cultural events and recreation. He says little about Oakland's economy: he doesn't discuss residents' employment patterns or the city's revenue sources, didn't visit any factories or offices, and barely discussed the deindustrialization of the city, which has wrecked havoc upon its tax base. He does not explore the state of Oakland's educational system, didn't drop by any classrooms, and makes no comment upon the city's transportation infrastructure. Perhaps these oversights are to be expected from someone like Reed--a tenured professor at UC Berkeley with adult children--but I think most people will have a different set of concerns when they think about the city. They (we) will wonder how to make a living, how to educate the kids, and how to get from point A to point B, among other prosaic matters. For most of us, Oakland is not primarily a place of leisure or site in which to spend expendable income.

Reed's neglect of the economic context is a serious failing, given its importance to the problems he describes. After all, it takes money to support the type of city that Reed wants--one with social services, affordable housing, and non-profits--but the evisceration of Oakland's industrial base has made raising revenue extremely difficult. Given this, Reed's antipathy to Jerry Brown feels a little gratuitous: after all, one way to generate revenue is by turning downtown into a place where professionals with expendable income and no kids to feed (i.e., people like Reed) come to spend their money at cultural events. This is one way to put money in city coffers, which then could, presumably, be expended on things of use to the disenfranchised. Is it the only way to generate revenue? No. Does this approach have serious social costs? Yes. But Reed rejects it without pointing to an alternative and that does nothing to move the discussion forward.

Oakland's problems are systemic and, to address them, we need to understand *why* the city faces such difficulties. This is a question that Reed does not explore. Reed makes comments throughout his book that suggest that he believes that the responsibility lay at the feet of naturally malevolent white people, but I find it hard to believe that a man of his intellect would embrace such facile racial essentialism and tend to think of such statements as rhetorical excesses.

I share Reed's dedication to social and racial justice, but this book could have and should have been much richer. While I am not sure that it is really possible to write a book that fully captures the pulse of a city, certainly Oakland deserves a better scribe. I hope that will day he or she will appear

This book isn't a concise or in-depth discourse of Oakland history, but it covers enough of the city's past and present to inspire the reader to learn more. I am, for example, quite interested to learn more about the Black Panter movement, but I can't say that I got a clear view about what the movement was and who was involved from "Blues City." Additionally, the book covers some minor recent local events in Oakland, and the book may be a somewhat difficult read for somenone not familiar with the events or people involved.

Reed has a somewhat muddled view of recent change in Oakland. He clearly despises Jerry Brown and his plans to move people downtown, build redevelopment projects, and bring businesses back to the city. However, Reed cherishes redevelopment projects of the 70s and 80s, such as Jack London Square, Preservation Park, and the Old Oakland district. (If you've been to downtown Oakland, you can judge for yourself whether Brown or Reed's vision of the city is correct.) I definitely get the feeling that if you came to the city after 1999, you are not welcomed or liked by Reed. The Oakland of the '60s, '70s, and '80s was Reed's city, and now that it has changed, Reed is clearly bitter about it.

Altogether though, the book is a pleasant short read for anyone interested in Oakland. It is a fantastic place with lots of cultural and racial diversity. Reed celebrates the city's people in "Blues City," and I couldn't agree with him more.

When I first found out that Ishmael Reed was writing a book about Oakland, I didn't know how to react. My first reaction was excitement. I couldn't believe that Ishmael Reed, someone that is so well known and respected particularly among the African American community, was ACTUALLY WRITING A BOOK ABOUT OAKLAND. I was overjoyed that someone chose to write a book about the city that I love so much. I felt that it was important that he wrote it, because Oakland has been given such a bad wrap. I realized the inner beauty of the city but since I moved away I found out that others do not feel the same way. A Walk In Oakland gives you an idea of what you're missing. Rather than writing it like a history book, Reed chose a diary type format. He discusses the various events he attended including the Black Cowboy Parade, the Dia de los Muertos festival, an Indian Pow-Wow and the Chinatown parade and festival, just to name a few. He also takes th reader on a walk through various tours, including the Black Panther Legacy tour. He stays true to the title of the book. He definitely walks you through all of the events and tours he attends but doesn't not get carried away with details. He gives enough information to leave the reader satisfied. He touches on all important aspects of Oaklands history such as the value of the Port of Oakland, the impact of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense and the mixture of culture that makes Oakland so valuable. He also discusses the current issues in Oakland, particular the negative effect of Mayor Jerry Brown who seems to be trying to clear Oakland of the racial mixture that Oakland is so known for. This book was very well written and fascinating to read. If you are from the Bay Area it is even more interesting because he uncovers facts about the city that are not very well known. If you are not from the Bay Area, this book might convince you to take a trip there so you can discover the value of this great city. One topic that Ishmael discusses but does not go in depth about is the music scene in Oakland. Many people do not realize that Oakland is home to many great acts such as En Vogue, Toni Tony Tone, Sheila E, Luniz, Hieroglypics and Goapele, just to name a few. Oakland is a rich city in all aspects and this book is a must read because it exposes those aspects. Ishmael Reed, if you are reading this, thank you so much for writing this book. I am overjoyed to find that someone likes Oakland enough to write a book about it from a positive perspective. Every book that I have found about Oakland is written by a white journalist that seeks to expose "the ghetto" side of Oakland. The ebonics issue really changed the way people viewed the city. This book was needed to show people what Oakland is really about. If you are from the bay area there is no excuse. READ THIS BOOK! If you are not, READ THIS BOOK! This book is a great treasure for any reader!

I read this book in 2011 and it is totally out of date. In addition as another reader commented the author, takes a very racist, anti white tone throught the entire
book, which is strange becuase I read somewhere that is wife is Caucassian. Oakland is a facinating city to visit, one of the most diverse in the world.
I wish he would have done a better job. It's sad that Reed is so out of touch with the times. As one of the original mutli-culturalists, Reed really dosen't
understand multicutluralism. Mutliculturalism is more than "being down with the brothers".

That famous quote "There is no THERE there" was in reference to her childhood home, which had burned down. It didn't have anything to do with oakland itself.
Glad to see this book - looking forward to reading it.