Middle Harbor Road (Oakland, California)

USA / California / Emeryville / Oakland, California
 invisible, do not draw title
 Upload a photo
This notorious stretch of pavement in Oakland's port has a long history. In the 1950's the Harbor Homes housing projects were located on Middle Harbor Road. The crime rates there were astronomical, and not only were the police scared to cross the Adeline Bridge to the projects, but also the Black Panthers were not welcomed there by the even more radical, poor African American inhabitants of the time. When the port of Oakland boomed in the late 50's and 60's, the Harbor Homes were torn down to make room for containers and freight. In the recent past the long straight stretch of road was made locally famous for its illegal street racing scene. After sideshow violence spread there and fatalities occurred during races, the Oakland police and CHP swept down on the spot. As of today, heavy police monitoring has completely stopped the large street races of the past
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   37°48'6"N   122°18'48"W

Comments

  • How is it possible that the Black Panther Party was afraid to cross over the adeline bridge into Harbor Homes. The Harbor Homes Projects were torn down in 1963. The BPP, did not start until 1966. Get your facts straight. As far as the crime rate is concerned, where are you getting your numbers from. Virtual Murrell
  • Good points, VM! There's also the problem that the specific section of Middle Harbor Road is NOT near the area where Harbor Homes was located, and the project was NOT actually on Middle Harbor Road. See https://oaklandwiki.org/Harbor_Homes_Housing_Project for more about Harbor Homes.
  • Sorry it took me so long to respond to you. You are absolutely correct, in accurately describing the location of Harbor Homes. Who is NAParish
  • Hello Don, I appreciate your interest in the history of Oakland, particularly the history of West Oakland. In some instances you have provided misleading information, regarding Harbor Homes. I see no effort by you to correct the inaccurate information, that you have inserted into your personal history of Harbor Homes. I responded to your assertions that the Black Panthers were not allowed in Harbor Homes, which represents a false hood. The Panthers were not in existence in 1963. You mention the crime stats, where are you getting your information from. In your way of describing the history of African Americans and West Oakland, though you don't really mention African Americans, is a revisionist concept of what the history was, which you imply the new people who have squatted in Oakland (West) is telling their story of West Oakland, which amounts to revisionist history. The racism that permeates your history of West Oakland and Harbor Homes, is incorrect. It only serves to glorify the gentrifiers. I'm not opposed to gentrification as a concept. But I do disagree on the manner it is implemented, with particular emphasis on the displacement of the working poor. It's the working poor of West Oakland that came to Oakland during the war, and played a major role in the war preparation effort. For our parents effort, we received nothing but the back of your hand, as though our role was a futile one. In your actions you are no better than D.W Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" n its portrayal of us. I'm easy to contact, but I believe you know that. If you were interested in correcting the record you would have reached out to me. The new names you have assigned to West Oakland, to identify various communities is your way of reinventing West Oakland, as though African Americans were an aberration. That's an issue with liberals, you work to placate the working poor, to the point you take advantaged of them. I'm here to keep the record straight. If interested, I may be reached at virtualmurrell@yahoo.com;
This article was last modified 16 years ago