Clearly all other ethnically owned businesses other than Black are visible through the use of language on business facades; in signage, on awnings etc. Businesses without ethnic expression, unless run down are thought to be white owned.
Black Americans lost most cultural roots and language through enslavement. Among America's various ethnic groups, Americans of African descent (Black Americans) are unique in this respect. This fact presents a unique set of problems for Black Americans that other groups likely find it difficult to relate to.
Oakland has renamed East 14th Street "International Boulevard". This renaming is a very noble and fitting decision. However, one has to wonder why the streetscapes and business facades in the majority Black section of the boulevard do not reflect a majority population that is of African descent like that in both the Eastlake (majority Asian) and Fruitvale (majority Hispanic) sections respectively.
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| FIGURE 1 |
The Kinte Center promotes the use of the world famous "Kinte Cloth Patterns" that were created by the Ashanti and Ewe tribes of Ghana in streetscapes and optional on business facades in commercial settings in Oakland communities where the majority population is of African descent. These patterns are world famous collector's items (click on Figure 1)and would serve as Cultural/Ethnic economic connectors of a community where the majority population is of African descent.
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| FIGURE 2 |
FIGURE 3 |
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FIGURE 4 |
Both the City of Oakland and Oakland's Black populous could benefit from the use of Kinte cloth patterns in streetscapes and on business facades in commercial settings in Oakland's Black (majority Black) communities especially along International Boulevard. With a little facade design imagination, using the world famous Kinte cloth patterns in streetscapes and business facades in the majority black section of International Boulevard along with the existing cultural expressions in the majority Asian and majority Hispanic sections would transform International into a "True International Boulevard". One with cultural expressions of three cultures i.e., Asian, Hispanic and "Of African descent". This collection of cultural expressions would deem International Boulevard a "Must see" for visitors to the Bay Area(click on Figures 2, 3 and 4 respectively).
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| FIGURE 5 |
FIGURE 6 |
Additional examples of cultural/ethnic expressions in streetscapes and optional in business facades adorned in the world famous Kinte cloth patterns are in artist renderings of a revitalized seminary commercial District, shot 1 (click on Figure 5). Plus, included is an artist rendering of a proposed Heritage Plaza at International Boulevard and Hegenberger Road with the American and African flags and linear water fountains at the top each of the four medians (click on figure 6).
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