June 23, 1966: Estuary Tenants End Franklin Park Occupation

June 23 1966, tenants of Alameda’s Estuary Housing Project ended a 5-day occupation of Franklin Park after the city agreed to many of their demands, relocating some residents and delaying the demolition of the majority-Black community.

The Estuary, adjacent to Naval Air Station Alameda, was built during World War II to house workers in the war industries. It continued as low-cost housing until plans to demolish it were announced in 1963. Residents were pressured to leave via a campaign of targeted harassment.

In response, the local chapter of the NAACP formed the Citizens Committee for Low-Income Housing to organize Estuary tenants. The committee conducted a number of rallies and marches, including one to the home of Alameda’s mayor, but met with little success.

In June of 1966, mere days before the demolition deadline, tenants set up camp in Alameda’s Franklin Park, which was mostly frequented by middle-class white people, refusing to leave until their demands for dignified relocation were met, which the mayor quickly promised to do.

We wrote about the Estuary Housing Project and the Franklin Park occupation for Street Spirit News. You can read more about their struggle here: https://leftinthebay.com/blog/bodies-and-force-lessons-from-alameda/