Date of Graduation

Spring 5-19-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Urban and Public Affairs

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Urban and Public Affairs

First Advisor

Patrick Murphy

Second Advisor

Kathleen Coll

Third Advisor

Kresten Froistad-Martin

Abstract

This research began as an effort to understand how community-based organizations in neighborhoods that have experienced generational economic disinvestment address the financial and cultural wealth gap in their communities. With the 40x40 Council and its work in East Oakland serving as the case study, it is evident how this organization mobilizes to reverse the impact of cultural erasure and wealth exclusion, helping Black residents not just live, but thrive. With an enriched understanding of how the 40x40 Council frames its approach, implements its vision, and develops its longevity, the Rise East Plan utilizes an alternative wealth-building strategy that centers community, culture, care, and legacy. Answering the question guiding this study, the 40x40 Council’s Rise East Plan has provided a significant and diverse impact on nurturing and protecting the financial and cultural assets of Black East Oakland residents.

This research accentuates how closing the financial and cultural wealth gap requires solutions other than money; it demands a reimagining of how leaders deliver community investment and share power with their constituents. The 40x40 Council and the Rise East Plan show how approaching systemic issues by affirming cultural heritage, encouraging resident participation in shared governance, and reclaiming community power can interrupt exclusionary cycles and introduce opportunities for people to thrive. The Rise East Plan is a compelling model that shows what is possible when communities are treated not as aid recipients of the over $100 million investment, but as architects of East Oakland’s future.

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