The pandemic has continued to devastate the Bay Area’s restaurant scene, and it is forcing Tanya Holland, chef-owner of Oakland’s beloved Brown Sugar Kitchen, to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Could this be grounds for an appeal, grounds for a mistrial, and should the country watch again?

Oakland Zoo has a new CEO and he plans to connect with the community, reopen to full capacity, and increase programming.

Two Oakland teachers from Latinx backgrounds have been admitted to master's programs at Columbia University and Harvard University, and the charter school community where they've been working is singing their praises.

Red Bay Coffee — the eco-conscious Oakland coffee roaster that will open a cafe inside the Ferry Building later this month — unveiled its new public roastery and headquarters this week at 3136 International Boulevard in Oakland. And it’s every bit as gorgeous as you can possibly imagine.

A new nightclub catering to the LGBTQ+ Latinx community of the East Bay is debuting on Tuesday, April 13 — but for obvious reasons it's going to start out sort of low-key serving drinks and quesabirria tacos.

OAKWIFI, with funding from the CARES Act, is taking steps to close the digital gap through strategic partnerships, community outreach, and by providing access to underserved communities in Oakland. 

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is termed out at a time when Oakland has close and cordial Washington, D.C. ties through Vice President Kamala Harris, and three women are being talked about as potential candidates for the job.

They've been called "Oakland's cutest couple" and "Ebony and Ivory" and various other things, but a pair of domesticated ducks that were evidently dropped off at Lake Merritt last year to fend for themselves have officially settled into new digs at a rescue sanctuary for injured or neglected farm animals in Marin County.

The spa shootings in Atlanta stunned the country last week, and the Oakland Asian community is still reeling from its own traumas while also wishing to console the families of victims in Atlanta. 

As more businesses get to reopen around the Bay, we have news of some new ones opening for the first time, as well as a vaccination promotion from Krispy Kreme, and a Cal/OSHA fine for Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.

Hoodline interviewed Oakland Fire Department’s (OFD) Interim Chief Melinda Drayton on a few issues in the city including; emergency response and preparedness, race and equity, and the new Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong.

So much happened in 2020 that cities like Oakland had to fight to survive, but 2021 is full of hope. The community needs to come together to support small and Black-owned businesses, and get back out there as soon as they're vaccinated.