International trade boomed with the city’s early adoption of technological and economic changes, but Black neighborhoods became ‘sacrifice zones’Oakland, California, is often treated as a city on the margins, best known for its struggles with poverty and gun violence, as well as for its history of radical Black activism. But a new book, The Pacific Circuit, argues that Oakland should be viewed as one of the centers of global change in the past century, serving both as a key node in the new global economy built around trans-Pacific trade, and as one of the “sacrifice zones” this economy requires.Far from being an outlier, US journalist Alexis Madrigal argues, Oakland is in fact an early adopter of the technological and economic changes now tearing through cities across the US, and around the world. Oakland has long been the canary in Silicon Valley’s coalmine of disruption, the book suggests. But its residents don’t suffer passively: they organize and learn how to fight back. Continu...
Alexis Madrigal's book, "The Pacific Circuit," argues that Oakland, California, is a key center of global change and an early adopter of technological and economic shifts impacting cities worldwide. Focusing on West Oakland and activist Margaret Gordon, the book explores the consequences of these changes, including environmental problems and displacement, linking them to Silicon Valley and global shipping. Oakland's history, including its Black population's arrival, urban renewal, and its role as a major container port, highlights its position as a "sacrifice zone" in the global economy.
