Some low-income families of color in Oakland will soon receive $500 a month in no-strings-attached cash as part of a privately funded program, Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a Tuesday announcement.
The Oakland Resilient Families program has raised nearly $7 million dollars to help families of color with at least one minor child making less than $30,000 a year.
It’s the first program to limit participation to people of color and indigenous communities — a nod to the legacy of the Black Panther Party, which was founded in Oakland.
“Guaranteed income has been a goal of the Black Panther platform since its founding,” said Jesús Gerena, CEO of Family Independence Initiative, which is partnering with the program. “Direct investment in the community in response to systemic injustices isn’t new.”