Nikki Fortunato Bas

About

Nikki Fortunato Bas is President of the Oakland City Council and represents District 2, one of the most diverse districts in the city. She is the first Filipino-American to be elected to Oakland elected leadership. Since taking office in 2019, she has championed community-centered policies and budgeting. She led the passage of the strongest COVID-19 eviction moratorium in the State of California; created a multi-million dollar fund for community land trusts to prevent displacement and create permanently affordable, community-owned housing; authored a ballot measure that created a progressive corporate tax passed by voters in 2022; and led the last two biennial budgets which have expanded and invested millions more in violence prevention, alternative crisis response and cultural affairs. For two decades prior to being elected, Bas advocated for worker, environmental, gender and racial justice. Learn more about her work as a Councilmember here: oaklandca.gov/officials/nikki-fortunato-bas. She is also a candidate for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and finished in first place in the March primary.

Agenda

Apr

Land, Culture, and Belonging: Place-based Community Advocacy

Public space is essential for building a culture of belonging, but creating and preserving spaces for equitable public use often requires powerful advocacy and elaborate partnerships between community coalitions, city leaders, and developers. As venues for gatherings, performances, and large events, the spaces can foster new connections, amplify voices, and share messages that advance a culture of belonging without othering. Like many similar centers, the Henry J Kaiser Center, the building that is housing our conference, struggled with insufficient funding and was closed for nearly 20 years...