Description
Queen Thurston moved as a child with her parents to West Oakland in 1942, where she was raised. After graduating from Berkeley High School, she became active community and political organizations in the Oakland African-American community. Following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which resulted in the collapse of the Cypress Freeway, Thurston helped organize the Coalition for West Oakland Revitalization. Thurston then became active in the West Oakland Community Advisory Group (WOCAG) which was created through the Oakland Base Reuse Authority (OBRA). In this interview, Thurston discusses her advocacy on behalf of the West Oakland community and its interest in the fate of the Oakland Army Base.