Emiliano Zapata Street Academy

What is their story?

The Emiliano Zapata Street Academy, named for the Mexican revolutionary leader, opened in March of 1973 and was originally located on the corner of Fruitvale and what is now International Boulevard. The Street Academy envisioned itself as an alternative school for any student who wanted a more culturally and socially relevant education and offered an option for students who were not finding success in traditional public high schools, giving them another chance to succeed. 

The Street Academy was created on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, during the Black Power and Chicano Movements. Originally, there were two academies: The Oakland Street Academy, in East Oakland, and the Emiliano Zapata Street Academy in the Fruitvale. Both were sponsored by the Bay Area Urban League and funded through the National Institute of Education’s Experimental Schools Project. 

In the spirit of the growing community activism of the 1970’s, the Street Academy incorporated a commitment to social change and racial and economic justice, placing an important emphasis on social justice, community engagement, and political activism. Students were taught current events affecting their community, as well as the history and culture of people of color. Teachers imbued their lessons with cultural pride as they geared their lessons to the ethnicities of their students. The teachers were more than teachers, they were counselors, mentors, friends and nurturers. In this atmosphere, the students thrived. Because of these dynamics, the Street Academy felt more like a family to many students. 

The Street Academy remains committed to social change and racial and economic justice and works towards these goals by honoring and integrating the life experiences and histories of the students and their communities. It has created an alternative structure and a meaningful, student-centered curriculum through which all students can obtain a diploma and go on to college or the career of their choice.