The California Hotel in Oakland, CA opened its door during the Great Depression. When it opened on May 18th, 1930 it was a “Whites-only” hotel. Later it became one of the few hotels where “Blacks” could perform. So it became a cultural center for Blues and Jazz.
Over time the hotel declined and was forced to close in 1971. In 2011 a renovation project started and the hotel was converted into a low income housing project.
