Tyrone Carney Park

Tyrone Edward Carney was a Private First-Class United States Marine who died serving his country in Vietnam on June 9, 1968. Mr. Carney made an impact on the world, even though he only lived for twenty years. Prior to his service, Tyrone was active in the Boys Scouts of America and Youth for Christ in Oakland.

Because of his service to the City of Oakland and America, the Sobrante Park community in agreement with the City agreed to honor Mr. Carney. The improvements and the bust will provide a safe space for connection and contemplation as well as where Black and Brown children can learn about the young man who grew up “down the street”, looked like them, and was so important that we had a statue made of his likeness!

In 2017, a group led by community members from the East Oakland Neighborhoods Initiative (EONI) worked to develop a vision to improve the well-being and address neighborhood concerns of East Oakland residents. One of the topics the neighborhood identified was to improve and reopen parks. EONI collaborated with the City of Oakland Public Works to develop goals and design concepts for Tyrone Carney Park. The community meetings from 2017 resulted in a community-led grant proposal that led to conceptual plans, renderings, and a budget that included a complete renovation of the park, including the following features:

Play equipment •Memorial to Tyrone Carney •Plaza with ornamental paving •Walking paths •Lawn •Wrought iron fence around perimeter •Landscaping (trees and plants) •Bike racks •Drinking fountain; and •Artwork design and completed by community member.