This list includes people born in Oakland, California , or who lived in Oakland for a significant time.
Natalia Anciso – artist and educator
Steven F. Arnold – filmmaker, photographer, painter, illustrator, set and costume designer, and assemblage artist
Olive Ayhens – painter[2]
Garry Knox Bennett – woodworker, metalworker, furniture maker, artist
Bernice Bing – artist, activist
Warrington Colescott – artist and educator
Henry Doane – landscape painter, commercial artist
Janet Doub Erickson – artist and author
Roger C. Field – industrial designer, graduated from California College of the Arts
Linda Geary – painter, teacher[3]
Liz Hernández – painter, sculptor, graphic designer
Oliver Lee Jackson – painter, printmaker, sculptor
Walter J. Mathews – architect, designed the First Unitarian Church of Oakland
Bernard Maybeck – architect
Jeremy Mayer – sculptor
Julia Morgan – architect, raised and buried in Oakland
Willis O'Brien – animator
Nathan Oliveira – painter, printmaker, sculptor, professor
Adrienne Keahi Pao – photographer, artist
Lisa Quinn – artist, author, designer
Mel Ramos – painter
Favianna Rodriguez – painter, artist[4]
Galen Rowell – photographer
J. Otto Seibold – artist, illustrator, author
Elizabeth Sher – documentary and short filmmaker, artist
Seasick Steve – blues musician
Betty Swords – cartoonist
Morrie Turner – artist, illustrator, author of the Wee Pals comic strip
Wendy Yoshimura – artist
Ron Allen – professional skateboarder
Zack Andrews – baseball player[ citation needed ]
Pervis Atkins – NFL football player, Los Angeles Rams , Washington Redskins , Oakland Raiders , actor, The Longest Yard
Don Barksdale – basketball player
Drew Barry – basketball player[5]
Jon Barry – basketball player and sportscaster[6]
Charlie Beamon – baseball pitcher[7]
Charlie Beamon Jr. – baseball player[ citation needed ]
Davion Berry (born 1991) – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Davone Bess – football player[8]
Will Blackwell – football player[9]
Linc Blakely – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds
Marlin Briscoe – football player[10]
John Brodie – football player and sportscaster[11]
Jabari Brown – basketball player
Steve Brye – baseball player, No. 1 pick of Twins, played nine years in majors
Don Budge – tennis player[ citation needed ]
Chris Burford – football player
Glenn Burke – baseball player[12]
Tiffany Chin – figure skater
Steve Clark – swimmer, won five Olympic gold medals
Ray Crouse – football player[13]
Bruce Cunningham – Major League Baseball player, Boston Braves
Jared Cunningham – basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Antonio Davis – basketball player[14]
Steve DeBerg – football player[15]
Bernie DeViveiros – Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers
Taylor Douthit – Major League Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals , Chicago Cubs , Cincinnati Reds
Forey Duckett – football player[16]
Dennis Eckersley – baseball player[17]
Manny Fernandez – football player[18]
Eric Fernsten – basketball player, NBA, CBA, and Europe[19]
Curt Flood – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds , St. Louis Cardinals , Washington Senators ; known for challenging the reserve clause
Greg Foster – basketball player[20]
La Vel Freeman – baseball player[21]
Len Gabrielson – Major League Baseball player, first baseman, Philadelphia Phillies
Len Gabrielson – Major League Baseball player, outfielder, Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Los Angeles Dodgers
Joe Gaines – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds , Baltimore Orioles , Houston Astros
Derrick Gardner – football player[22]
Kiwi Gardner – basketball player
Brad Gilbert – tennis player and coach[23]
John Gillespie – Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds
Jesse Gonder – baseball player
Drew Gooden – basketball player[24]
Alexis Gray-Lawson – basketball player, Phoenix Mercury
Bob Greenwood – Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies
Bud Hafey – Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox , Pittsburgh Pirates , Cincinnati Reds , Philadelphia Phillies
Tom Hafey – Major League Baseball player, New York Giants , St. Louis Browns
Roger Harding – football player[25]
Rickey Henderson – baseball player[26]
Jan Henne – swimmer, two-time gold medalist at 1968 Summer Olympics
Steve Hosey – baseball player[27]
Al Hrabosky – baseball pitcher and sportscaster[28]
Proverb Jacobs – NFL football player, Philadelphia Eagles , New York Giants
Jackie Jensen – baseball player[29]
Brian Johnson – baseball player[30]
Josh Johnson – quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals
Maurice Jones-Drew – football player[31]
Robert Jordan – football player[ citation needed ]
Bobby Kemp – football player[32]
Jason Kidd – basketball player and coach[33]
MacArthur Lane – football player
Cookie Lavagetto – baseball player and manager[34]
James Yimm Lee – martial arts teacher
Tony Lema – golfer[35]
Bill Lester – NASCAR driver[36]
Damian Lillard – basketball player[37]
Don Lofgran – professional basketball player
Ernie Lombardi – baseball player[38]
Terrell Lowery – baseball player[39]
Lorenzo Lynch – football player[40]
Marshawn Lynch – football player[41]
Eddie McGah – baseball player, part-owner of Oakland Raiders[42]
Bill McKalip – college All-American football player, NFL player, Portsmouth Spartans / Detroit Lions
Joe Mellana – Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Athletics
Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell – streetball player
Joe Morgan – baseball second baseman and sportscaster[43]
Kirk Morrison – football player[44]
Hank Norberg – football player[45]
Mike Norris – baseball player[46]
Lee Norwood – ice hockey player[47]
Zoe Ann Olsen – Olympic diver[48]
Gary Payton – basketball player, born and raised in Oakland[49]
Gary Pettis – baseball player and coach[50]
Paul Pierce – basketball player[51]
Vada Pinson – baseball player and coach[52]
Jim Pollard – basketball player[53]
Leon Powe – basketball player[54]
Damon Powell – basketball player[55]
Jarrod Pughsley – football player[56]
John Ralston – football player and coach[57]
Isiah Rider – basketball player[58]
Chris Roberson – baseball player[59]
Cliff Robinson – basketball player, youngest (teenaged), highest scoring NBA Player, 1976 TOC Champions
Frank Robinson – baseball player and manager[60]
Jimmy Rollins – baseball player[61]
Bill Russell – basketball player and coach[62]
Brian Shaw – basketball player and coach[63]
Paul Silas – basketball player and coach[64]
Fred Silva – football official[65]
Marvel Smith – football player[66]
Dave Stewart – baseball player and executive[67]
John Sutro – football player[68]
Ron Theobald – baseball player[69]
Jim Tobin – baseball player[70]
Marviel Underwood – football player[71]
Kwame Vaughn (born 1990) – basketball player for Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Basketball National League
Langston Walker – football player[72]
Andre Ward – professional boxer
George Wells – professional wrestler
William Hutton (born 2009) - professional Rower & Fantasy Soccer Commissioner[ citation needed ]
== Businesspeople, entrepreneurs and industrialists ==
Stephen Bechtel – engineer, president, CEO of Bechtel Corporation , 1933–1960[73]
Anthony Chabot – entrepreneur, father of hydraulic mining, namesake of Chabot Space & Science Center , Lake Chabot , and Chabot College , buried in Oakland[74]
Charles Crocker – railroad tycoon, buried in Oakland[75]
Debbi Fields – entrepreneur, founder of Mrs. Fields cookies[76]
Domingo Ghirardelli – founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company based in San Francisco, buried in Oakland[77]
Ken Hofmann – former owner of the Oakland Athletics[78]
Henry J. Kaiser – entrepreneur, businessman, founder of Kaiser Permanente and Kaiser Family Foundation , buried in Oakland[79]
Mark Mastrov – founder of 24 Hour Fitness , partial owner of the Sacramento Kings [80]
Jonah Peretti – founder of BuzzFeed [81]
Francis Marion Smith (also known as "Borax" Smith) – miner, business magnate[82]
Mahershala Ali – Academy Award-winning actor
Eddie Anderson – actor
Max Baer Jr. – actor, film director
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin – filmmaker and musician
Pamela Blake – actress
True Boardman – silent film actor
Alex Bretow – film producer, director, and screenwriter
David Carradine – actor
Rafael Casal – actor, writer
Connie Cezon – actress
Angus Cloud – actor
Keyshia Cole – musician
Tracie Collins – actress, writer, theatre director and producer
Ryan Coogler – director
Buster Crabbe – actor
T. D. Crittenden – silent film actor
Robert Culp – actor
Mark Curry – actor/comedian
Gloria Dea – actress, dancer and magician
Walter DeLeon – screenwriter
Dimitri Diatchenko – actor
Daveed Diggs – actor and rapper
Rockmond Dunbar – actor, mixed-media artist
Michael Earl – puppeteer
Clint Eastwood – actor, Academy Award-winning film producer, and director
Lyndsy Fonseca – actress
Squire Fridell – actor
Cary Fukunaga – Emmy Award-winning director
Sylvia Gerrish – performer of musical comedy and light opera
Sumner Getchell – actor
Gary Goldman – filmmaker
Michael A. Goorjian – actor and filmmaker
R. Henry Grey – silent film actor
Khamani Griffin – child actor
Mark Hamill – actor
Bernie Hamilton – actor, Starsky and Hutch
MC Hammer – rapper
Tom Hanks – Academy Award-winning actor, raised in Oakland
Susan Seaforth Hayes – actor
Claude Heater – opera singer and actor, Ben-Hur
Russell Hornsby – actor
Moshe Kasher – comedian, actor, and author/writer; raised in Oakland
Kehlani – singer
Joe Knowland – newspaper publisher, actor
David Labrava – actor, writer, tattoo artist
Remy Lacroix – adult actress
Ted Lange – actor
Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee ) – actor, born in Oakland
Bruce Lee – actor, martial artist
Nnegest Likké – film director
Caryl Lincoln – actress
Delroy Lindo – actor
Dakin Matthews – actor
Russ Meyer – film director
Jefferson Moffitt – screenwriter, film director
Paul Mooney – comedian
Shemar Moore – actor, model
Mitch Mullany – actor
Kali Muscle – actor
Roger Nichols – recording engineer
Natalie Nunn – television personality
Laura Oakley – silent film actress
Orunamamu (Marybeth Washington-Stofle) – storyteller[86]
Frank Oz – actor, director, puppeteer for Bert , Cookie Monster and Grover on Sesame Street
Chelsea Peretti – comedian, actress
Dorothy Revier – silent film actress, dancer
Cherie Roberts – adult model, photographer
Raphael Saadiq – singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer
Timothy B. Schmit – singer, bassist of The Eagles, born in Oakland
Sheila E. – percussionist, born in Oakland
Kellita Smith – actress and model
Jack Soo (Goro Suzuki) – comedian, actor, Barney Miller
George Stevens – Academy Award-winning film director
Cynthia Stevenson – actress, born in Oakland
Ethel Grey Terry – silent film actress
Colin Trevorrow – film director
Jo Van Fleet – actress
Matt Vasgersian – actor, sports broadcaster
Mills Watson – actor
Robert Webber – film and TV actor, 12 Angry Men
Will Wright – game designer
Daniel Wu – actor
Bassem Youssef – satirist
Zendaya – Emmy Award-winning actress
Richard Aoki – activist[87]
William P. Baker – politician[88]
Sonny Barger – founder of the Hells Angels motorcycle club[89]
Henry G. Blasdel – first governor of Nevada; resident of Oakland[90]
Jerry Brown – politician, former governor of California and mayor of Oakland[91]
Albert E. Carter – politician[92]
Frank Chu – eccentric street protester[93]
C. L. Dellums – organizer and leader of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters[94]
Ron Dellums – politician, former U.S. Congressman and Representative, mayor of Oakland[95]
Frank M. Dixon – politician, former governor of Alabama[96]
Warren B. English – Confederate war veteran, politician, realtor[97]
Lydia Flood Jackson – businesswoman, club woman, suffragist, an oldest living native of Oakland when she died in 1963[98]
Marcus Foster – educator, first African-American Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District[99]
Alicia Garza – co-founder of Black Lives Matter[100]
Elihu Harris – politician, former mayor of Oakland[101]
JuJu Harris – food-affordability activist[102]
Kamala Harris – politician, U.S. Senator, first female African-American attorney general of California; first female, African-American, and Asian-American vice president of the United States ; born at Kaiser hospital in Oakland but lived and attended school in Berkeley[103]
Van Jones – founder, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights and Special Advisor for Green Jobs under US President Barack Obama [104]
Joseph R. Knowland – former U.S. Representative and former owner of the Oakland Tribune , cremated in Oakland[105]
William F. Knowland – former U.S. Senator[106]
Fred Korematsu – Japanese-American who fought forced internment, testing the law in Korematsu v. United States [107]
Barbara Lee – U.S. Representative[108]
Charles Goodall Lee – dentist, civic leader, benefactor of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance[109]
Clara Elizabeth Chan Lee – activist, first Chinese-American woman voter in the U.S.[110]
Richard Lee – horticulturist, activist for the legalization of marijuana[111]
Edwin Meese III – former U.S. Attorney General[112]
Victor H. Metcalf – politician, attorney, banker[113]
Jessica Mitford – writer, activist, former communist[114]
Paul Montauk – Communist politician and two-time candidate for Oakland mayor[115]
Ethel Moore – civic, education, and national defense work leader[116] [117]
Anca Mosoiu – technology activist[118]
Nancy Nadel – member of the Oakland City Council[119]
Huey P. Newton – activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party[120]
Andrew Nisbet Jr. – member of the Washington House of Representatives and United States Army officer[121]
Pat Parker – Black lesbian poet and activist[122]
Ed Rosenthal – horticulturist, publisher, activist for the legalization of marijuana[123]
Byron Rumford – pharmacist
John A. Russo – Oakland city attorney, former city councilman[124]
Bobby Seale – activist, co-founder of the Black Panther Party[125]
Nicole Shanahan – attorney and running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's 2024 presidential campaign
Hettie B. Tilghman – African-American activist and suffragist[126]
Robert Treuhaft – activist for labor and leftist causes, attorney, writer[127]
Earl Warren – Assistant Attorney City of Oakland, District Attorney of Alameda County, Attorney General of California, Governor of California and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice[128]
Charles Stetson Wheeler – attorney, Regent of the University of California[129]
Lionel J. Wilson – politician, first African-American mayor of Oakland[130]
Mother Wright – anti-hunger activist[131]
Bud Anderson – USAF (served 1942–1972) fighter pilot and commander, triple ace who retired at the rank of colonel[132]
Jeremiah C. Sullivan – Civil War general in the Union Army and staff member of Ulysses S. Grant, buried in Oakland[133]
3XKrazy – male rap group
A-Plus – rapper
Ambrose Akinmusire – musician, trumpeter, composer
Billie Joe Armstrong – co-founder of Green Day
Tim Armstrong – musician, lead vocalist of punk rock band Rancid
Paul Baloff (d. 2002) – former lead singer of thrash metal band Exodus
Ant Banks – rapper, producer
Gaylord Birch – musician
Carla Bley – composer, musician
Boots Riley – rapper, filmmaker
Mike Botts – studio musician, drummer for rock band Bread
Bobby Brackins – rapper, songwriter
Ian Brennan – Grammy Award -winning record producer and author
Antonia Brico (born Wilhelmina Wolthius) – classical pianist, first female conductor of New York Philharmonic
Chris Broderick – musician, lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Megadeth
Peter Buck – musician, guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band R.E.M.
Aaron Burckhard – musician, first drummer of the grunge band Nirvana
Kevin Cadogan – musician, original lead guitarist of Third Eye Blind
Emilio Castillo – musician, a founding member of Tower of Power
Casual – rapper
Mike Clark – musician
Cold Blood – rock, soul, jazz band
Keyshia Cole – Grammy Award -nominated R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, born and raised in Oakland
The Coup – hip hop group
Jason Cropper – original band member of Weezer
Del tha Funkee Homosapien – musician
Daveed Diggs – rapper and actor
Digital Underground – rap group
Mike Dirnt – co-founder of Green Day
Sue Draheim – fiddler
Mac Dre – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in Vallejo
Dru Down – rapper
Isadora Duncan – dancer
E-A-Ski – rapper, record producer
En Vogue – Grammy Award-nominated R&B singing group, originated from Oakland in 1990
Pete Escovedo – musician, born in Oakland
Robb Flynn – musician best known as rhythm guitarist and vocalist for Machine Head
Michael Franti – musician
Fred Frith – improvisational musician, guitarist, composer, professor of music
Nils Frykdahl – musician, a founding member of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Idiot Flesh
G-Eazy – rapper and producer
David Garibaldi – musician, member of Tower of Power
GGFH – industrial band
Mic Gillette – musician, a founding member of Tower of Power
Goapele – soul and R&B singer
Larry Graham – musician
Guapdad 4000 – rapper, musician
MC Hammer – musician, born in Oakland
Jeff Hanneman – former guitarist for heavy metal band Slayer
Shawn Harris – musician; former member of The Matches
Davey Havok – musician, lead singer for AFI
Edwin and Walter Hawkins – gospel singers
Hieroglyphics – rap group, originated from Oakland
Earl Hines – jazz pianist
John Lee Hooker – blues singer
Paul Jackson – musician
Henry Kaiser – musician, grandson of Henry J. Kaiser
Keak da Sneak – musician
Kehlani – singer
Kid 606 – musician
Sharon Knight – Celtic musician, founding member of pagan rock band Pandemonaeon
Kreayshawn – rapper
Stephen "Doc" Kupka – musician, founding member of Tower of Power
Thomas Lauderdale – musician and pianist
LaToya London – singer; born in San Francisco, raised in Oakland
Pep Love – rapper
The Lovemakers – pop band
The Luniz – Grammy Award -nominated rap duo
Michael Manring – bassist, born in D.C., lives in Oakland
Adrian Marcel – singer
Jim Martin – musician
Tony Martin – singer, actor
MC Lars – rapper; post-punk laptop rap
Dave Meniketti – rock musician; born and raised in Oakland; lead singer/lead guitarist for Y&T
Seagram Miller – rapper
Mistah F.A.B. – rapper
David Murray – musician
mxmtoon – singer/songwriter
Fantastic Negrito – musician
Noaccordion – multimedia project of Onah Indigo[134]
Numskull – rapper
Ray Obiedo – musician
Marty Paich – pianist, composer, arranger, producer, director, conductor
Harry Partch – composer
The Phenomenauts – science and space band, refer to Oakland as "Earth's capital"
Phesto – rapper, producer
Matt Pike – guitarist of Sleep and High on Fire
The Pointer Sisters – Grammy Award-winning R&B singing group
Pooh-Man – rapper
PopLyfe – pop group
Francis Rocco Prestia – musician
San Quinn – rapper, born in Oakland, raised in San Francisco
Perri "Pebbles" Reid – singer-songwriter, manager of TLC
Richie Rich – rapper
Cynthia Robinson – musician
Raphael Saadiq – musician
Arion Salazar – musician in Third Eye Blind
Pharoah Sanders – musician
Timothy B. Schmit – rock musician, bassist for the Eagles
E.C. Scott – blues singer, songwriter and record producer; television host
Tupac Shakur – rapper, lived in Oakland
Shock G – rapper
Sharon Shore – ballet dancer, model
Calvin E. Simmons – symphony orchestra conductor, namesake of Calvin Simmons Theatre, born in San Francisco
Souls of Mischief – rap group
J. Stalin – rapper, co-founder of Livewire Records
Steady Mobb'n – rap duo
Jamie Stewart – frontman of the experimental group Xiu Xiu
Shakir Stewart – record producer, senior vice president of Island Def Jam Music Group
Freddie Stone – musician
Rose Stone – musician
Sly Stone – musician
Bill Summers – musician
The Team – rap group
Tony! Toni! Toné! – R&B singing group
Too Short – rapper, born in Los Angeles, lived in Oakland 1980–1994
Tower of Power – band, formed and based in Oakland
Tune-Yards – band; indie, afro-funk
Weasel Walter – progressive rock and free jazz musician/composer
Freddie Washington – musician
Lenny Williams – musician, early member of Tower of Power
Y&T – rock band, formed in Oakland 1974
Yukmouth – rapper
Baba Zumbi – co-founder of hip hop group Zion I
David A. Bednar – LDS apostle , born in Oakland[137]
David Berg – controversial cult leader, founder of Children of God [138]
Yusuf Bey – controversial Black Muslim activist[139]
Mose Durst – author, educator, former president of the Unification Church[140]
James Ishmael Ford – Zen Buddhist priest and Unitarian Universalist minister[141]
Ray Frank – Jewish leader[142]
Jack Hayford – minister, chancellor, songwriter[143]
Judah Leon Magnes – prominent Reform rabbi, first president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem [144]
Carol Anne O'Marie – Roman Catholic nun, mystery fiction writer[145]
Bebe Patten – evangelist and founder of Patten University [146]
Clarence Richard Silva – Catholic bishop from Oakland, current bishop of Honolulu[147]
Richard B. Stamps – anthropologist, archeologist, president of the Taipei Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints[148]
Allen Henry Vigneron – Catholic bishop, leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland[149]
Author Maxine Hong Kingston
Daniel Alarcón – writer, currently resides in Oakland[163]
Catherine Asaro – writer[164]
Chauncey Bailey – journalist assassinated by an agent of Your Black Muslim Bakery[165]
Delilah L. Beasley – first African-American columnist to be published in a major newspaper[166]
Anthony Boucher – writer[167]
Garrett Caples – poet, writer[168]
Jon Carroll – columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle [169]
Frank Chin – writer[170]
Daniel Clowes – comic book writer, Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, currently resides in Oakland[171]
Robert Duncan – poet[172]
Sarah Webster Fabio – African-American writer, poet, educator; born in Nashville, lived in Oakland 1955–1979[173]
Ben Fong-Torres – rock journalist[174]
Maxine Hong Kingston – writer, currently resides in Oakland[175]
Richard Lange – Los Angeles-based author, born in Oakland[176]
Yiyun Li – writer, former creative writing instructor at Mills College [177]
Jack London – writer, raised in Oakland, namesake of Jack London Square [178]
Anthony Marra – writer[179]
Rod McKuen – poet, composer, singer[180]
Joaquin Miller – poet, lived in Oakland 1886–1913[181]
Jessica Mitford – author[182]
Leila Mottley – author and poet[183]
Jess Mowry – writer[184]
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau – author, speaker, and podcaster[185]
Ishmael Reed – writer, currently resides in Oakland[186]
Mary Roach – science writer, currently resides in Oakland[187]
William Saroyan – dramatist, author, lived in Oakland 1913–1918[188]
Jason Shiga – author, cartoonist, puzzle designer[189]
Alex Steffen – writer, born in Oakland[190]
Gertrude Stein – writer[191]
Robert Louis Stevenson [192] – writer
Tina Susman – journalist, Time senior editor, former national editor of BuzzFeed News[193]
Amy Tan – writer, born in Oakland[194]
Jack Vance – science fiction writer[195]
Nellie Wong – poet and activist, born in Oakland[196]
Shawn Wong – writer, English professor
Helen Zia – writer, journalist, and activist, currently resides in Oakland[197]