Unity Council
Latino arts and culture
The Unity Council (officially known as the Spanish Speaking Unity Council) is a nonprofit community development corporation committed to enriching the quality of life of families primarily in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. Its mission is to help families and individuals build wealth and assets through comprehensive programs of sustainable economic, social, and neighborhood development.
In 2006, the Unity Council received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program to support the mentoring of emerging artists to create altars for the Día de los Muertos Festival in October 2006 under the direction of Mexican cartonería (paper sculpture) artist Rubén Guzmán. The event, in which over 200 artists participate, serves to document, celebrate, preserve, and promote the traditional celebration of this Mexican ritual in the Fruitvale community.