The Oakland neighborhood of Haines City served as the business and commercial district for African Americans from the early 1900s into the 1970s. Spanning seven blocks along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Way, from Avenue “A” through Avenue “H,” it included restaurants and cafes, grocery stores, ice cream parlors and soda fountains, dry goods retailers, a jewelry retailer, a dry cleaner, a movie theater, barbershops, an American Legion Hall, a pool and billiard room, beer gardens, gas and auto service stations, and a wine and spirit retailer. During the seasonal citrus harvesting period from September to May, commercial activity in Oakland’s business district equaled or exceeded that of the broader downtown commercial district in Haines City. Oakland Senior High School, a historically African American high school, occupied the entire block between avenues “D” and “E” until it closed in 1968. In recent years, storefront faith-based entities have established a presence there, and residential homes were and continue to be commingled throughout the seven-block district.