There are certain corners in Oakland where brothers just like to hang out. Some of them attract older groups of friends, and others seem to draw the younger set. Some hangout spots are located outside of so-called convenient stores, but others are seemingly random locations with no businesses to serve as a draw. One such corner is Fairfax and Monticello in the upper Melrose neighborhood. It’s not an everyday hangout spot, but of all the corners in this quiet residential neighborhood, this is perhaps the only one that is even an occasional gathering spot. On a recent warm day, my errands took me past this corner several times, over the course of about three hours. This brother was there the whole time, sometimes chatting and laughing friends, and sometimes just watching the day go by.

Ajuan Mance