Daniel Burns has dedicated the past 12 years to picking up litter on Frontage Road in West Oakland, not far from his home.
Burns firmly believes that making this one spot near the Port of Oakland a little more presentable can contribute positively to Oakland’s image.
“If you don't uplift Oakland and make it a place that's gonna shine, you're gonna keep that bad reputation that everyone keeps thinking about us,” Burns said.
Shortly after moving to Oakland, Burns stumbled upon the neglected stretch of roadway running alongside Interstate 880.
“I happened to just wander on the Frontage Road and I'm like, ‘Oh wow, this is a disaster,’” Burns said.
He quietly started cleaning the street as a weekly chore for years until a friend suggested he share his efforts on TikTok. Burns started sharing satisfying time-lapses and before-and-after videos that garnered thousands of views.
“I always get a lot of people saying, ‘Oh my God, I want to do this,’ and I'm like, 'Do it. Just go out there and do it,'” Burns said.
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By inspiring others, Burns also motivated himself to ramp up his efforts. In addition to litter collection on other Oakland streets, he has expanded to landscaping and weed removal.
For Burns, it's more than just beautifying a neglected spot, but changing perceptions of his community for the better, one clean street at a time.
