PRESS: For Immediate Release January 18, 2023
CONTACT: Renée Roberts | [email protected] | 415-407-7424
CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
With community events, performances, exhibits and local businesses
that celebrate Black Joy – Oakland shares its rich Black history with locals and visitors
Oakland, CA – Oakland, California’s black roots run deep. The diverse city is built on civic pride. From those who began the social movement Black Panther Party, to innovators in the music industry, to the Oakland born woman founder of Black Joy Parade – Oakland continues to inspire. The Town’s diverse community is home to many Black-owned businesses, amazing arts, culture and culinary offerings, and Black pride events that welcome visitors for Black History Month and beyond. Here are many ways to enjoy Oakland this February and celebrate Black History Month.
STAY AWHILE
HOTEL OFFERS
With so much to do and see during Black History Month, consider spending a night (or two) in Oakland. The Kissel Uptown Oakland and Marriott Oakland City Center are offering great rates and they can’t wait to welcome guest to join the Black History Month celebrations in The Town. KisselUptownOakland | MarriottOakland
EXPERIENCE UNITY & COMMUNITY
OMCA FRIDAY NIGHTS
Oakland Museum of California brings community together with activities, music, programs and Off the Grid food trucks that celebrate Black History in February. There will be a live community mural painting activity led by the West Oakland Mural Project to celebrate the Women of the Black Panther Party, Black musical performances, a Black History Month Dance Battle, Dance Lessons, Pop-Ups and Educational Talks. Fridays in February | 5:00PM to 9:00PM | OMCA 1000 Oak Street | museumca.org
LUNAR NEW YEAR x BLACK HISTORY MONTH COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
Join a celebration created to strengthen, heal, and empower AAPI and Black communities by sharing an intentional space for Black History and Future in Oakland Chinatown and honor API cultural traditions. Enjoy performances, vendors, a book fair, art exhibition, and other activities that will provide a safe healing and celebration space. This event aligns with OACC’s ongoing Open E.A.R.S. for Change initiative started in 2020 to build stronger relationships among local API and Black communities. February 4, 2023 | 11:00AM to 4:00PM | Oakland Asian Cultural Center 388 9th St. #290 | https://oacc.cc/event/lnyxbhm/
SWEETEN & SAVOR THE CELEBRATION
OAKLAND’S SOOOOOO CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL AND AKOMA GRAND MARKET
Brought to you by the Black Cultural Zone – The Soooooo Chocolate Festival will be a delight for the soul, spirit, and body. There will be Sweet and Savory Tastings paired with a curated Wine Flight from Black Chefs and Vintners. Spend time shopping with the AKOMA Artisans and Vendors — local, Black entrepreneurs with unique limited edition crafts, healing bundles, fashion and so much more! Their Healing Hub will be in effect – enjoy some yoga, massage, and a selection of healing crystals, ointments, and other apothecary items. February 5, 2023 | 11:00AM to 3:00PM | Uptown Station 1955 Broadway | blackculturalzone.org
WATCH THE KIDS TO LEARN & PLAY
Children’s Fairyland is honoring the Black History born in our beloved city of Oakland by celebrating the ingenuity, contributions, triumphs and culture of Oakland’s African-American community over the last 100+ years. Fairyland plaza will be transformed into a spectacular visual display highlighting important people, time periods, and movements in the creating and shaping of Oakland’s rich history. There will be a show featuring Rapper/poet Jamey Williams on Saturday, February 4th and Sunday, February 5th and Storytelling with Bay Area legend Kirk Waller on Saturday, February 11th and Sunday, February 12th. Between events there will be dancing to the sweet sounds of soul music playing throughout the park. Fairyland.org
ENJOY LOCAL BLACK PERFORMANCE ART & COMEDY
KOUNTRY WAYNE: HELP IS ON THE WAY COMEDY TOUR
The HELP IS ON THE WAY Comedy Tour marks Wayne’s return to the stage following his STRAIGHT OUT THE MUD spring 2022 tour, where the charismatic comic performed to sold-out crowds. February 18, 2023 | 6:30PM to 9:30PM |
Paramount Theater 2025 Broadway | paramountoakland.org
WATCH AN UNFORGETTABLE FILM
THE MOMS OF MAGNOLIA STREET
This four-part series by the award-winning NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit, follows a group of mothers as they go from unhoused to activists taking matters into their own hands. The documentary explores Oakland’s activist roots and controversial housing policies, focusing on the Moms’ fight against rising homelessness, inequality, and corporate housing speculation. The screening will feature a live Q&A with creators of the series, Investigative Producer Michael Bott, Digital Producer Sean Myers, Digital Video Specialist Evita Isleta, and Chief Photographer Mark Villareal. February 23, 2023 | New Parkway Theater 474 24th Street | thenewparkway.com
RAISE A GLASS & TOAST BLACK OWNED WINERIES
12TH ANNUAL BLACK VINES EVENT
The 12th Annual Black Vines Toast to Black Wineries and Diverse Art is an event that celebrates Black owned wineries and creative talent within the Black community. Join Black Vines as they create a space filled with love, joy and celebration of Black future. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and delicious wines. Receive a limited edition Black Vines keepsake glass. February 25, 2023 | 1:00PM to 5:00PM | The Bridgeyard 210 Burma Road | blackvines.net
JOIN AN AMAZING CELEBRATION
THE 6TH ANNUAL BLACK JOY PARADE
Join the largest free and family-friendly event of its kind in California. A parade and festival to celebrate the Black experience past, present, and future. Sunday, February 26, 2023. The parade begins on 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland at 12:30pm PST. Following the parade, The Black Joy Parade celebration will be held at 19th and Broadway and feature a curation of 200+ local artists, craftsmen, food vendors, performances and more. Admission is free for all. Donations are appreciated. February 26, 2023 | blackjoyparade.org
ATTEND UNFORGETTABLE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
THE FOX THEATER
A beautiful historic venue that welcomes several Black artists to The Town.
ARI LENNOX – February 5 & 11, 2023
A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE – February 10, 2023
STEVE LACY – February 16, 2023 The Fox Oakland
The Fox Theater 1807 Telegraph Avenue | thefoxoakland.com
YOSHI’S
A great place to grab a bite and enjoy live music – Yoshi’s has a lineup of Black artists from an array of genres.
JAZZ FUNK SOUL – February 2 & 3, 2023
LYLE JENNINGS – February 4 & 5, 2023
DEE LUCAS & GINO ROSAVIC – February 8, 2023
ERIC BENÉT – February 14, 15, 17, 18 & 19, 2023
DJ QUIK with BAND – February 25, 2023
Yoshi’s 510 Embarcadero West | Yoshis.com
OAKLAND ARENA RINGCENTRAL
This classic concert venue welcomes legendary shows to Oakland.
KEM & LEDISI SOUL II SOUL TOUR with special guest Musiq Soulchild.
February 11, 2023 | 8:00PM | Oakland Arena Ring Central 7000 Joe Morgan Way | theoaklandarena.com
TAKE A BLACK HISTORY TOUR
BLACK LIBERATION WALKING TOUR
The Black Liberation Walking Tour (BLWT) is a community-led cultural tour celebrating Hoover-Foster’s multi-generational Black history and culture. The walk takes guests through the 100 year narrative ribbon leading from the early West Coast Civil Rights Movement through the second wave of the Great Migration to the Black Liberation actions of the present day. A project of the West Oakland Cultural Action Network (WOCAN) , the BLWT captures oral histories to document the lives, art, and culture of long-time residents, historical figures, and rapidly disappearing former Black cultural spaces. blwt.org
BLACK PANTHER PARTY ALUMNI LEGACY OAKLAND TOUR
HOSTED BY ORIGINAL BLACK PANTHER ALUMNI
Honoring their 55th Anniversary, the Black Panther Party invites guests to discover a deeply unique, educational experience in the birthplace of the Black Panther Party: Oakland, California. The official 2-hour BPP Alumni Legacy Tour features a walking tour with original Black Panther Party members (from the Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network) providing direct access and true stories of the Panthers in historical locations in Downtown Oakland. This tour will dismiss the historical fallacies and falsehoods on what the Black Panther Party was all about. Conducted by the revolutionaries who were there, guests get a true idea of what really happened. bppaln.org
BLACK OAKLAND TOUR BY ETHNIC TIES TRAVELS
As the home of the original Black Panther Party, Ethnic Ties invites you to join their Black Oakland Tour. This hybrid mobile-walking tour will feature historical and culturally significant locations central to the party’s development in Oakland. Ethnictiestravel.com
EXPERIENCE POWERFUL HISTORY, ART & EXHIBITS
A SPECTACULAR BLACK GIRLS ART SHOW
Celebrating 40+ black women artists, A Spectacular Black Girl Art Show is a national exhibition tour that features the work of black women visual artists and artisans. February 5, 2023 | 3:00PM to 8:00PM | Oakstop 1736 Franklin Street | blackgirlartshow.com
OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA (OMCA)
BLACK POWER
This exhibit is part of the Gallery of California History about the Black Power movement. In response to the widely-popular 2016 exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50, this installation is an on-going exhibit that illustrates the creative ways black anti-racist activists in California supported their communities and challenged the U.S. Government. This is an ongoing exhibit.
ANGELA DAVIS – SEIZE THE TIME
This empowering exhibit examines the image, influence, and activism of the
Oakland based icon. This exhibition is on view now through June 11, 2023.
QUESTION BRIDGE: BLACK MALES
Immerse yourself in intimate video – woven together and arranged to stimulate
face-to-face conversations between participants among a diverse group of over
160 Black men across the United States. This is an ongoing exhibit.
OMCA 1000 Oak Street | museumca.org
REMEMBER THEM: CHAMPIONS FOR HUMANITY MONUMENT
The Remember Them: Champions for Humanity Monument statue stands proudly in the Henry J. Kaiser Memorial Park, in downtown Oakland. This inspiring bronze sculpture depicts 25 culturally diverse role models who made significant contributions toward global peace, freedom and human rights over the past 150 years. The Monument, designed in four sections, is cast in 60,000 pounds of bronze and stands 31 feet high and 52 feet long. The champions honored on the monument include; Maya Angelou, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Mary Ann Wright, Dr. Marcus Foster, and many more.
OAKLAND ART MURMUR
Oakland Art Murmur (OAM) seeks to amplify the voices of Oakland’s artists and arts workers and connects the public to the eclectic and incredible art of Oakland. OAM features many Black artists and supports the community by generating not only local, but also regional, national, and international attention to Oakland, providing good-news stories about the city’s thriving art scenes and cultural renaissance. Check out their Friday Art Walks, Saturday Strolls and Self-Guided Tours. oaklandartmurmur.org
AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM & LIBRARY
Visit this museum dedicated to the discovery, preservation, interpretation, and sharing of historical and cultural experiences of African Americans in California and the West for present and future generations. 659 14th Street | oaklandlibrary.org
GET YOUR FASHION ON AT BLACK OWNED SHOPS & BOUTIQUES
Oakland celebrates entrepreneurial spirit and is home to several black owned shops and boutiques that offer a selection of clothing to suit a variety of styles. Recognized by Vogue Magazine as one of the top fashion boutiques in the U.S. – McMullen proudly showcases fashion from several Black designers. Taylor Jay Collection designs high-quality, eco-friendly fashion basics for all women. And for Oakland branded attire – check out Oaklandish and Oakland’s Own. shopmcmullen.com taylorjaycollection.com oaklandish.com oaklandsown1852.com
EAT & DRINK WITH HEART & SOUL
Oakland’s culinary scene is as diverse as The Town’s culture itself. There are more than 60 Black owned food and drink businesses in Oakland. With chicken & waffles, the best barbecue in the Bay Area, yummy cookies, cakes and pies, Michelin star cuisine, Bib Gourmand and James Beard recognized restaurants, gourmet coffee houses, and craveable vegan bites – Oakland has it all! For a list of Oakland’s Black Owned food and beverage establishments go to VisitOakland.com.
About Visit Oakland
Visit Oakland is a non-profit organization marketing Oakland, California as a travel destination. Visit Oakland offers a wide variety of complimentary services and materials for travelers interested in visiting Oakland. For more information, check out VisitOakland.com. Want to share the Oakland love with the world? Follow @visitoakland on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. #visitoakland #oaklandloveit
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great job!!! such a comprehensive list!!!