Bay Area
Oakland Black Pride Hosts Events Celebrating Black Queerness
At the close of Pride Month, Oakland Black Pride held their third annual Black Pride Festival from June 28 to July 2 at various places across the city as well as online.
By Daisha Williams
Post Staff
At the close of Pride Month, Oakland Black Pride held their third annual Black Pride Festival
from June 28 to July 2 at various places across the city as well as online.
Under the leadership of founder Olawya Austin, the nonprofit is dedicated to enhancing the lives
of Black people within the LGBTQ+ community by creating spaces for them to be celebrated,
providing a break from racism, homophobia, transphobia, and/or sexism that they face in the
outside world.
Austin pointed out that Black people have been involved in the Pride movement since the very
beginning. Marsha P. Johnson, a Black woman, was one of the leading figures in the
Stonewall Riots in New York in 1969. Unfortunately, Black voices have often been
overshadowed by white in LGBTQ+ spaces, which is why spaces and organizations like Oakland Black Pride are so important.
“There’s still anti-Blackness in those spaces as well, so we have to create these things for
ourselves in order for us to get the things that we need. And that’s in the spirit of how it all
started 54 years ago and it’s exactly why it started,” said Austin.
“I think that a lot of celebrations that I see, they’ve forgotten about the roots of Pride and that’s
the difference between what our organization does and a lot of the Pride events we see around
the nation.”
This year’s Oakland Black Pride Festival consisted of eight events, each of them purposely different so there really was something for everyone.
It kicked off last Thursday night with a benefit dinner highlighting chefs who don’t have many
opportunities to climb up in the restaurant industry, a reminder for them and the guests that
people from their communities are talented, even if it isn’t showcased in the larger world.
For those 21+, there was the Queer Pub Crawl that toured four Black, queer-friendly local bars. And more suitable for younger members of the community, there was the Queer Expo which had a “Kidz Korner” and more than 50 vendors.
The expo, which Alyah Baker, an Oakland Black Pride board member, says is one of
her favorite parts of the festival brought “together several dozen different businesses from the
community and it’s an opportunity for these businesses to gain support and traction … I think it
also offers something different, a lot of Pride parties are evening events so it’s nice to see more
daytime events that are accessible for all different members of the community.”
The Expo was the first Oakland Black Pride that Mini Verna attended, and she enjoyed herself. “There’s a deep desire for space that’s just joyfully queer and comfortable and I think that’s what was created,” Verna said. “I think that’s what happens when spaces are created by BIPOC or LGBTQIA people in mind … these spaces are for cultivation, connection and pollination.”
The festival closed out July 2 with an afternoon cookout open only to members of the queer
community. Everything about the cookout signified that it was a safe space, from signage
promoting love and respect to the way people were dressed.
Aasha, one of the vendors said: “I had a friend who doesn’t usually express themself in their
queer embodiment, and they came fully decked out, like a crop top and a skirt and I was just like
‘You’re so beautiful!’”
The feeling of comfort and ease was not unique to Aasha, as many attendees appeared to have
similar experiences. Showing up in your own skin is hard and uncomfortable for a lot of people,
but the fact that so many people were able to in this space shows how well-cultivated it was.
Though several of the events of the festival cost money, organizers are working very hard to
make these spaces accessible to everyone who needs them. There are often extra tickets that are
donated by those who have the means to do so.
“No one will ever be turned away,” Austin said. “We don’t ‘gatekeep’ in such a way that will
exclude the community.”
In addition to the annual festival, Oakland Black Pride organizes events during other parts
of the year such as the Springboard Program, and the QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, and
Indigenous, People of Color) Monthly Social Circle.
Oakland Black Pride collaborates with organizations with similar missions. One is
GetSomeJoy, a creative wellness agency that focuses on mental health, grief therapy, and coping with sadness, which is incredibly useful for those navigating racism, homo/transphobia in their everyday lives or simply anyone who wants to get some joy in their lives. You can find
information about them on their website getsomejoy.com
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of May 8 – 14, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May May 8 – 14, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
S.F. Black Leaders Rally to Protest, Discuss ‘Epidemic’ of Racial Slurs Against Black Students in SF Public School System
Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.
By Carla Thomas
San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church hosted a rally and meeting Sunday to discuss hatred toward African American students of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Rev. Amos C. Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and pastor of Third Baptist Church, along with leadership from local civil rights groups, the city’s faith-based community and Black community leadership convened at the church.
“There has been an epidemic of racial slurs and mistreatment of Black children in our public schools in the city,” said Brown. “This will not be tolerated.”
According to civil rights advocate Mattie Scott, students from elementary to high school have reported an extraordinary amount of racial slurs directed at them.
“There is a surge of overt racism in the schools, and our children should not be subjected to this,” said Scott. “Students are in school to learn, develop, and grow, not be hated on,” said Scott. “The parents of the children feel they have not received the support necessary to protect their children.”
Attendees were briefed last Friday in a meeting with SFUSD Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne.
SFUSD states that their policies protect children and they are not at liberty to publicly discuss the issues to protect the children’s privacy.
Parents at the meeting spoke of their children as no longer feeling safe in school because of bullying and discrimination. Parents also said that reported incidents such as racial slurs and intimidation are not dealt with to their satisfaction and feel ignored.
Some parents said they have removed their students from school while other parents and community leaders called on the removal of the SFUSD superintendent, the firing of certain school principals and the need for more supportive school board members.
Community advocates discussed boycotting the schools and creating Freedom Schools led by Black leaders and educators, reassuring parents that their child’s wellbeing and education are the highest priority and youth are not to be disrupted by racism or policies that don’t support them.
Virginia Marshall, chair of the San Francisco NAACP’s education committee, offered encouragement to the parents and students in attendance while also announcing an upcoming May 14 school board meeting to demand accountability over their mistreatment.
“I’m urging anyone that cares about our students to pack the May 14 school board meeting,” said Marshall.
This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate Program. The program is supported by partnership with California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
Bay Area
Mayor London Breed: State Awards San Francisco Over $37M for Affordable Housing
On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP). The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.
By Oakland Post Staff
On April 30, Mayor London N. Breed announced San Francisco has been awarded more than $37.9 million in funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as part of the State’s Multifamily Housing Program (MHP).
The HCD loan will provide the final funding necessary for development of Casa Adelante – 1515 South Van Ness, a 168-unit affordable housing project located in San Francisco’s Mission District.
The new development at 1515 South Van Ness Ave. will provide 168 affordable homes to low-income families, formerly homeless families, and persons living with HIV earning between 25-80% of the San Francisco Area Median Income (AMI).
In addition, the project is anticipated to provide family-friendly amenities and ground floor community-serving commercial spaces that preserve the prevailing neighborhood character of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District.
“This funding unlocks our ability to move on building affordable housing units for families in San Francisco at a crucial time. We understand the level of need for more housing that is accessible, and like the state, the city continues to face a challenging budget cycle,” said Breed. “1515 South Van Ness is a good example of what can be achieved in San Francisco when you have strong community partnerships and an unwavering commitment to deliver on critical needs for our residents.”
“From the beginning of my term as Supervisor, I have fought to bring affordable housing to 1515 South Van Ness” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “In the interim, the site has been utilized for homeless services and shelter, and I am thrilled that HCD has recognized the value of this development, and we are finally ready to break ground and bring 168 affordable homes to low income and formerly homeless families in the Mission.”
Owned and occupied by McMillan Electric Company until 2015, the City and County of San Francisco purchased 1515 South Van Ness Avenue in June 2019 with the intent of developing new affordable housing.
In November 2020, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) released a Multi-site Request for Qualifications (RFQ) seeking qualified developers to build affordable housing on the site, and subsequently selected Chinatown Community Development Corporation (CCDC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) in May 2021 to develop the site.
The project is expected to begin construction in winter 2025.
“A strong, long-term push by Mission advocates to make this site 100% affordable is now paying off, with 168 family units that include services and childcare. People of color communities know what they need, and we are excited to be in partnership with a team, consisting of MEDA, CCDC, and MOHCD, that listens,” said Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director at CCDC.
“We are excited to be in partnership with CCDC, yet again, and for the opportunity to develop intergenerational affordable housing in the City’s Mission District,” said Luis Granados, executive director at MEDA.
Increasing housing affordable to lower-income and vulnerable residents is a key priority in the City’s Housing Element which calls for additional funding for affordable housing production and preservation, as well as Mayor Breed’s Housing for All Executive Directive that sets out the steps the City will take to meet the bold goal of allowing for 82,000 new homes to be built over the next eight years.
Tuesday’s funding announcement emphasizes the importance of regional and state collaboration in order to reach our housing and climate goals.
“We are thrilled—not just to bring a project of this size to a community with great need — but to do so with community-based developers and their partners who understand the neighborhood and sensitivities around cultural preservation,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez.
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