Arts and Culture

“Old School Copes Day” in the City Of Oakland

Published

5 years ago

September 26, 2019

Oakland residents Zack and Odell have something in common; they both wore their “Born n’ Raised in Oakland” T-shirts in Paris, France and at the Great Wall of China, respectively, and posted their photos online for the world to see.

The T-shirts were designed by entrepreneur and businessman, James V. Copes. Bay Area residents and visitors alike have been purchasing Cope’s T-shirts for nearly four decades, making him a ‘one-man retail institution’ in the city he has always loved so much.

Copes will be honored and recognized by Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff and invited council members to the ceremony on Sept. 29 at 1:00 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza. The ceremony will officially dedicate the day as “Old School Copes Day” in the City of Oakland.

The proclamation will recognize Copes for his hard work, dedication and commitment to the City of Oakland, spreading the message that Oakland is the most-loved, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural city in the nation. The event will also mark the first-year birthday celebration of his daughter Lisa Margo.The public is invited to attend the afternoon event, which will include music, food and family activities.

The event will also mark the grand opening of Copes’ new kiosk, located adjacent to Oakland City Hall, which he dedicates to his mother, Mrs. Dorothy Salem (aka Granny Goo Goo with the Quickness); his father James L. Copes; the Honorable Judge James S. White, and friend, mentor and tennis champion the late Arthur Ashe.

“These people have given me unwavering support and unrelenting guidance, which has allowed me to continue my path to success,” said Copes.

A West Oakland native and household name to thousands in the Bay Area, Copes started his entrepreneurial career at an early age. During this time, he also taught tennis to Oakland youth, and went on to become a protégé to the late-great tennis icon Arthur Ashe.

In 1972, Copes began creating, marketing and distributing his Oakland-themed T-shirts, later opening his first store on Foothill Boulevard in 1981 under the name “Copes T-shirts & More,” which later became “Copes California,” “Copes of Oakland,” and finally “Old School Copes.”

In 1985, Copes opened up his Eastmont store, and during thattime he was elected president of the Eastmont Merchant Association. He later became affectionately known as the Mayor of Eastmont, a title bestowed upon him by then-Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, and recognized by the East Bay Express.

Copes also coined the term “Oaktown” in 1987 and released his “Oaktown is Kickin’ It” T-shirt which is still in print. His other staple T-shirts include “I Found My Soul in Oakland,” “Oakland Forever,” “I Hecka Love Oakland,” Brooklyn In Oakland,” “Puttin Down Roots” and the popular “Christmas In Oakland,” among others.

Copes later expanded his operations with the opening of another store on Lakeshore Avenue which became the most popular retail clothing store in the area. In recent years, he became a founding member and organizer of Oakland’s First Friday’s event on Telegraph Avenue. Currently, Copes continues his community involvement throughout Oakland’s neighborhoods.

Since its inception to present-day, Old School Copes remains the oldest privately-owned T-shirt business in Oakland. Copes is often a prominent street merchant across the street from the Grand Lake Farmer’s Market, as well as Jack London Square’s waterfront. He is also a mainstay at just about all annual and major street festivals and fairs throughout Oakland.

To learn more about Old School Copes, visit his website at www.oldschoolcopes.com or contact Copes at 510-205-7507.

Clifford L. Williams

Posts by Clifford L. Williams

Related Topics:City of Oakland James V. Copes Mayor Libby Schaaf Oakland T-shirts Old School Copes Day

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Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”

Oakland Post

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Arts and Culture

Faces Around the Bay Dr. Carl Blake, Pianist

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999. One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Published

1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Dr. Carl Blake

By Barbara Fluhrer

Born in Liberty, Missouri, Carl Blake, a virtuoso and respected pianist, made his most recent migration to the East Bay in 1999.

One might have seen him performing recently at Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, or at the Piedmont Center for the Arts in Oakland. He is Director of Music at The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco. He was also co-organizer and collaborative pianist at Herbst Theater for The Majesty of the Spirituals concert in 2022 and has held several church positions in the Bay Area.

Blake obtained a Bachelor of Music from Boston University and continued post-baccalaureate studies in Jamaica before earning a Master of Arts in Music at San Jose State University. He was the recipient of two Fulbright residencies in Honduras and completed a third residency at the University of St. Petersburg in Russia. He has a Doctor of Musical Arts from Cornell University.

At age 19, Blake, then an undergraduate piano major at Boston University, was “discovered” by Impresario Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, who is the Founder and Director of Today’s Artists/Four Seasons Arts.

Williams honored Blake by awarding him the first Marian Anderson Young Artist Award. Anderson personally presented the award at the Masonic Auditorium in S.F. Subsequently, Blake was presented by Dr. Williams in his San Francisco debut at The Herbst Theatre. Williams subsidized a year of study abroad for Blake at the Paris Conservatory of Music. Additionally, Williams sponsored Blake’s New York Weill Hall debut, where he has performed twice since. Blake performed several times at the Yachats Music Festival in Oregon.

Blake continues to perform nationally and abroad. His hobbies are reading, baking and travel. He says, “I’m still pumping ivories, as Belgian pianist Jeanne Stark described the disciplined practice of concert piano.”

Oakland Post

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Arts and Culture

Oakland Jazz Great Offers Master Class as City Declares “John Handy Day”

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city. Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

Published

2 months ago

February 24, 2024

Oakland Post

(L-R) Del Handy, John Handy, Roger Glenn, and Joe Warner celebrate John Handy Day at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, Oakland. Photo by Lady Bianca.

By Conway Jones

World-renowned jazz master saxophonist John Handy, a McClymond’s High School graduate, was presented with a Mayor of Oakland Proclamation declaring Feb. 12, as John Handy Day in the city.

Handy is most notably known as the featured saxophonist for Charles Mingus on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” from the album “Mingus Ah Um” (1959) and on “Hard Work” from his own album “Hard Work” (1976).

“John Handy is a jazz icon and an inspiration to musicians everywhere,” said Ayo Brame, a 16-year-old Oakland tenor saxophone player who is enrolled at the Oakland School for the Arts.

In celebration of this day, the reception in downtown Oakland at Geoffrey’s Inner Circle was a gathering of artists, young and old, coming together in his honor and celebrating his 91st birthday.

Handy presented a Saxophone Colossus free masterclass for musicians. This class afforded a rare opportunity to learn about the saxophone from an aficionado. The class was free and open to all – saxophonists, vocalists, aficionados, students, and casual listeners.

“As a longtime friend for over 60 years, and fellow musician who has had numerous opportunities to share the stage with John, it has always been a pleasure performing with him and hearing his creative interpretations of the music and his gift of ease inspiring the next generation of jazz musicians,” said Roger Glenn, a multi-instrumentalist.