Oakland, CA – On February 25, 2018 14,000 people from all around the Bay Area took over the streets of downtown Oakland to celebrate Black culture, creativity, resilience and joy – Black Joy Parade! In just its 1st year, this one-of-a-kind experience gathered people en mass, of all ages and all walks of life.
The hyper-positive event celebrated a community that drives much of Oakland culture, but often goes unrecognized and underappreciated. ‘We hit a nerve,” said Black Joy Parade founder, Elisha Greenwell. “People were craving an experience where there was nothing to resist, nothing to fight; but a reason to celebrate the joy and beauty of being Black.”
The Black Joy Parade returns on February 24, 2019 for an even bigger and better offering. In addition to increasing the quality of the overall experience and expanding the festival portion of the event, the planning committee made up solely of volunteers have decided to give back in a larger way.
The 2nd Annual Black Joy Parade births the “Best in Flow Award” a $10,000 grant divided among 4 groups that brings the most joy to the parade. The goal for giving these funds is to encourage creativity in parade participants and empower the winning group to spread joy all year long.
Entrance into Black Joy Parade 2019 and the subsequent festival are free; therefore, several corporate sponsors have been secured including Uber, Hennessy, Beats by Dre, Facebook, Kaiser Permanente and Great Place to Work. To learn more about having your organization participate in the parade including or how your small business may vend during the festival
please visit BlackJoyParade.org
