Black Joy Parade is a large-scale event consisting of two components. The first component is the parade, which begins on 14th and Alice and ends on 19th and Broadway in Downtown Oakland. Roughly 96 Black-led groups participate in the parade, including local dancers, steppers, nonprofits, social clubs, churches, youth groups, and city council members. The second component is a large festival that includes two stages that showcase performances from local artists; visual art installations; and other activity sites/”activations” curated to foster joy and connectedness within the Black community.

Our goals for the event are:

1. Provide a safe and inclusive space for Black joy to thrive

2. Provide local Black artists a space to share and promote their unique expression of joy

3. Provide opportunities for Black residents to connect across generational, spiritual, and socioeconomic divides

4. Provide a platform for Black owned businesses to reach more customers

Black Joy Parade uses art and all forms of artistic expression to let the Black community know they matter and belong. We promote cultural equity and belonging by highlighting the richness of Black art and its contribution to Oakland. We strive to enhance the respect for Black artistic expression and cultural traditions, as well as provide fair economic support to local artists. Within the parade, Black art is displayed by the float makers, costume designers, dancers, steppers, and others. During the festival, spoken word artists, bands, singers, DJs, and dancers perform for attendees on two stages. We use our stages to give new, local Black artists a larger platform to share their talent with the city of Oakland, thus increasing their visibility. Additionally, we provide a marketplace for Black artists and small business owners to sell their paintings, sculptures, jewelry, books, music, fashion designs, food, and services to the Oakland community.