Black August 2025: Where Joy, Resistance, and Celebration Coexisted
- bossbayarea
- Sep 5
- 4 min read
August 30, 2025 | Frank Ogawa Plaza | Oakland, CA
Black August is a sacred tradition, a radical remembering, and a living call to action. And this year, on Saturday, August 30th, over 500 people gathered in the heart of Oakland to witness that tradition come alive at the 5th Annual BOSS Black August Block Party.
Held at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, also known as Oscar Grant Plaza and City Hall grounds, this year’s commemoration centered on a theme that has always pulsed beneath the surface of Black survival: joy, resistance, and celebration all coexist.
The Legacy
BOSS (Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency) was founded in 1971, the same year George Jackson was assassinated in San Quentin. From its beginning, BOSS has been rooted in resistance, created to serve people unjustly criminalized, displaced, and erased. Today, that mission has expanded to reentry, healing, and justice, but our why has never changed.
The first BOSS Black August Block Party was held in 2021, and with it came the unveiling of the Arc of Liberation mural—a living archive of Black freedom fighters. At the top: George Jackson. And around him: Fannie Lou Hamer, Assata Shakur, Fred Hampton, James Baldwin, Nelson Mandela, Marcus Garvey, and more. Their faces remind us: liberation takes many forms, and all of them matter.
The Gathering
The event opened with Bay Area emcee SheBeLadyBlue setting the tone, followed by libations from Adeshina Shindara that called on our ancestors and blessed the day. Throughout the space, BOSS' four pillars of Black August—Art, Culture, Political Education, and Economic Empowerment, were visible, alive, and in action.
As attendees entered, they were greeted by Resource Row: legal aid, housing services, violence intervention, voter education, domestic violence support, expungement help, and more. From Bay Area Legal Aid to Credible Messengers, the resources stretched across every corner of need.
From there:
Health and Wellness zones offered vaccines, testing, nutrition education, blood pressure checks, and holistic healing.
Economic Empowerment zones featured a job fair on one end and a thriving Black Market on the other, filled with local vendors, entrepreneurs, and creatives.
Political Education was embedded throughout: from the League of Women Voters to youth organizers at the Wellness Empowerment Resiliency Campus (WERC).
In the center of it all, the mainstage.
In Oakland, it's known as the "center of the universe." We call it the mainstage. From line dancing to hip hop to gospel to spoken word, the stage became a channel for truth. The Opus delivered an unforgettable rap performance, and Bianca Brown blessed us with her angelic voice as she sang three piercing ballads. Our favorite resident, DJ Pretty Handsome kept the crowd energized.
Giveaways occurred at the top of every hour, with each basket curated to reflect one of the block party's pillars. Pancake breakfasts by the Berkeley Lions Club, custom gift cards, and care baskets curated by BOSS’s board reminded guests that liberation also looks like nourishment, generosity, and joy.
Community, Color, and Connection
It was hot. It was beautiful. It was ours.
The smell of fried fish, chicken, and vegetables hung in the air, thanks to local food truck Try-Dat. Ice cream treats, handed out by the ever-faithful Matties Way Ice Cream, cooled kids off as they jumped rope, painted, danced, and got their faces painted.
At every “King’s Corner,” Violence Interrupters were present, engaging with the community, sharing their stories, and reminding us that safety and community are found on every corner.
This year’s featured artist was LC Howard of The Melanin Art Collective, who live-painted a stunning piece that captured Black love in all its layers. The painting was later donated to the WERC campus, where it will live on as a visual balm for healing and memory.
Meanwhile, Project Heavy (Mixed Behavior Foundation) conducted on-site interviews, giving voice to the stories that too often go unheard—especially among Black and Brown people impacted by trauma. The League of Women Voters stayed busy, not just registering voters, but reframing what political participation truly means.
Inside every BOSS tent, you could see it: the full spectrum of our work. Housing. Reentry. Mental wellness. Healing. Violence prevention. All of it connected. All of it is visible. All of it free.
This was never just a block party. It was and always will be a living commitment to liberation.
Until Next August
The Black August Block Party was built by community, for community. That will never change. It exists to offer food, resources to needs, healing, and education. It exists because we deserve beauty and protection. And it exists because those who came before us demanded we keep going.
To every vendor, speaker, volunteer, and guest: thank you. You made this year unforgettable.
To every ancestor whose name we carry: we honor you.
See you next August. Stronger. Louder. Freer.
Learn more: BLACK AUGUST ARC OF LIBERATION PAGE
Event survey: CLICK HERE
Because healing doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens in community. And this community showed what’s possible when we come together.
If you believe in building a future where everyone has a safe space and a place to call home, we invite you to join us - SUPPORT BA: ARC OF LIBERATION.
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