Malcolm X Jazz Festival is a place not only for music and art across many genres, but activism and community building in East Oakland
The music festival happens every Third Saturday in May at San Antonio Park in East Oakland
By Leon Breckenridge
At the main court, jazz music is blaring, with the sounds of human voices and bellowing instruments giving a rhythmic flow that is intoxicating to the audience. Community members can hear hip-hop music as they walk into the courts at San Antonio Park. Walk into another part of the park, and enter the Dream Courts, where graffiti is happening. In the back of the jazz stage (which is the main stage) is Dujuan Woodard. Woodard is managing the events. He's supported this event in some capacity since 2007.
“I have been able to do a bunch of things,” said Woodard. “I have done volunteering doing stage curation. I was a part of moving cogs on the wheel.” In years past, He has also performed on this stage as a poet himself.
Every birthday weekend of Malcolm X's birthday, Eastside Arts Alliance holds a music and arts festival for the East Oakland community. The event allows artists to perform on multiple stages, simultaneously. Malcolm X was a community organizer that served to support black people and the poor with a brand of fiery rhetoric that still makes them relevant despite his violent death at the hands of the United States government almost 50 years ago. The Dream Courts are in honor of the late artist Dream, a prominent member of the Graffiti scene. The court consists of graffiti artists writing their work on wood. Another court is referred to as Zumbi, in honor of the late rapper Zumbi from the hip hop group Zion I. This particular court was for hip-hop artists to perform their music.
On another stage the poet Shawn Williams performed an electric poem about the power of black people coming together. Youth that work at Eastside Arts Alliance did a news section, giving people a chance to hear stories that the local mainstream media won’t talk about. Vendors such as jewelry and community organizations were present at the event.
Eastside Arts Alliance hosts the event every year. “The EastSide Arts Alliance & Cultural Center presents free youth art classes, cultural programming, public art projects, ongoing gallery exhibitions, and community town halls.”
Bobby Seale, founding member of the festival, a board member of The Eastside Arts Alliance, and co-founder of the Black Panther Party, is an inspiration for the Malcolm X Jazz Festival, which has merged activism and music.
“One thing he always lets us know or reminds us whenever we have a conversation is the Black Panther logistically got started because of the death of Malcolm (X),” said Woodard.
Malcolm X is not only a celebration of the man and his political legacy, but a celebration of music throughout the world and activism while bringing the community together.
“It goes to show the community coming out here as one,” said Dream Jr. “It's nothing but a good vibe. It's all love out here.”
“It's a nice opportunity for the community to come to see who is still here and working on what,” said Elena, one of the Eastside Arts Allliance’s board members. “Get aligned with some organizations. Get some knowledge.”
Timothy B was one of the members who came to the event to draw inside the Dream Courts. He says he likes people to come together for the love of Malcolm X. Timothy B drew an Afro-Futurism piece that was inspired by Khuanghin’s “Transmission for Jehn.”
“It's a spoken word piece in honor of his love who has left Earth. It's a beautiful piece,” said Timothy B. “That (piece) is my love letter to my special lady.”
Woodard states this event will always be free for the community. “We’re happy where we are at because it’s all about serving the people and giving them something to do and having a place to be inside their neighborhood.”