Bay Area

Celebrating 80 Years of Black History in Marin City

To celebrate 80 years of Black history in Marin City, Jahi Torman and I have created Marin City 80, a year-long celebration of history, culture, and art to bring forward the largely untold story of African American perseverance in Marin County.

Published

4 years ago

April 3, 2022

Oakland Post

By Felecia Gaston

Marin City was founded during World War II to provide housing for workers at the Marinship shipyard and their families. From 1942 to 1945 it was inhabited by a diverse population that included African Americans who emigrated from the South in search of employment and opportunity.

After the war, segregation and redlining relegated African Americans to the small community north of Sausalito.

To date, Marin City 80 events include the release of an album of songs about Black shipyard workers created by the Marinovators, a group of young people from Marin City and around the Bay Area.

Music by the Marinovators is embedded in an art installation currently on display at the Marin Gateway Center. The installation honors shipyard workers and community leaders Annie Small, Rodessa Battle, Rev. Leon Samuels, and Joseph James.

So, mark your calendars for the biggest Marin City 80 events, exhibits, performances, and celebrations that will begin in August 2022:

The Legacy of Marin City, 1942-1962 at the Bartolini Gallery at Marin Center from August 20 to October 20. This exhibit will feature memorabilia from Black shipyard workers, along with contemporary art, artifacts in various mediums, a virtual reality experience, and historical perspectives on housing, overcoming discrimination with self-determination, and the resilience of the Black people of Marin City from 1942 to 1962.
The Joseph James Experience at the Showcase Theatre at Marin Center beginning August 20. This multimedia show will include actors and singers celebrating the life of Joseph James, a shipyard worker and world-class singer whose stand against a segregated union led to a landmark ruling by the California Supreme Court.
The Legacy of Marin City: The Housing History, 1942-1962 at the Marin Civic Center beginning August 20. This multimedia display on the first- and third-floor lobbies of the Board of Supervisors will tell a narrative of housing discrimination, land grabs, predatory developers, and the continual fight for housing rights and equality in Marin City.
Labor Day Weekend Celebration. Everyone is invited to Marin City for a music festival, car show, and homecoming/revival celebration. The weekend will also feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the launch of the Marin City Historical Preservation Society.
Additional Marin City 80 community events include an Earth Day celebration in April, a Mother’s Day celebration in May, and a community 4th of July celebration.

For more information and to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Felecia Gaston at (415) 332-8316 or felecia@marincity80.com.

Felecia Gaston is the Executive Director of Performing Stars, a non-profit organization that she founded in 1990 with the belief that providing involvement in art, music, theater and other enrichment opportunities for low income and at-risk children would help them “reach for the stars” as they grew and matured rather than acting out in negative ways.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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5 days ago

March 7, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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2 weeks ago

March 1, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.