Arts and Culture

Día de los Muertos Festivities in Oakland Bring in Crowds of Celebrants

On Oct. 22, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) held its annual celebration at 10th and Fallon streets while the Unity Council held a street festival on International Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue last Sunday. Coinciding with Halloween, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, dates back to traditions established by the indigenous peoples of America that fused, over time, with the Catholic beliefs brought by Spanish conquistadors.

Published

1 year ago

November 7, 2023

Magaly Muñoz

A community altar including framed photos of the deceased among marigolds and candles at the Oakland Museum on Oct. 22, 2023. Photo by Eva Ortega

By Eva Ortega and
Magaly Muñoz,
Post Staff

In a haze of incense smoke, flickering candles and bright orange marigolds, Oakland outdid itself with two weekends of Día de los Muertos observances that were both solemn and festive.

On Oct. 22, the Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) held its annual celebration at 10^th and Fallon streets while the Unity Council held a street festival on International Boulevard and Fruitvale Avenue last Sunday.

Coinciding with Halloween, Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, dates back to traditions established by the indigenous peoples of America that fused, over time, with the Catholic beliefs brought by Spanish conquistadors.

Though it has primarily Mexican roots, it is also celebrated in parts of Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and other countries.

Its components are also recognized as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations.

As they performed the ancient dance of the dead, the fragrant smoke of copal wafted over the Ollin Anahuac Traditional Aztec Dance group who were the stars of the opening ceremony at the Oakland Museum’s 29^th Annual Día de los Muertos Community Celebration.

Despite wind and light rain, a sizeable crowd came out to view altars created by local groups, including students from Bret Harte Middle School, Richmond High School and Black Girls Excellence from Montera Middle School.

A vintage car becomes the site for an ofrenda at “Blooming Resistance,” the Unity Council’s 28th Día de los Muertos Festival on Oct. 29, 2023. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

A variety of performances also took place throughout the day, including by award-winning artist Gabriela Sepúlveda and notable poets Tino V. H., Jr., Briana Victoria Leung and Camila Elizabet Aguirre Aguilar.

Aguilar captivated listeners with an emotional performance dedicated to Vanessa Guillen, the 20-year-old army soldier whose 2020 murder sparked protests across the country.

“Oral storytelling is in our blood, and we’ve practiced this for hundreds, thousands of years,” Aguilar said. “When we have youth murdered that are indigenous to this content…women, it is important that we call attention to the powers and structures that cause [violence] and that we continue with the traditions of resistance and honoring the dead.”

While rain had depressed the numbers at the Oakland Museum celebration, the sun was bright on Sunday in the Fruitvale for “Blooming Resistance,” the 28^th such Día de los Muertos Festival.

The street was covered with brightly colored streamers and flowers and lined with vendors and informational booths.

Altares with photos and ofrendas could be seen at every corner of the festival. Many had personal notes from family, favorite foods of the deceased loved one and symbols that represent them.

Iliana Vasquez, who was hired by The Unity Council to help organize the event, expected a larger crowd than previous years and hoped to attract more than the usual 100,000 attendees.

“For me, the community is my main focus. I hope they’re there to have a good time with their families,” Vasquez said.

Food vendors crowded the streets, selling tacos, fruit, aguas frescas and most notably pan de muerto or ‘bread of the dead.’ This sweet bread is meant to resemble bones and is a vital part in the offerings used for the altars. It is used to lure souls to visit their loved ones.

Another staple in Día de los Muertos is the cempazúchitl, or marigold flowers that adorn the altars.

Rocio Plate was one of the many vendors who sold the marigolds, but instead of just selling them as a simple bouquet, she fashioned them into crosses and crowns and bunched them up into vases.

Resident Robert Berger says cultural events such as the one at OMCA are what brought him to Oakland almost a decade ago. He and his partner also attend the festival in Fruitvale every year.

“It’s what creates hope for the future amidst a lot of turmoil and it’s really what brought us to Oakland in the first place, being so eclectic, diverse and enriching,” Berger said. “If you don’t participate in them, you’re really missing out on a lot.”

Those who have missed both of Oakland’s Día de los Muertos events can still view OMCA’s “In Remembrance of Our Ancestors” installation that showcases how Día de los Muertos emerged as the holiday many recognize today. It will run until Nov. 26.

Eva Ortega is part of the Community Media journalism class at San Francisco State University.

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Arts and Culture

Beverly Lorraine Greene: A Pioneering Architect and Symbol of Possibility and Progress

Greene graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1936 with a degree in Architecture — a remarkable accomplishment for an African American woman at the time. She was never discouraged by the racial and gender discrimination that saturated her field.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 3, 2025

Oakland Post

Beverly Lorraine Greene. Public domain photo.

By Tamara Shiloh

In the mid-20th century, Beverly Lorraine Greene was recognized as the first African American woman licensed to practice architecture in the United States.

Greene was born on Oct. 4, 1915, in Chicago during an era when opportunities for African Americans, particularly women, were severely limited.

Her parents, James and Vera Greene, were deeply invested in her education, instilling in her a belief in the power of intellect and perseverance. She grew up during the Great Migration that transformed Chicago starting in 1900.

Greene continued her education, earning a master’s degree in City Planning and Housing in 1937, also from the University of Illinois. Her ambition was not merely to design structures but to shape spaces that fostered equity and community. In 1942, she became the first African American woman licensed as an architect in the United States, obtaining her credentials in Illinois. This groundbreaking achievement, however, did not translate immediately into job opportunities.

Early in her career, she faced significant discrimination from firms unwilling to hire a Black woman. However, her determination never wavered. In 1945, Beverly moved to New York City, a place she believed could offer broader professional opportunities.

She joined the architectural department of the New York City Housing Authority, focusing on affordable housing projects. Her work during this time reflected her commitment to using architecture as a tool for social justice, ensuring that marginalized communities had access to well-designed, dignified living spaces.

Greene’s talents soon drew the attention of prominent firms. She was hired by Isadore Rosenfield, a respected architect known for designing hospitals. She contributed to the design of healthcare facilities, including the modernization of Harlem Hospital. Her portfolio expanded in collaboration with architectural personalities such as Marcel Breuer and Edward Durell Stone.

Notably, she worked on the prestigious UNESCO headquarters in Paris — a landmark project that brought her skills to an international stage. Her involvement underscored her ability to navigate the intricacies of large-scale, global projects, proving that her talents transcended the limitations society sought to impose.

Greene’s career was tragically cut short when she passed away unexpectedly in 1957 at the age of 41. Though her life was brief, her impact was profound. She shattered entrenched barriers, paving the way for future generations of Black architects and women in the field.

Oakland Post

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Activism

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Lateefah Simon to Speak at Elihu Harris Lecture Series

The popular lecture series is co-produced by the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Peralta Community College District. Jeffries’ appearance marks the 32nd lecture of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, which has provided thousands of individuals with accessible, free, high-quality information.

Published

1 month ago

February 19, 2025

Oakland Post

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (left) and Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) (Right).

By Scott Horton

United States House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) will be a speaker at the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series on Friday, Feb. 21.

The event will be held at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 Tenth Street in Oakland, at 7 p.m.

The popular lecture series is co-produced by the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Peralta Community College District. Jeffries’ appearance marks the 32^nd lecture of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, which has provided thousands of individuals with accessible, free, high-quality information.

The overarching goal of the lecture series is to provide speakers from diverse backgrounds a platform to offer their answers to Dr. King’s urgent question, which is also the title of Jeffries’ latest book: “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?”

In addition to Jeffries, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) will also speak.

“Certainly, now is a time for humanity, in general, and Americans in particular to honestly and genuinely answer Dr. King’s question,” said Dr. Roy D. Wilson, Executive Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Executive Producer of the lecture series.

“Dr. King teaches that time is neutral but not static. Like the water in a river, it arrives and then quickly moves on,” continued Wilson. “We must urgently create conditions for listening to many different answers to this vital question, and generate the development of unity of action among all those who struggle for a stronger democracy.”

In his book, Jeffries shares his experience of being unanimously elected by his colleagues as the first African American in history to ever hold the position of House Minority Leader.

In January 2023 in Washington, Jeffries made his first official speech as House Minority Leader. He affirmed Democratic values one letter of the alphabet at a time. His words and how he framed them as the alphabet caught the attention of Americans, and the speech was later turned into a book, The ABCs of Democracy, bringing Congressman Jeffries rousing speech to vivid, colorful life, including illustrations by Shaniya Carrington. The speech and book are inspiring and urgent as a timeless reminder of what it means to be a country with equal opportunities for all. Jeffries paints a road map for a brighter American future and warns of the perils of taking a different path.

Before his colleagues unanimously elected him Minority Leader in 2022, Jeffries previously served as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as an Impeachment Manager during the first Senate trial of the 45th President of the United States.

Jeffries was born in Brooklyn Hospital, raised in Crown Heights, grew up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church and he is a product of New York City’s public school system, graduating from Midwood High School. Jefferies went on to Binghamton University (BA), Georgetown University (master’s in public policy) and New York University (JD).

He served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012.

Admission is free for the Feb. 21 Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series featuring Congressman Jeffries. Please reserve seats by calling the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center at (510) 434-3988.

Signed copies of his book will be available for purchase at the event.

Oakland Post

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Activism

McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

1 month ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.