Activism

Living Jazz Celebrates MLK in Oakland with Music and Love

“This year’s tribute feels like a call to action,” said Lyz Luke, executive director of Living Jazz. “We were very mindful about picking a strong Black woman for a show taking place during inauguration weekend. Aretha’s work as an artist and activist is a guiding light for us to remain bold, unapologetic, and rooted in love.”

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2025

Oakland Post

Former and current District 12 Congresswomen Barbara Lee and Lateefah Simon respectively at the tribute award ceremony on Jan. 18. Paramount theater gallery image by Ariel Nava.

By Kristal Raheem
Oakland Voices
Special to The Post

Living Jazz hosted its 21st Annual “In the Name of Love” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. concert on Jan. 18 at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre. The 2025 tribute honored the music and activism of the late Aretha Franklin.

The event showcased influential Oakland musicians and cultural figures, including performances by America’s Got Talent finalist Dee Dee Simon, singer-songwriter Lauren “SoLauren” Adams, and Colombian artist Chika Di.

Additional highlights included Destiny Muhammad, the “Harpist from the Hood,” Howard Wiley with Grammy-nominated artist RyanNicole as host and Kev Choice as musical director. The tribute also spotlighted Bay Area youth, including the San Francisco Jazz High School All Stars and the Living Jazz Children’s Choir.

Bryan Dyer, director of the Children’s Choir, emphasized the transformative power of arts programming for young people. “Knowing the power of music and the arts, it’s always a beautiful thing to see the impact of this program on so many students. Kids who are normally quiet in class can stand in front of everyone and sing a solo,” Dyer said. He added, “The very rights that Dr. King fought and laid ground for are being challenged. We must stand together in order for our voices to be heard.”

Oakland Youth Poet Laureate finalist Maya Raveneau-Bey also took the stage, delivering a powerful poem rooted in feminism and inspired by Franklin’s advocacy for women. Raveneau-Bey’s piece, “Water Bearers,” resonated with her as a Moorish-American artist performing days before Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration. “I wanted to remind the women of today, specifically coming into this daunting year, that we are more than child bearers—we are overflowing in life and power,” she said.

During the tribute, newly elected Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and her predecessor, former Congresswoman Barbara Lee presented the Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award to Andrew Park, co-founder and executive director of Trybe.

The organization focuses on violence prevention and supporting youth and families in East Oakland. Instead of a traditional acceptance speech, Park invited his daughter, Isabel, onstage to sing alongside him as he recited a spoken word poem. Together, they honored Oakland’s culture and history, weaving in nods to Franklin’s iconic songs.

The evening concluded with all performers and organizers onstage singing, “We Shall Overcome,” a unifying finale connecting arts, culture, and activism.

Living Jazz, founded in 1984, has grown into a cultural and educational hub, offering classes, workshops, and camps for musicians of all ages and skill levels.

Currently serving 18 schools and 1,300 students across the East Bay, the organization remains committed to amplifying Black and Brown voices, nurturing community, and creating spaces for connection through the arts.

“Aretha’s legacy is one of empowering generations, and that’s exactly what we do,” Luke said. “In a place like Oakland, where history and activism thrive, connecting generations through the arts is how we honor our past and build our future.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Oakland Voices and was funded by a grant from the East Bay Fund for Artists.

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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

Published

5 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

2 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.