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The Bay Area Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day with Service, Marches, Music

“Make a career of humanity,” said King, who was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968, when he had come to support a strike by underpaid sanitation workers. “Commit yourself to the noble struggle for civil rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”

Published

1 year ago

January 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Statue of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King on the National Mall in. Wash., D.C. iStock photo by Italia LLC.

By Daisha Williams

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy of radical change and community empowerment will be celebrated on Monday, Jan. 20.

Though his birthday is Jan. 15, since 1986, the national holiday has been held on the third Monday of January, often as a day of volunteer service.

There is a myriad of ways that people can spend this day, with many different options in the Bay Area.

In Oakland, the MLK Jr. Multicultural Rally Committee will hold its 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Rally on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. at 99 Hegenberger Road featuring speakers from the MLK Freedom Center. For more information, call 510-827-2414.

The same day, the 11th Annual Reclaim MLK’s Radical Legacy Day of Action will be taking place. The Anti Police-Terror Project intends this march to hold true to Dr King’s values which have been watered down since his death. The march will begin at the Oscar Grant Plaza (Oakland City Hall) at 11 a.m.

Honoring the Day of Service, people of all ages can help clean up the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline at Doolittle Drive and Swan Way in Oakland from 9 a.m.-12 noon. Cleanups are at the Tidewater Boating Center and Oakport Staging Area, and gardening and maintenance at MLK Grove. No registration required.

The African American Museum and Library at 659 14^th St. will hold its annual film festival honoring Rev. King on Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Films shown appropriate for children are “The Youngest Marcher” and “The North Star,” shown at 12:10 p.m. and 12:40 p.m. respectively.

In San Francisco, the week-long MLK festival has already started.

On Monday, one of the most enduring observations will occur. According to Johnny Funcheap, “the 2025 MLK March is a poignant and symbolic journey that pays homage to the historic Selma to Montgomery marches and the monumental Voting Rights Act of 1965. Spanning 1.5 miles, this commemorative march and parade begins at San Francisco’s Caltrain Station and winds its way through the heart of the city, ultimately culminating at the serene Yerba Buena Gardens.

“A parade will begin at 11 am starting at 4th and King streets, ending at the Yerba Buena Gardens where there will be a music festival and a health and wellness festival later in the day.”

The Brown AME Church in Selma, Alabama, was the starting point of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's March to Montgomery to support voting and civil rights. iStock photo by Kirkikis

Selma, AL, USA September 14, 2011 The Brown AME Church in Selma Alabama was the starting point of Martin Luther King’s March to Montgomery to support voting and civil rights

San Francisco is not the only place with events that day though.

In Hayward, there will be a free event on Monday celebrating MLK’s life, with a program of music, community awards and a keynote address by Rev. Amos Brown of San Francisco’s Third Baptist Church. It will be held at the Hayward Unified School District Performing Arts Center beginning at 2390 Panama St. at 4:30 p.m.

The City of Marin’s celebration in honor of Dr. King’s life will take place at 630 Drake Ave. in Sausalito from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include music, spoken word, youth presentation and speakers. Free and open to the public, this year’s theme will be “Voices of Change, Empowering a New Generation.”

There will be a similar celebration from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 20 at the Solano County Fairgrounds McCormick Hall at 900 Fairgrounds Dr. in Vallejo. This event has been organized by the Solano County Black Chamber of Commerce and is free to attend. RSVP is required. Please call 707-673-2148 or www.solanoblackchamber.com.

A popular way to spend MLK Day is by giving back to your community. In Richmond, there will be a day of community service on the Richmond Greenway. The Watershed Project organized this event to beautify the greenway and provide opportunity for community reflection and empowerment. They will be meeting at Unity Park Community Plaza at 9 a.m. on Monday to kick off this event. Not only is this free to participate in, but lunch will be provided.

In Stockton, there will be a two-day celebration in honor of Dr. King with keynote speaker Bishop Jerry W. Macklin. The first part of this event will be on Jan. 19 at 5 p.m. at Progressive Community Church in Stockton at 2820 South B St. The next day, a Unity March will begin at 10 a.m. at the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium. Registration for the march begins at 9 a.m. This event is being put on by Ministers and Community United, INC.

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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.