National Pride Month Gets a Dose of Melanin at California’s Oakland Black Pride ‘Inside/OUT!’ Celebration

Oakland Black Pride, a nonprofit created to address inequities that exist for people at the critical intersection of blackness and queerness, has announced the inaugural Inside/OUT! Black Pride Celebration in partnership with the City of Oakland, Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development. Set to take place June 24-27, 2021, the four-day series of events offers virtual workshops and limited-capacity events at several Oakland businesses and includes a Queer Expo, Kickball Tournament and Skate for Pride Party hosted by Grammy Winner Durand Bernarr. The Inside/OUT! program of events culminates in a Slayer’s Ball grand finale at The Bridge Yard. The event honors the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, two trans-women of color who were prominent figures in the Stonewall Uprising, social justice advocates and mothers of the Pride movement.

“Inside/Out! marks the first-ever Black-led Pride Month event in the Bay Area in celebration of the immense contributions of Black LGBTQIA+ people to our society,” said Olaywa K. Austin, executive director of Oakland Black Pride. “At Oakland Black Pride, we take great joy and responsibility in mobilizing to create pathways for queer Black people to express themselves freely, live healthy lives and have equal opportunities for professional advancement.”

The empowering line-up of panels and workshops expands on that advancement with a daily Fitness & Nutrition Class hosted by Brown & Healthy, an Inclusive Economics panel for BIPOC and LGBTQ Businesses, a session on Reclaiming Our Food Systems and The Revolutionary Dance Floor panel featuring two DJs and two professional dancers in the style of Red Table Talk. This year’s event will also include a Queer Pub Crawl featuring food and drink specials at select Oakland bars and restaurants such as Kingston 11, PORT Bar, Oeste and Sobre Mesa. Additionally, Oakland-based Chef Nelson German of Sobre Mesa will host a PRIDE benefit dinner featuring a six-course tasting menu with three cocktail pairings in partnership with Chef Christina Harrison of JusLa Eats.

“It’s with great pride that we welcome the Inside/OUT! Black Pride Celebration to the ‘town’ of Oakland,” remarked Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “In a continued effort to combat the effects of racial and gender inequality, we stand with Oakland Black Pride in honoring the unique and beautiful contributions of the Black LGBTQIA+ community.”

General admission to most events are free to the public, but registration is required. The decentralized line-up is in adherence with city and state Covid-19 safety protocols.

Attendees can view the full schedule by visiting oaklandblackpride.org.

INSIDE/OUT! BLACK PRIDE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

EVENT	DATE	TIME	LOCATION
Pride Benefit Dinner Featuring Chef Nelson German + Chef Christina Harrison	6/24/21	6 p.m.	Sobre Mesa
Fitness + Nutrition Class Presented by Brown & Healthy	6/24/21	2p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Zoom
Inclusive Economics: Businesses Centering BIPOC, LGBTQIA+	6/24/21	3p.m. – 3:45 p.m.	Zoom
Reclaiming Our Food Systems	6/24/21	4p.m. – 4:45 p.m.	Zoom
Fitness + Nutrition Class Presented by Brown & Healthy	6/25/21	3 – 3:45 p.m.	Zoom
The Revolutionary Dance Floor	6/25/21	4 -5 p.m.	TWITCH
Queer Pub Crawl	6/25/21	5:30- 6:30 p.m.	Various Locations
Queer Expo Day 1	6/26/21	11 a.m. – 4 p.m.	The Lot at Tribune Tower
Skate for Pride Hosted by Durand Bernarr	6/26/21	6 p.m.- 12 a.m.	7th West
Queer Expo Day 2	6/27/21	10 a.m. – 4 p.m.	Raimondi Field
Queer Kickball Tournament & Black Pride Family Reunion	6/27/21	11-3 p.m.	Raimondi Field
Slayer’s Ball	6/27/21	8 pm. – 1 a.m.	The Bridge Yard

Sponsors of Inside/OUT! include Oakland Venue Management, Beneficial State Bank, 7th West and Bar Shiru. For more information about corporate partnerships, please visit OaklandBlackPride.org.

Follow Oakland Black Pride on Instagram @OaklandBlackPride and #INSIDEOUT!2021.

About Oakland Black Pride

Launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Oakland Black Pride was created to design, develop, and distribute resources, provide guidance, and facilitate networks to address inequities that exist for people at the critical intersection of blackness and queerness. Based in a city that births revolutionaries, Oakland Black Pride serves as the origin of a movement for change by facilitating collective success through sustainable individual prosperity. The organization tackles specific, nuanced issues that adversely impact those who identify as Black and queer, members of two historically marginalized yet misaligned communities, in efforts to amplify their voices, increase their visibility and ensure their survival, growth and celebration.

Oakland Black Pride’s advocacy center, located in West Oakland’s historic black neighborhood, serves as a safe cultural haven, resource hub and artistic incubator where Black people who unapologetically claim LGBTQIA+ identities are seen, heard and fully supported by their own. The center offers programs in three distinct areas – Leadership Development, Service and Social Change and Collaborative Advocacy, to guide this underserved community along their journey of self-discovery and fulfilment.

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Tags: #LGBTQIA, gay pride, LGBTQ, Oakland, pride month, queer, West Oakland

About the Author

Crystal Willis Crystal Willis is an Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker, Entertainment Publicist and CEO of The Omni Firm. She is also a Transformational Life Coach and Founder of The Crysalis. Her personal story has been seen by millions of people on media outlets like Marie Claire Magazine, PBS, Blaze TV, Daily Signal and more.