Photo of an event in Oakland, CA.

Upcoming Events in Oakland

This is a list of all upcoming events in Oakland, CA.

First Monument & Billy X — Bridging Perspectives Film Series

October 18th, 2024
2:30 AM - 6:59 AM
5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, California 94613

Presented by Northeastern University and Mills Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Oakland International Film Festival. This event is free and open to the public. A special screening of two short films discussing the legacy of the Black Panther Party, which was founded in Oakland, California on October 15,1966. The films will be followed by a question & answer session with filmmaker Damien McDuffie and David Roach, founder of The Oakland International Film Festival. _INTO THE ARCHIVES: THE FIRST MONUMENT_ Until 2021, there were no official monuments to the Black Panther Party in Oakland, the city where they became legendary. This finally changed through an effort led by Fredrika Newton, the widow of Minister of Defense Huey Newton. Following sculptor Dana King from conceptualization through unveiling, The First Monument chronicles the creation of the Huey Newton bust now raised in West Oakland. Run Time: 15:54 _INTO THE ARCHIVES: BILLY X_ In an unassuming house in Sacramento, one of the most comprehensive private collections of Black Panthers material sits on the shelves of original Party member and archivist William “Billy X” Jennings. Featuring images of Tupac Shakur, Maya Angelou, and many other familiar faces, Into The Archives gives you a rare glimpse at a historical exhibition of Bay Area history, most of which has still not been digitized. Run Time: 9:33 DAMIEN MCDUFFIE Damien McDuffie is a digital archivist and creative technologist from Oakland, CA. He is the Founder of Black Terminus, an augmented reality (AR) platform for Black Art and the Cultural Archive. He is building the world’s first AR studio and Black migration agency for visually immersive tours and virtual archives that bring Black history, migration, and creativity to life. Inspired by his work as a Black Panther Party archivist and a need to share the archives with disparate family members abroad, he built a platform that uses the virtual archives to tell script-driven, oral history-driven, or personality-driven narratives centered on the rich history of Black experience. He is a classically trained writer, multi-platform storyteller, and lover of Oakland, driven by stories that inspire community, connectivity, and creative courage. _________________________ _Bridging Perspectives: Exploring Social Justice with the Oakland International Film Festival_ is a transformative three-part film screening series that delves into pressing social issues of our time: climate change, racial and gender justice. This series, presented by Northeastern University and Mills Performing Arts, in collaboration with the Oakland International Film Festival, offers a unique lens on pivotal movements and challenges, fostering dialogue and inspiring action. "Bridging Perspectives" is more than just a film series—it's an invitation to reflect, engage, and act. Each screening will be followed by a curated conversation with the filmmakers and community leaders. Don’t miss this opportunity to broaden your horizons and be part of a community dedicated to social justice and positive change.

Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas

October 19th, 2024
2:00 AM - 6:55 AM
University Avenue 2036, Berkeley, California 94704

Ebo TaylorGhanaian guitarist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and producer Ebo Taylor has been a vital presence in African music for more than half-a-century. During the early '60s, he was active in the influential highlife bands the Stargazers and the Broadway Dance Band whose singles were mainstays on national radio. In 1962 he took his Black Star Highlife Band to London and collaborated with other African musicians who were also in Britain at the time, including Fela Kuti. Back in Ghana, he worked as an influential producer, crafting recordings for Pat Thomas (his future collaborator) and C.K. Mann, among many others. During the 70's, his own musical projects combined traditional Ghanaian music with Afro-beat, jazz, and funk, creating a trademark sound. Pat Thomas Pat Thomas is a Ghanaian vocalist and songwriter famed for his work in the highlife bands of Ebo Taylor and his own recordings of Afrobeat and Afro-pop. Born in Agona, in the Ashanti region, Thomas had music almost literally in his DNA, his father was a music theory instructor and his mother a bandleader. In the 1970s, he moved to Accra to join Ebo Taylor's legendary highlife band The Blue Monks; their residency at the Tip Toe Night Club is an important part of modern Ghanaian cultural history. In the later years he moved to the Ivory Coast and produced various records in Afro-beat, Afro-Latin sounds and reggae melded to funky African disco. General Admission Standing Room with Limited Seating