2022 BLACK JOY PARADE

Oakland wrapped up Black History Month with the 5th Annual Black Joy Parade this past Sunday, February 27th, by honoring Black artists, entrepreneurs, and organizations. Narratves was there to document candid moments of joy and celebration as part of the ongoing series, Pop-Up Narratves (PUN).

Founded by Oakland native Elisha Greenwell, the Black Joy Parade (BJP) first hit the streets of Oakland in 2018. In a recent interview with KPIX CBS SF Bay Area Greenwell shared that the Black Joy Parade was created because there was “...a lack of time where we could come together for positive reasons” as Black people. This year's parade was not shy of laughter, dancing, and Black folks showing up in whatever way they could. Black vendors, musicians, singers, spoken word artists, d-jays, and scraper bike owners performed on the streets and multiple stages throughout downtown, exciting a crowd of thousands.

In addition to hosting an annual parade the BJP team also organizes smaller events throughout the year dedicated to holding space for Black people.

To learn more and support their efforts visit blackjoyparade.org.