“Moving For Peace, Blooming With Joy” Community Block Party

“When I say ROOTING FOR, you say PEACE” boomed the MC, Rashidi Omari, on a cloudy May Saturday to a crowd gathered in the southeast corner of the Coliseum BART station parking lot. With the old red and white Sunshine Biscuits sign peeking through the trees, hundreds of folks, young and old, had come out to celebrate with the performers and the exhibitors at the “Moving for Peace, Blooming with Joy” Community Block Party. The event, co-sponsored by The Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative (HHC), Destiny Arts Center, and Better Neighborhoods, Same Neighbors (BNSN), included a Black Cultural Zone-sponsored roller rink, local food, nonprofit, and small business vendors, such as Mangosay, Sassy She’s Accessories, and Melanin Gang (a list of vendors can be found here). According to Aurora Chavez, Healthy Havenscourt Manager, the Block Party is a collaborative effort organized by HHC partners to build a healthier neighborhood and to “celebrate the accomplishments of our young people and community.”

The centerpiece of the event, the Moving for Peace dance recital from Destiny Arts Center, featured the skills and moves from Destiny’s students, both from their main studio and through its after-school programming serving Lion’s Pride students K-12 at EBALDC’s Lion Creek Crossings complex, just a block away from the festivities. Hundreds of people packed the seats to watch kids moving with joy and grace in choreographed dance and martial arts movements set to hip-hop and traditional African rhythms.

Leading up to the youth performances, a diverse group of seniors from the Lion Creek Crossings writing project read poems from their publication Blue Jay Blue Skies and local musical artist Javon Williams (@Dance.Money.Team) also brought his hip-hop stylings to warm up the crowd.

A little off from center stage, teen participants in EBALDC’s youth programs and in Destiny Arts’ programs provided fun activities geared towards young people, like cupcake decorating, eyelash extensions, and a photo booth, as well as information from Fozyah and Abrar on how to participate in the Lion’s Pride book club. Young entrepreneurs also represented at the event, selling drinks and artwork.

Griselda Hernandez, Resident Services Coordinator II (LCC)

Chavez, HHC Manager, said, “One of HHC’s levers of change is creative community development – this means using art and culture to advance resources and policies that support the wellness and joy of the Havenscourt residents.” She lauded the collaborative work to support the teens’ vision put in by Raine Robichaud, EBALDC’s Creative Community Development Project Coordinator; Beatriz Escobar, Program Manager, Destiny Arts, and Maria Contreras, Youth Program Manager – College & Career Readiness for EBALDC’s Lion’s Pride youth program located at Lion Creek Crossings in Havenscourt.

Lion Creek Crossings Teen Book Club Leaders

Robichaud noted that one of the event’s successes was how engaged these teens “worked collaboratively to make their ideas for the Block Party real…[and came] up with the vision.” One of the teens, Abrar M., said she “loved meeting new people and setting everything up. I really love partaking in event planning. Engaging with other youth my age helped me grow out of my comfort zone and pitch ideas.”

The next event is an open-to-the-public gallery show celebrating a week of art workshops planned by youth leaders and their local, homegrown creativity at Lion Creek Crossings, Marilyn Lawson Community Room, 6865 Leona Creek Drive, Oakland on Thursday, June 8th from 3-5 pm.

About Better Neighborhoods Same Neighbors

Launched by the East Oakland Neighborhood Initiative (EONI) in 2017, Better Neighborhoods Same Neighbors (BNSN) is a partnership between the City of Oakland and twelve community-based organizations focused on equity-based planning for “Deep” East Oakland. BNSN envisions an East Oakland with healthy surroundings, safe and accessible transportation, and thriving arts and culture that builds community wealth and ensures housing is a human right for existing East Oakland residents.

About Destiny Arts

Destiny Arts Center is a community arts center that has provided high-quality, movement arts programs to youth ages 3-18 in Oakland since 1988. Founded by Black and Queer dance and martial artists, Destiny uses movement-based arts to uplift youth voices, supporting pathways for young people to express themselves, advocate for justice and equity, fight against the systemic racism that continues to impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and build a community where everyone feels seen, valued, and free.

About Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative

Healthy Havenscourt Collaborative (HHC) brings resident leaders, community organizations, and public agencies together to build a healthier Havenscourt neighborhood. HHC’s Core Partners include resident leaders; BANANAS, Inc.; Black Cultural Zone; the coordinating agency, East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC); First 5 Alameda County; La Clinica de La Raza; Oakland Unified School District; Regional Asthma Management and Prevention; Roots Community Health Center; and the United Way Bay Area.