Oakland Black Pride Initiates Inside/OUT!

Oakland Black Pride, a nonprofit created to address inequities that exist for people  at the critical intersection of blackness and queerness, is pleased to announce 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. For the record, I wanna go to the “Slayers Ball.” Ha!

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.