Stephen Shames. Panther Free Food Program. Party members prepare bags of food for distribution at the Oakland Coliseum during the Black Community Survival Conference. Oakland, CA, March, 1972. In Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party, by Stephen Shames and Ericka Huggins, 132–133. ACC Art Books, 2022. Accessed at Community Archival Resource Project, Oakland, CA.
Our vision is to champion a thriving arts and culture ecosystem— an interconnected network of cultural hubs that enriches Oakland with economic opportunity, community-trust, and cultural permanence.
Through Cultural Reforestation, we’re dedicated to restoring and reviving spaces of belonging that have been depleted by systemic inequities. We believe in reclaiming local expertise, amplifying social capital, and creating a foundation for legacy organizations.
We see Oakland budding with organizations that steward the city’s rich culture, cultivating spaces for a thriving future.
BLACspace is about bringing back what’s been taken from us and growing something stronger in its place.
BLACspace is like a growing forest. We work together to share power, build strength, and use the skills of our community to create a thriving future. Every act of support, every story, and every connection makes our roots stronger, helping arts and culture in Oakland not just survive but grow.
“We are weaving as we unweave—navigating the process of unwinding and disentangling from the transactional nature of capitalism as we strengthen relationships that generate potential for communal thriving.”
– Dr. Ayodele Nzinga
“Reading at Bobby Hutton Park” photo by Howard L. Bingham. Courtesy of CARP / Community Archival Resource Project at EastSide Arts Alliance