The 2nd Annual Black Eyed-Pea Festival is one of most
celebrated African-American heritage festivals in Oakland and very much
anticipated by the entire community. On
Saturday, September 12, 2015 at Mosswood Park, 3612 Webster Street, Oakland, CA,
from 11 am - 6 pm, hundreds will gather to enjoy food, music, arts, spoken word
and more, all by some of the most talented in the Bay Area. If eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is supposed
to bring good luck, then Oakland will be having a tremendous lucky day on
September 12, 2015.
Festival attendees will get a taste of tradition, and
not just with black-eyed peas in various forms, from Hoppin’ John to salsa, but
also in the form of traditional music and art.
Why a Black-Eyed Pea Festival? "The black-eyed pea is a metaphor for
what is resilient, creative, and collaborative about
African-American culture," says Wanda Ravernell, Founder of the Omnira
Institute in Oakland, California. Omnira's
mission is to highlight and preserve the cultural and spiritual traditions of
African Americans and demonstrate how these traditions are connected to Africa
and the African Diaspora.
It is common knowledge that black-eyed peas have been
a staple New Year's Day dish for generations of African-Americans. But to
Festival organizers, it's important to know that the first domestication of the
black-eyed pea was in West Africa and that George Washington Carver (African-American
biologist and inventor) promoted the planting of black-eyed peas because the
crop enriched the soil and had high nutritional value. This festival is unique because it focuses on
the specific relationship between black-eyed peas and African-American
culture and history.
Come out and enjoy performances by MJ's Brass Boppers (Lousiana),
Valerie Troutt's Moon Candy, Awon Ohun Omnira (Voices of Freedom), Teatro
Brasileira Danca, Dance-A-Vision, Bay Area Youth Arts, and WolfHawkJaguar
(Wellness). Other highlights include Artist
in Resident - Malik Seneferu (live painting) | Children's craft-making |
Storytelling with Paula Parker, Linda Wright and Kirk Waller | Spoken Word
presentations by local poets | Local and regional artists and artisans | Representatives
from diverse health organizations serving residents in Oakland.
The Second Annual Oakland Black-Eyed Pea Festival
is sponsored in part by Akonadi Foundation, the FAITHS Program at the San
Francisco Foundation, the California Arts Council, and generous donations.
