Grounded in joy and justice, Black Cultural Zone deepens its roots in East Oakland

ALL SUMMER LONG at Liberation Park, a shared community hub in Oakland, the Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation has brought people together with live music and libations, an outdoor roller-skating rink, informational resources, free meals, local beauty vendors and roaring belly laughs. It’s a celebration of Oakland pride and good spirits.  

Black Cultural Zone is a nonprofit that focuses on preserving and promoting Black culture since 2014. Its CEO, Carolyn Johnson, has been focused on the revitalization of East Oakland through community partnerships that invest directly back into its neighborhoods and attempt to disrupt disparaging mainstream narratives of Oakland, she said.