Back to All Events

25th Annual Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival

  • San Antonio Park 1701 East 19th Street Oakland, CA, 94606 United States (map)

Culture is OUR weapon in the Freedom Struggle!

25th Annual Malcolm X JazzArts Festival

San Antonio Park, Oakland
Saturday, May 17, 2025
11:00 - 7:00 PM

FREE to the community

Twenty four years ago, EastSide Arts Alliance set out to create a Third World Cultural Center to serve and unite the Black, Brown, Asian & Indigenous communities that compose East Oakland. EastSide began as a progressive fusion of cultural collectives of color which organized a steady stream of art programs, town hall forums, youth workshops, and visual exhibitions at the EastSide Cultural Center (now including a Third World archives and bookstore). We also deliberately gathered our respective communities to celebrate at an annual Malcolm X JazzArts Festival at San Antonio Park.

Uniting nationally celebrated jazz artists, cultural workers, and local creatives for a full day of live jazz, Hip Hop, Spoken Word art, food, and liberation in the heart of East Oakland.

Join us in celebrating 25 years of revolutionary culture and decades-long commitment to culture as a tool for liberation.

By investing in community-rooted art, EastSide continues to elevate Oakland’s creative ecosystem and honor the revolutionary legacy of Black and Brown organizing. This is Oakland at its finest.

WHAT: 25th Annual Malcolm X Jazz+Arts Festival
WHEN: Saturday, May 17, 2025, 11am-6pm
WHERE: San Antonio Park, 1701 E 19th St, Oakland, CA 94606

The day will feature:

Jazz Stage
Opening drum by Baba Mosheh
Avotcja ¶ Modüpue
Oddity
Best of the Bay – featuring Howard Wiley, Kev Choice, LJ Holman, Marcus Phillips and dante “Tax” Roberson

Katherine Dunham Dance Stage (curated by José Ome!)
Tyedric Hill
Shakiri and Noel Castro
Zumbi Finals – open style dance battles

Belafonte KidZone
Activities offered by Afro Play, Oakland Public Library, and MOCHA

Javad Jahi Soapbox Stage
Bay Area poets, organizers, and culture workers speak out on local and international issues and campaigns

Mike "Dream" Graffiti Court
Black Book battles
Graffiti Walls and Live Art
Custom Caps Workshops
LinoBlock printing by Amor Eterno Arte
Teach Them Young! Space for young aspiring artists
prizes, supply giveaways & more!

Zumbi Court
Dj's • emcees • dance cyphers • battles

Vendors & Organizations
Artisan Gallery featuring local artists and craftfolk
Local community organization

Wellness Zone
Practitioners provided by APTP and our community healers

Food Court
International flavors of the Town!

Jazz stage sponsorship by the Black Cultural Zone
Upcoming Jazz events:
Kahil El’Zabar and David Murray, June 27 at EastSide Cultural Center
Black Cultural Zone – Levitt Vibe Concert Series event, August 16 at Liberation Park

ESAA relies on support from friends and family. Please consider a monthly donation.

Staging by: Neighborhood Arts

Earlier Event: March 21
Ghadar Geet: Blood and Ink