Arts and Culture for Social and Racial Justice

Past Awardees & Reviewers

Lake Merritt at sunset

Past Awardees

2021 Awardees

Grant amounts for these two-year grants included an additional stipend to help underwrite life-sustaining expenses that participating artists and cultural practitioners incur, such as healthcare, childcare, student debt, or restorative activities.

  • Civic Design Studio / Philanthropic Ventures Network / Tommy Wong “Civic Design: Public Space Initiative”
  • Dads Evoking Change / Kareem Chadly, Shawn Williams, Pendarvis Harshaw, and Cory TK Campbell “Hear My Heart: Oakland Dads Speak”
  • Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park / Walter Hood, Linda Yamane, Vincent Medina, Corrina Gould, Henry Sale, and Holly Alonso “De-Colonizing Oakland and Peralta Hacienda”
  • Still I Rise: Oakland / Intersection for the Arts / Madeleine Clifford, Ryan Nicole, Coco Peila “Still I Rise: Oakland”
  • Kingmakers of Oakland / Obasi Davis, Cava Menzies “Black Joy: Kingmakers of Oakland”
  • Oakland Sustaining Ourselves Locally (SOL) / Avé-Ameenah, Laya Wig “Oakland SOL Revival”
  • Spirit Root Medicine People (SRMP): Two Spirit Lifeways / Social Good Fund / M.Zamora, Loa Niumeitolu, RaheNi Gonzalez “Reclaiming Sacred Two Spirit/LGBTQI Roles, Spirit Root Medicine People”
  • Village in Oakland / Anita Needa Bee Miralle, Pancho Pescador, Ayat Jalal Bryant, Lola “Tarpestries”

Learn more about the 2021 Awardees & Reviewers


2020 Awardees

Awardees each received a grant of $25,000 for one year.

  • Dohee Lee Puri Arts / Chinese for Affirmative Action Project “Asian Refugees & Immigrants Reflect on Anti-Black Racism In Our Community”
  • Darren Colston / Brothers on the Rise Project “Hella Love”
  • Regina Evans / Lower Bottom Playaz “INFRASTRUCTURE”
  • Ayodele Nzinga / Lower Bottom Playaz “Janga’s House”
  • Dame Taylor / Eastside Art Alliance/Eastside Cultural Center “Loveolution”
  • Corrina Gould, Deja Gould / Sogorea Te’ Land Trust “Mak Tuupentak Tirinikma/Our Arbor Awakens”
  • Dania Cabello, Arjuna Sayyeed / Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation “Possibility of Play”
  • Spencer “SPULU” Pulu / Social Good Fund “SPULU Visual & Performing Artist”
  • Christina Chung, Wahab Algarmi, Jimmie Robinson / Oakland Kids First “Town Force One”
  • NAKA Dance Theater (José Navarrete, Debby Kajiyama); Mujeres Unidas y Activas / Dancers’ Group “Tu Lucha es mi Lucha (Unity is Power)”
  • Walter Hood, Linda Yamane / Friends of Peralta Hacienda Historical Park “Whose history is remembered?”
  • Leilani Salvador / Social Good Fund “Youth ARTS (Addressing Real Traumas and Solutions) Project”

Learn more about the 2020 Awardees & Panelists.


Past Reviewers

Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund has benefited from the voices of community-based cultural leaders and activists in the application review process. We sought and found people with lived experience and knowledge of the historical grounding and cultural practices of a wide range of communities impacted by systemic racism and other forms of injustice.

Knowing the weight of the responsibility shouldered by our review panelists, we are honored by their generous contribution of insights to the process and their commitment to justice in Oakland. We wish to acknowledge and sincerely thank them for the diligence, wisdom, and compassion they brought to the task put before them.

2021 Reviewers

  • Gina Acebo
  • Shanna Bowie
  • Katherin Canton
  • Brett Cook
  • Malkia Devich Cyril
  • Davey D
  • Jewelle Gomez
  • Jeremy Liu
  • Isa Nakazawa
  • Patricia Wakida

Learn more about the 2021 Awardees & Reviewers

2020 Panelists

  • Brett Cook
  • CB Smith-Dahl
  • Jacqueline Garcia-Martinez
  • Jewelle Gomez
  • Kev Choice
  • Leo Esclamado
  • Malkia Devich Cyril
  • Ruthie Dineen

Learn more about the 2020 Awardees & Panelists

For questions and assistance, contact justcityfund@eastbaycf.org.

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