Life is Living
Oct. 14, 2023
Defermery/Little Bobby Hutton Park
West Oakland, Cal.
The “Life Is Living Festival” of 2023 was nothing short of a tribal celebration of community and family in intergenerational expressions. Starting in 2008, the West Oakland park, Defermery, aka Little Bobby Hutton Park, has been transformed into a menagerie of brilliance, with “Water is Life” Swim Day, a Black Panther Skate Park, Kijani Food Market, Black Community Survival Conference, Community Altar, The Box Stage, and “The Future 50 Hip Hop Show” featuring upcoming talented hip hop artists, all with beautiful graffiti murals in the background.
The Survival Stage host, Mama Charlotte O’Neal, shared historical context on the impact and influence of the Black Panthers to this West Oakland community. I was not aware of the Panthers’ connection to West Oakland, but later I was inspired along with festival goers by her “Power to the People” poem reminding us “do not let them take away your joy.” She closed the stage with “50 Times Love,” a tribute to her husband, Brother O’neal, for 50 years of unconditional love through life’s peaks and valleys while committed to the struggle for liberation.
The Box stage featured hip hop aficionado, Bella Bahhs, who came with swagger and passionate rap of resistance. Her powerful storytelling of Black girls’ resilience transforming chains of slavery into jump ropes with rhythms brought the audience to the stage with her call and response lyrics. Her stage presence evoked joy and freedom which reflected that “Black girl magic” that even made me smile with joy witnessing her delight and charisma. Let’s say I’m not a huge rap fan, but she has something unique almost Queen Latifah(ish). A must see.
Then Sol Development took the stage with unflinching R&B and hip-hop lyrics of love and positivity and moved me with their song “Source of Light,” which caused the audience’s arms to sway into the air and heads to bounce. You know that bounce.
Yes indeed! This group was composed of teachers and activists whose songs hope to inspire strength through community building drawn from Oakland’s Black American power and protest movements. The lead singer, Gangloff Bailey, shared he lost his older brother in 2014 to gun violence. As he reveals in the song “Nobody,” he had to talk himself out of retaliating. He took the bullets out of the gun. Three days later, he performed at a Juneteenth festival with the band by his side. He realized “my Sol Development family is here to help each other carry something much bigger than music.” Yes. I did not want the vibe to end.
This year’s Life Is Living Festival brought the“CELEBRATION” and “SHINE” with Samba Funk and Haitian drummers providing the backdrop to the “Africa In Oakland Dance Zone.” Samba Funk leader, Theo, mystically led the community of intergenerational attendees in rhythmic choreography that dazzled, mesmerized, and inspired onlookers to sway our hips and arms to the pounding drum beats. Our collective community magic transported us back to the “motherland” here in West Oakland.
