"6th Annual Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival"

Event Statement:

Now more than ever is the time for us to come together and build our own independent institutions!

After years of talking about the need for an independent and progressive cultural institution in East Oakland, we've finally made our move.  EastSide Arts Alliance (ESAA) has just entered into an agreement to purchase our own building, on International Boulevard off 23rd Avenue, to create a new EASTSIDE CULTURAL CENTER, slated to open in 2005.

Now we call on all our friends and supporters to join in on this grassroots effort to invest in real community empowerment.

ESAA believes that the most effective way to work for self-determination for Third World communities is to build a permanent cultural center where artists, residents, youth and families can come together for ongoing programs, to preserve traditions, invent new cultural expressions, and openly voice their opinions about our multiple concerns.

We are building a space where the predominantly Asian, Latino, Native and African American communities can share common ground to create a cultural dialogue of understanding and solidarity. The EastSide Cultural Center will present weekly performances and ongoing arts workshops with studios for recording artists, videography and printmaking. The building also includes 16 affordable housing units and 2 storefront commercial spaces.  We currently have plans to host a people's bookstore and cafe in one of the storefronts.

This cultural center serves the people in our communities, and its success depends on community support. Such a valuable neighborhood resource is as critical as the schools, libraries, churches, and parks that reflect the health and well-being of our families. Help us transform our uniquely diverse, but long-neglected neighborhoods into a vibrant, creative and unified community.

Contribute whatever time, money and resources you can to support the EastSide Cultural Center and help empower the community!