7th Annual Black Joy Parade uplifts community, local establishments in Oakland's business corridor
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The 7th Annual Black Joy Parade kicked off in Oakland on Sunday.
ABC7 News live-hosted the parade online.
The parade -- which ran for five blocks along Franklin Street -- celebrates the Black experience and highlights its positive influence throughout the Bay Area.
The event is also is a big economic boost for the business corridor of Oakland.
So many people lined the streets of Oakland to catch the Black Joy Parade.
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"I love it. It's my first time. I'm so excited. I missed it last year," said Sophia Roane of San Francisco.
It's how John Coakley of Oakland celebrated his 73rd birthday.
"I had to get out of the house and come down," Coakley said.
"I love to seeing all our Black people come out, the different businesses, the different ethnicities," said Evan Moland, a Stockton resident.
For years, the Black Joy Parade has celebrated positivity within the community.
PHOTOS: A look at the 2024 Black Joy Parade in Oakland
"I love all of this -- the Black pride," Roane said.
"We have over 127 contingents out here this year -- one of our biggest parades yet -- and it continues to grow. I'm really really excited about it," said Parade Director Elycia Knight.
ABC7 News Anchors Ama Daetz and Julian Glover hosted a live-stream of the parade.
Organizers say the parade participants and the spectators make a big impact on Black community
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It's helping to lift up many small businesses in Oakland's Black business district, which runs along Franklin Street.
"We are hoping to reactivate this space and kind of bring some economic empowerment to this area as well," said Knight.
Cleve Minto owns Minto's Jamaican Restaurant and Bar. He said the parade couldn't come at a better time because the past three years have been tough.
"I can't wait for this parade every year," said Minto. "It's really a good day for a business."
RELATED: Bay Area celebrates Oakland's 2024 Black Joy Parade
Live stream Co-Host Tayleur Brown-Crenshaw talked about the big bucks the parade generates.
"The parade brings in an incremental $100,000 dollars to Black-owned restaurants alone each year," said Brown-Crenshaw.
For many families, the Black Joy Parade is something not to be missed. They say it's the ultimate way to be with the community to celebrate the community.
"It's Black History Month. We want to come out and celebrate too. It's great weather too," said Marvette Uto-Uko.
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
