As the October sun set, drums beat through West Oakland, warming the air at DeFremery Park. Children waved peace flags they hand made. Dancers moved to the djembe drum’s rhythm, stirring up the scent of grass and earth. Under the oak trees hung a wide banner: “Life Is Living.”
On October 12, the 17th annual Life is Living festival transformed historic DeFremery Park—also known as Lil’ Bobby Hutton Park—into a celebration of Oakland’s spirit. Organized by People’s Kitchen Collective, this free community festival mixed art, music, and activism. It honored the legacy of the Black Panther Party, which once served breakfast and liberation lessons here.
“Life is Living is about turning this moment into a moment of becoming. Each year, another generation steps into new roles—that’s the elevation, that’s the living.” Hodari Davis…