510 Day Celebrates 10 Years of Resistance and Oakland Pride

510 Day Celebrates 10 Years of Resistance and Oakland Pride

On May 10, 2025, Oakland marked the 10th anniversary of 510 Day—a celebration rooted in cultural pride, grassroots resistance, and community empowerment. Founded in 2015 by Leon “DNas” Sykes, Jordan Warren, and Needa Bee, 510 Day was envisioned as more than just a gathering; it was a response to gentrification, systemic inequality, and the erasure of Oakland’s Black and Brown communities.

This year’s theme, “Celebrating 10 Years of Resistance,” brought hundreds to Lake Merritt for a full day of live music, local food vendors, family activities, and community activism. The event paid homage to cultural icons like D’Wayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Toné! and honored grassroots leaders like Kenzie Smith, who gained national attention after being racially profiled during a barbecue at Lake Merritt in 2018.

Organizers used the platform to highlight the growing tension between authentic cultural expression and commercial co-optation. As Needa Bee pointed out, corporate entities have increasingly attempted to capitalize on 510 Day’s popularity without investing in the community or acknowledging its political roots.

Despite these challenges, the spirit of Oakland remained front and center. Local performers lit up the stage with music and poetry that echoed themes of resilience, love, and identity. Vendors sold everything from handmade crafts to Afrocentric apparel, reinforcing the event’s mission to promote economic self-determination.

510 Day is not just a party—it’s a living reminder of Oakland’s legacy of resistance, and the power of community when it refuses to be erased.

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