By T.C. Jefferson

Oakland upheld its tradition as the West Coast capital of African American culture and entrepreneurship for the 18th time last week as over 20,000 people attended Black Expo 2008, the largest event of its kind in Northern California.

    The Expo officially took place on Saturday and Sunday, but the festivities began Wednesday evening with the African American Excellence in Business Awards & Scholarship Gala.
    From Wednesday through Sunday the Oakland Convention Center facilities served admirably as a banquet hall, business office, church, restaurant and living room for throngs of attendees, organizers and participants.

    Event activities ranged from the posh Business Awards & Scholarship Gala to gospel music, soul singers and a college fair.
    The semi-formal gala featured this year’s 12 Self Empowerment through Education Entrepreneurship and Dreams (S.E.E.D.S) student scholarship winners from Central and Northern California. The students were awarded a total of $15,000 to put toward their college expenses.
    Also among those honored were “Outstanding Champions for Our Youth,” a group of 101 Bay Area business, community, religious and political leaders who have made significant positive contributions to youth development.
    Gala and Black Expo 2008 producer C. Diane Howell facilitated the evening’s program.
    The event featured a pre-program cocktail hour of appetizers, breathtaking views and the harmonious a cappella vocals of Pure Ecstasy Productions, followed by a silent auction. That led into a banquet of fine dining, gospel entertainment by the East Bay Church of Religious Science Choir and sincere congratulatory celebration among guests.
    The 2008 S.E.E.D.S. Scholarship winners were:
• Jazmine Dominique Garland, St. Joseph Norte Dame High School, Alameda, $1,500
• Julian D. Howard, Bellarmine College Prep High School, San Jose, $1,500
• Calvin Thomas Monroe, Consumnes Rivers College, Sacramento, $1,500
• Julian J. Okiwelu, Berkeley Community College, Berkeley, $1,500
• Christy Noel Payton, Athenian Upper School, Danville, $1,500
• Timothy Miles Tribble, St. Mary’s College High School, Berkeley, $1,500
• Lindsey Brown, Vanden High School, Fairfield, $1,000
• Cameron Moses Johnson, Rodriquez High School, Fairfield, $1,000
• Shana Aleta Johnson, Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland, $1,000
• Key-Aira Jones, Salesian High School, Richmond, $1,000
• Breeanna Lane, Clovis West High School, Fresno, $1,000
• Man Lung Wu, Phillip & Sala Burton High School, San Francisco, $1,000
    Thursday morning’s Procurement Breakfast confirmed that while socializing and entertainment are integral parts of Black Expo, it is primarily a business-oriented event. At 8 a.m. procurement specialists from Alameda County, Comcast, the state of California, city of Oakland, Peralta Community College District and Port of Oakland began occupying booths in the cavernous Convention Center hall to talk business with local entrepreneurs.
    The morning’s agenda included one-on-one interaction between aspiring entrepreneurs and purchasing staff, and a spirited presentation on “value-centered” business from entrepreneur and Who Said So? book author Michael E. Parker.
    The breakfast concluded with a frank panel discussion between entrepreneurs and the corporate and government procurement specialists. Both sides spoke candidly about personal experiences involving research, marketing, bidding and contract compliance.
    As usual, Saturday and Sunday’s Black Expo was a bird’seye view of, by and for African American society. Folks of virtually every age, shade, income and aspiration converged to mix, mingle, watch, learn and be entertained. The Expo’s main hall was packed with approximately 200 booths staffed with corporate, government, nonprofit, faith-based and small business representatives eagerly marketing — and often providing free samples of — a wide variety of goods and services. Freebies ranged from clothing to teeth whitening demonstrations to free newspaper ads and more.
    Many of the attendees were high school and college-age students who took advantage of the popular Saturday morning College Day component, which included onsite presentations from representatives from various historically black colleges and universities.
    Music is an integral part of every Black Expo. R&B group Midnight Star rocked the house early Saturday afternoon. They were followed by the silky smooth stylings of love songster extraordinaire Phil Perry and a surprise appearance by legendary singer/songwriter Will Downing.
    Sunday’s traditional “Gospel Explosion” included the Bee Bee Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Choir, the Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church Choir and other faith-based performers and ministers.
    Whether the objective was business, pleasure or something else, Expo 2008 provided Northern Californians with an up close and personal glimpse into African American life.

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