“BBQing While Black”: Oakland Responds to Racist Police Call

A white woman in Oakland, California recently called the police on two black men having a barbecue in the park, claiming that it was illegal to use charcoal there. She claimed that they would dispose of their charcoal incorrectly, leading to devastating environmental effects.

It seems that she did not pester anyone else in the park for BBQing; only those two black men.

The entire 25 minute “episode” was recorded by local Michelle Dionne, whose husband was one of the men involved. In the video, we hear her flabbergasted at the behavior of the white woman, unable to comprehend why she would make such a call.

Dionne follows the woman to the police officer she called to get some answers, but ultimately, no one was arrested and there was no further investigation into the incident.

Check out the video below:

Another act of everyday racism goes unpunished.

Fortunately, it didn’t go unnoticed: this past Sunday, hundreds participated in an Oakland event dubbed “BBQing While Black,” where people ate some good BBQ, danced to hip-hop and 80’s soul, and had a good time.

This day showed that though we face constant oppression, we can use that oppression to fuel a cultural movement.

Thus, while the woman’s police call was quite offensive, there is a silver lining: it has brought the Oakland community closer together, and in turn, the “BBQing While Black” event challenged the notion of associating ‘black’ with ‘bad.’

Featured Image via: Flickr/Emily Starbug Photography