Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Hundreds turn up at ‘BBQing While Black’ event in Oakland

Hundreds turn up at 'BBQing While Black' event in Oakland | iNFOnews.ca
Evander Woods, center, plays with his nephew Julian Cruc, 11, as chef Michael Woods, right, dances and barbecues at the same time at the "BBQ-ing while Black" event at Lake Merritt off Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, May 20, 2018. Hundreds in the African American community came out to Lake Merritt in response to a confrontation caught on video there a few weeks ago when someone complained to police about a group of black people barbecuing. (Laura A. Oda /East Bay Times via AP)

OAKLAND, Calif. – Hundreds of people gathered for a weekend cookout in Oakland, California dubbed “BBQing While Black.” It is the latest response to a white woman’s now infamous call to police to report African Americans barbecuing at a public park.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the festival-like event Sunday on the shores of Lake Merritt was organized to rally against racism. Music played and vendors cooked up racks of ribs, sausages and chicken.

Three Sundays earlier at the same site, an unidentified woman called 911 to report a family using a charcoal barbecue.

A video posted on social media by an onlooker sparked a national conversation about racism.

The woman has been parodied on Saturday Night Live and the incident has become a social media meme with the hashtag #BBQBecky.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

iNFOTEL

Related Articles