Small businesses, artists fear loss of Oakland’s First Friday community gatherings

OAKLAND (CBS SF) — There is something very comforting for Oakland small business owner Mohammed Shuaibe when it comes to the city’s First Friday gatherings.

“It feels like home,” Shuaibe told KPIX.

On the first Friday of every month on Telegraph Avenue, you’ll find vendors, food trucks, live music and people from all over the Bay Area. But it’s one thing to tell someone what they may see – it’s another to actually experience it. 

“You gotta see it to believe it,”  Shuaibe said. “You walk up this block and you’ll be in love.” 

He’s an Oakland native and a regular First Friday vendor. He and his wife Myesha’s business is called Melanin Gang, a brand to inspire and celebrate African Americans. 

“I know gang kind of turns people off, but we’re trying to flip that gang into something positive, and melanin is another word that people aren’t really familiar with, but it’s the pigmentation of our skin,” Shuaibe said. 

The logo is inspired by their kids. They have hats, t-shirts and ABC affirmation books. 

“When we was growing up, we went to a private middle school, predominantly African American, and all our textbooks was white kids, all our textbooks didn’t look like us,” he said. “We came up with our own book, ABC affirmations, where it teaches kids ABC’s and affirmations. And all the kids in that book look like me, my kid, my son, my daughter, your daughter.”

Shuaibe said First Fridays has given them the exposure and the opportunity to interact with others. 

“We can talk to people and they can just feel our vibe and that’s what kind of helps us keep going because online you can look at somebody’s picture and that’s pretty much it, but when you talk to somebody, meet them, shake their hand, hear their story and they can hear our story and we can relate on certain things, that’s more than money, that’s more than anything,” he said. 

It’s also been helping other businesses like Justin Ford’s Oakland’s Own 1852. It’s a brand that specializes in highlighting Oakland. 

“Without (First Fridays), I’m not sure how many Oaklanders would actually know that we were here and a viable company to consider,” Ford said. 

First Fridays is something they don’t want to lose. But currently, Venessa McGhee, the account manager for First Fridays, says it’s in jeopardy. 

She says the city of Oakland used to help pay with the cost of police and fire fees. But that funding was no longer available at the beginning of this year. 

“So we had to take that cost on. So the cost of the event has just risen faster than we can adjust with that,” McGhee said. “We’re just trying to figure out how we can actively come up with sponsors, or grants, whatever we can to try to fix that deficit.”

If they don’t, she says they may not be able to put on First Fridays beyond October. 

Vendors say it would hurt them financially. But it’s not just that. 

“You’re talking about community, you’re talking about neighborhood, we got people that we see monthly that we consider our brothers and colleagues that also have similar businesses,” Ford said. 

And for many, those are businesses they rely on for day-to-day things.

“I can’t even explain how much this means to us. It’s like without this, to be quite honest, we won’t be able to pay our rent. We won’t be able to have gas money for a week,” Shuaibe said. “Buying diapers.”

It’s how they provide for their family. But their business is also a way they’re showing others to be proud of who they are. 

“We just trying to combine all of those things and be proud of who you are and don’t run away from it, don’t question it, don’t second guess it, don’t feel like you need to straighten your hair, wear your dreadlocks,” he said. “Wear your hair how you want to wear it and really be who you are at the end of the day.”