OAKLAND 1946

What if you refused to go to work tomorrow— and thousands other people did, too? What would it look like if people danced in the streets downtown instead of sat inside office buildings?

The last time this happened in the US was in Oakland in 1946, when more than 100,000 citizens shut down the bustling post-war city for days. Beginning on a normal weekday morning downtown in early December, the Work Holiday of 1946, as it was called at the time, was a public show of solidarity with striking department-store workers that rapidly evolved into a remarkable experience of community activism. Throughout Oakland, residents talked and marched with neighbors and strangers, enjoyed free food, danced to jukebox tunes in the streets, and came together as working people to demand respect during a crucial moment in U.S. history.

Experience this momentous part of local history firsthand on Friday, December 5th (8pm) and Sunday, December 7th (2pm) at Latham Square in downtown Oakland. Oakland 1946! will stage a site-specific street theater performance that engages the audience and connects with current local workers’ struggles.

Join us for a wild and fun-filled afternoon of performance, education, action, and dancing in the streets!