More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on September 18 for Coliseum 60, a celebration marking 60 years since the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex opened.

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration marking six decades since the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex first opened, Post News Group reported.

The event, held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, carried the theme "One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together."

Cultural performances included the national anthem by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin, and African dance and drumming by Diamano Coura West African Dance Company. A mini-documentary highlighted the venue's sports history and its role as an entertainment destination, recalling performances by Prince and Tina Turner alongside memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A's and Raiders.

"The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history," event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE told Post News Group. "It's about the people who made that history possible."

The program honored longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and vendor Kenyatta Gentry, who worked 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment.

Looking ahead, AASEG president Ray Bobbitt highlighted a four-year partnership with Castlemont High School's architecture program that engages students in reimagining redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. "The youth will always move us forward," Bobbitt said, according to Post News Group.