The New Parkway Theater won the Oakland Soul Award at the 2015 Oakland Indie Awards in a tie with Café Gabriela, another social-justice oriented local business. Winners of the Oakland Soul Award represent the soul, essence, and spirit of Oakland by supporting others in the community, appreciating diversity, and celebrating creativity.
“We run our business with a lot of heart and in ways that don’t just serve us, but the community around us,” said New Parkway General Manager J. Moses Ceaser, who accepted the award from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “My hope is we can be a model for others – that we can show other businesses if you put the mission first and it’s a mission people believe in, the economic success will follow, and your business will continue to grow for years to come.”
Some elements of the New Parkway that earned the Oakland Soul Award are the theater’s Karma Cinema program, which allows patrons to pay what they want with 20% going to local non-profit organizations, and donating free theater space to community groups and independent artists to raise money and showcase their work. The New Parkway shows its commitment to sustainability by offering only locally sourced wines and beers on tap, reducing waste as much as possible, and building relationships with other businesses and community groups to build a strong, diverse, and creative Oakland community.
The Indie Awards is an economic development initiative of Beneficial State Bank and Beneficial State Foundation that celebrates independent businesses and artists who are making a positive social, economic, or environmental impact on Oakland. It honors the local businesses and artists who give back to the community.