Empowering Women of Color Open Mic - Berkeley, CA

The Empowering Women of Color Open Mic is back!

Join La Peña Cultural Center and UC Berkeley’s Women of Color Initiative (WOCI) on Friday, November 13, 2026, for an evening of live music, spoken word, radical storytelling, and powerful performances by and for women of color. Sliding scale $5 - $25. La Peña members get free entry!

• Want to perform? Spots are advance sign ups only. Deadline to sign up is Sunday, October 25th, 2026 at midnight. Sign up at Lapena.info/perform
• Want to volunteer? Volunteers receive free entry and complimentary food and refreshments. Sign-up form: Lapena.info/volunteer

Please note: This is a women of color centered space, and allies are welcome to attend.

Rooted in the Empowering Women of Color Conference

Black women and women of color have always made the culture, and have rarely been given the mic for it. This open mic refuses that erasure.

• Rooted in 1985. It grew out of the Empowering Women of Color Conference (EWOCC), one of the first conferences to give womxn of color room to address the racial, class, and gender issues we face. Built by us and for us, EWOCC shaped this open mic’s belief in our right to the space we need to thrive and be celebrated.

• Radically inclusive. Performers of all ages, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, immigration statuses, gender expressions, nationalities, religions, and cultural backgrounds are welcome, including femmes, trans and nonbinary folks, and all who experience or connect with womanhood through identity, spirit, or lived experience.

• Since 2018, La Peña and WOCI have co-presented this open mic as a safe space for women of color to express themselves. It returns each fall, and again in March during EWOCC, held in Women’s History Month. The next EWOCC is Spring 2027.

Help keep this Open Mic going!

This open mic runs on community. Sliding scale is how we practice reciprocity: pay what fits your means, and if you can give more, your contribution helps sustain this event for years to come. Buy your ticket, volunteer, bring a friend, and share this event with the women of color artists, organizers, and educators in your life.

Presented by La Peña Cultural Center & UC Berkeley's Women of Color Initiative

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Accessibility:

• La Peña is a wheelchair-accessible venue with step-less entry, wide doorways, and accessible restrooms.
• Masks are strongly encouraged. If you’re experiencing COVID-19, cold, or flu-like symptoms, please consider staying home to protect our community. HEPA air purifiers operate throughout our space.
• All gender restrooms available.

For accommodation requests, please contact us at least two weeks in advance, and we’ll do our best to support you. Email us at programs@Lapena.org.

Support La Peña

• La Peña Members get FREE entry for this event! Become a member to unlock discounts, free events, and other perks all year. Join today: Lapena.org/members
• Make a tax-deductible donation to sustain the art, culture and community programs that keep La Peña thriving. Donate: Lapena.org/donate

Questions?

Email programs@Lapena.org | Contact us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbcFwJ8uVSg