Based in Oakland and formed in 1994, Oaktown Jazz Workshops (OJW) celebrates jazz music as an American indigenous art form of profound artistic and cultural significance. A complex and enjoyable music as well as an important indicator of American history, jazz offers a rich legacy that has touched the lives of each generation and continues to be an important component of contemporary culture. Our purpose is to promote, preserve, and present this music so that all youth, and especially African American youth, develop a sense of ownership and pride in jazz music as a uniquely American cultural tradition.