We are very excited to announce that the City of Oakland and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf commemorated a dual ribbon cutting for Sherri and Tanya Holland of Brown Sugar Kitchen on Tuesday, January 15th.

Photography by Drew Altizer

Photography by Drew Altizer

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf powerfully stated,“I don’t know if I have ever been next to someone with such an embodiment of gratitude and grace. Sherri you are an amazing entrepreneur and spirit here in Oakland. On a personal level I am so thrilled to stand next to a fellow lover of Oakland, a fellow feminist, and a fellow mom because I think it is important that the world sees that all of those words go together beautifully. We are in this moment in Oakland and as an Oakland native, as somebody who is passionately in love with my city all of my life, we are in a moment where I truly believe that we can change the skyline but preserve the foundation. The foundation is our people, Oaklanders. The foundation is our culture, only an Oakland vibe." 

Sherri McMullen continued by stating "I was a young girl playing dress up in my mother’s closet and dreamt of being in fashion. I was also running numbers through my head and a lover of math, so I guess they both came in handy when opening a fashion business. I opened McMullen in 2007, during a recession and in Oakland when some thought I was crazy to do it. They said, retail is risky and why Oakland? I knew I would prove them wrong and 11 years later, here we are. 

My mother always taught us to have faith, belief in ourselves and a strong work ethic. My mother, who was also a business owner, led by example. She was a community servant, mother to six children and a leader in her community. I would like to dedicate this day to my mother, Betty Jean McMullen. Here I stand with my son, Frederick, knowing that all of my work is for this little guy. I hope one day he will look to his mom, a fierce feminist, and know the meaning of strength, commitment, love and perseverance."

Photography by Drew Altizer