From Warning to Healing: A Cultural Renaissance Returns to the Vets Hall
The silence inside the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building on October 24 was the loudest thing I have ever heard.
Attorney Danny Sheehan warned a packed room about the “masked bandits,” his term for ICE, and the urgent need for radical action. A couple months later, his warnings have become daily headlines. The weight of his words stirred memories of my own lineage, my Jewish ancestors who fled the Holocaust, my identity as a Zionist Jew, as most Jews are, and my beloved nanny from Mexico who helped raise me, walking miles across borders to find safety.
Exactly three months later, on January 24, we return to that same room.
A collective called Resistance Entertainment is transforming the Vets Hall into an eleven-hour gathering of music, market, and mutual aid. Marcus Rodriguez of the Pajaro Valley Ohlone Council will open the event. Representatives from the Pomo Reservation will be present. If the stars align, attendees may witness Lakota jingle dancing, one of the most beautiful cultural ceremonies you can experience in person.
Dub Soulja
Aztec dancers set the tone at noon. Reggae fills the afternoon, including Dub Souljah, the Central Coast reggae rocker known for high-energy performances rooted in unity and resistance (seen above), and King Namoa, flying in from Hawaii. The evening shifts to conscious hip-hop and rock with Indigenous Cats and headliners The Neighborhood Kids, fresh off an East Coast tour with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Juan Dominguez of Burn the Wagon hosts.
This year’s gathering reflects a larger community footprint than past events. Roughly 30 vendors will be present, including community organizations, artists, and Indigenous makers.
The event is family-friendly, all-ages, and completely sober. No alcohol will be served.
“Pretty much everyone present believes that sobriety is sacred,” says one of the organizers. “To have such a young, powerful group like The Neighborhood Kids who live a sober lifestyle, we think that’s something cool to bring to the community. We want to change the culture. It’s a push for sober living.”
The gathering will include a kids’ section with games and activities. Teens are welcome on their own.
LiL MC
Bay Area artist LiL MC brings both musical power and lived perspective to the event. A bilingual rapper, producer, and Hip Hop educator, LiL MC has captivated audiences across the country and internationally for more than 15 years. Her work blends sharp lyricism with a deep commitment to education, organizing, and cultural memory.
“What we’re witnessing right now is a collapse in our society,” she says. “The work ahead is about reducing the harm, about making sure that collapse doesn’t fall on the most vulnerable. That’s why events like these matter. They show what it looks like to stand up to fear and hate. Because the truth is, those in power are more afraid of us than we are of them.”
Her words frame the gathering not as spectacle, but as harm reduction through culture.
Lysn
Also performing is Lysn, whose music taps into rhythmic patterns and presence. As his band steers the momentum, the audience is pulled into an experience that speaks for itself.
A dollar from every ticket goes to the Center for Farmworker Families, which provides aid, youth programs, and scholarships to farmworkers in Watsonville and beyond. Dr. Ann Lopez, the founder, will share words. Representatives from Indigenous Justice, the organization behind the sunrise ceremony on Alcatraz, will be present as well.
When I asked what success would look like for this event, the answer came in two parts: raising a meaningful donation for the Center for Farmworker Families, and something simpler.
“That people connect and bond and walk away with new friends.”
My nanny gave me her blessing to share her story. When I texted her about getting legal help, she wrote back, “I’m not interested in staying in the country. At this time I’m ready to retire and go home in peace.” She’s turned down lawyers before. “It’s complicated. I’m too old and it’s a long process.”
Our system failed her. Organizations like the Center for Farmworker Families exist because it keeps failing.
But that weight is not the theme of this gathering. The theme is community. Reggae bands singing about love. Conscious hip-hop. Different tribes. Teachers and grassroots organizers. All walks of life building together.
On October 24, we faced what we’re fighting against.
On January 24, come see what we’re fighting for.
Event Details:
The Neighborhood Kids + Indigenous Cats Full Live Band Concert
January 24, 2026 |
Doors at Noon Veterans Memorial Building,
846 Front St, Santa Cruz
Tickets via Resistance Entertainment
Great cause to support, however, if the writer of this article (and the editor of the publication) had included a VALID LINK to the producer of the event, that would have been useful/prudent/productive. As it is, searching for ‘Resistance Entertainment’ on these here interwebs does not really lead to something that seems to be connected to this important event. Please advise?
noticing the quick edit for ticket link
DON’T FORGET THE GENOCIDE IN GAZA!!!
The conversation should include the attempted genocide carried out by Hamas, backed by Iran, on 10/7, including the torture / murder of festival-goers, some born here in California.
We should also acknowledge Iran… where countless civilians are being killed as we speak
We should also remember Ukraine, where 10,000+ confirmed civilians have been killed – hundreds of thousands of men have been killed or wounded, devastating an entire generation.
In Gaza, roughly 40,000 deaths are cited, and Hamas still has not surrendered.
Please don’t forget the genocide in Sudan as well.
Hamas should surrender. Israel isn’t going anywhere.
What about the atrocities happening right now in Gaza? And the US supporting Israel! They are committing genocide and our government is helping them in our name! Why is this not included?
Yo Rhea
Ridic. This is a local story about supporting Latino and Indigenous communities in SC….. not Gaza or Ukraine. Hijacking it is absurd.
Hamas and Hamas supporters are not invited.
Respect on this write-up. Looking forward to The Neighborhood Kids – real presence, real values, an real community energy. 🎤
After reading what Joshua Spencer Logan wrote, I believe he thinks most Jews are Zionists. That’s pretty stupid; hasn’t he heard of the Jewish Voice for Peace, the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN.org), and the Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)? I hope the Baytals band shows up at the Benefit because we love their Reggae music and Resistance vibe.
Joan, your grandson, Safaa, is a terrorist supporter. Hezbollah killed our troops. Safaa supports them and other terrorists.
MOST Jews are Zionists, confirmed by Pew research. Meaning they support Israel’s existence. The Baytals spreads hatred of most Jews in SC, and beyond.
Debbie – you are so wrong. Safaa doesn’t support terrorists, and the Baytals do not spread hatred of any kind, in fact, they promote love, as does all Reggae music.
What you say is slanderous.
Joan,
You’ve said these concerns are “slanderous.” They are not. Slander requires false statements. …What follows reflects your and Safaa’s own *publicly posted* words and actions, quoted or described accurately and in context. Calling attention to public speech and visible conduct is not slander.
Safaa has publicly expressed support for Hamas and Hezbollah and has publicly targeted Jews as a group by claiming to define who is or is not a “real Jew.” You have echoed and amplified similar rhetoric in your own public posts.
Both of you have publicly engaged in language about who counts as “real Jews”.
You have also publicly stated that Hamas “can’t be defeated,” despite Hamas torturing and murdering civilians, including people from Northern California.
Safaa has also publicly posted photos over the weekend with another individual who openly supports Hamas. That same individual arrived at the Vets Hall displaying pro-Hamas symbols on their vehicle, which multiple attendees found disturbing and inappropriate for the venue. The association was visible and raised additional concern among people present.
For clarity again: most Jews are Zionists, meaning they support Israel’s right to exist. This is well documented by Pew Research. Zionism does not mean support for Netanyahu, extremism, supremacy, or disloyalty to America. Suggesting otherwise is a classic antisemitic trope.
Hezbollah has killed U.S. troops. Hamas has tortured and murdered civilians, including Californians. Praising or legitimizing these groups is not “love,” “reggae,” or “resistance,” and calling this out is not slander.
Public statements made publicly by both of you have real-world consequences.
As context, antisemitic rhetoric is increasingly being normalized. Actress Sydney Sweeney is also being publicly attacked and labeled a “Zionist” simply for expressing concern for Nova festival hostages and for dating a Jewish man who supports Israel’s right to exist, not Netanyahu. This is the climate these narratives feed.
P.S. Bob Marley supported peace and Israel’s right to exist, and members of his living family are openly Zionist. Reggae has never meant antisemitism or praising terrorist groups. Both of you choosing rhetoric that targets Jews and legitimizes Hamas or Hezbollah is a choice, and it spreads terrible hate.
I don’t know who Debbie is, but she should contact Jewish Voice for Peace, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN.org), and Americans for Justice in Palestine (AJP Action).
These organizations will set her straight about all her concerns.