2nd 'BBQ 'N While Black' party held at Lake Merritt Sunday

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - There was crowd of people gathered around Oakland's Lake Merritt Sunday to take part in an event dubbed BBQ 'N While Black.

Organizers said it's a way to celebrate the African American community and spread positivity at the same time. 

The idea for the event stemmed from the "Barbecue Becky' incident in 2018, in which a white woman called police to try to stop two African American men from using a charcoal barbecue at the lake.

"I think when that did (happen) it was kind of a negative thing, but it made it positive," said Carolyn Riley, an Oakland who attended the event with her family.

The first "BBQ 'N While Black" event was organized in response to the incident and over 2,000 people showed up last year. 

Grill is allowed at the location along the lake where the white woman called police on the black family, but the men were using charcoal, which is prohibited in that section of the park.