“Students will enter, take off their shoes by the door, and wash their hands before lessons begin, according to Jessica Wernett, an instructor.”

“There are many reasons that small business owners of color—like Jessica de Lima-Moran, who’s Brazilian, and her husband Sean Moran, who’s black—will have to fight especially hard to survive the economic effects of COVID-19.”

“I first started doing Capoeira when I was in my mom’s belly. She was doing Capoeira when she was seven months pregnant. I think it helped me with the show because Capoeira helps me control my body.”

“It not only imparts strength of a martial artist but also coordination of a dancer, flexibility of a gymnast, endurance of a marathon runner and rhythmic sense of a musician,” explains Reza Baba gleefully.

At about 10 a.m. young capoeira students from Omulu Capoeira in downtown Oakland performed in front of a small crowd.