In 1976, OBCA was officially founded under the parent organization Blacks Unified to Motivate Progress to help plan for the next parade, along with business group Oakland Traders.

OBCA's first grand marshal was former cowboy Lonnie Scoggins, who is sometimes noted as the group's founder in place of Booker Emery.

[3][4] The mission of the OBCA is "educate all the citizens of Oakland and the Bay Area about the role played by Black cowboys and other pioneers in the settling of the American West.”[3] Besides holding the parade and festival, the OBCA also attends various community events and runs activities with Oakland's Parks, Recreation and Youth Development agency.

[3] Ismael Reed briefly writes about the OBCA and parade in his book Blues City: A Walk in Oakland.

[10] In 2021, a short documentary by James Manson and John Gamiño about the OBCA and its longtime president Wilbert Freeman McAlister was released.