Resident Michael Endres said he remembers the day in 2006 when a race riot between Black and Mexican San Quentin residents resulted in a six-month lockdown.

“When that incident took place, I didn’t hear anything about any tension.” A year later, in an effort to curb violence in the institution, residents created the Day of Peace committee.

The historic event has evolved into a platform where incarcerated individuals share lived experiences, express the benefits of programming, and discuss scheduling conflicts that prevent people from attending self-help programs at San Quentin.

To commemorate the tradition of maintaining peace in prison, San Quentin’s administration brought in musicians and dancers to perform on the Lower Yard at the 17th Day of Peace event on September 6.

Resident D. Russell, who was attending his fifth Day of Peace event, said he always looks forward to the large turnout of both incarcerated and free people. Each year, he notices the peaceful environment that has become the model of San Quentin.

The event featured classic automobiles, a chalk art contest, and performances from Taiko Dancers, School of Rock San Rafael, Soul Billies, and Lucy and the Long Haul, and resident performance by Soul Unique.

School of Rock San Rafael has a house band made up of talented students who perform at various shows throughout the year. Those shows range from street fairs and festivals, charity fundraisers, house band bashes with other school of rock bands, the Marin Fair, and now San Quentin’s Day of Peace.

School of Rock San Rafael’s owner and general manager Heather R. said she didn’t know what to expect coming into San Quentin, but said that everyone was kind, engaged, and great communicators.

“This is a testament to your mission as a rehabilitation center,” said Heather R. “This has to have been the most meaningful gig we’ve played this year, and we look forward to coming back and collaborating further with your community at San Quentin.

Students in the house band shared their experience saying, “San Quentin was one of the most unique and fun gigs we’ve ever played, said keyboardist and vocalist Isabelle. Drummer, Ollie said, “Performing at San Quentin was honestly one of the best experiences ever. I didn’t know what it would be like, but the incarcerated were super kind and excited to see us.”

Soul Billies Band is a group of teachers who love live music and playing together for the last 10 years. Their last San Quentin performance was in 2019.

“It was a privilege to participate in the Day of Peace celebration. The residents were welcoming and engaging,” said Mike S, guitarist for Soul Billies. “For me, it was the most fun show we’ve played all year.”

Another band that performed for residents is Lucy and the Long Haul. The group said that playing at San Quentin is something they look forward to all year.

“It made me smile to see the joy in people’s eyes as they sang along and danced to the songs,” said Lucy. “We’re all human, regardless of our circumstances, and music has a unique power to bring everyone together.”

Longtime vendor Walkenhorst’s provided 2,700 goodie bags for residents. Each bag included a Classic Macadamia Nut with Hershey’s White Chocolate Chip cookies, a bag of Doritos Cool Ranch potato chips, a beef-n-cheese stick, and a Hershey’s Crunchy Waffle Cone Chocolate Bar, totaling around $4.50 per bag. Natalie Tovar, the company’s representative, appeared at the event to show support to the many residents who purchase food, hygiene, and electronics from Walkenhorst’s.

Residents wore white shirts as a sign of peace while volunteers and formerly-incarcerated people wore smiles as they spoke with residents about the benefits of self-help programs.

Gregory Starling, an incarcerated mentor with the Youth Offender Program, said the Day of Peace resembles his rehabilitative journey and his commitments to remain transparent and support the groups he’s participated in.

“This event allowed me to see the value in myself and others. Everyone here — residents, staff, visitors, and volunteers — are the real peacemakers each year,” said Starling. “We’re one big community and I am glad I’m a part of it.”

Spreading peace throughout the San Quentin community lives on through the long-running Day of Peace celebration, which held its first yard event in 2007.

The Day of Peace event is a call to action for incarcerated people at other facilities to consult with facility administrators to host peaceful events that showcase humanity in prisons. It is also an inspiration for new arrivals, who get a chance to learn about programs at the facility by listening to testimonials from program facilitators and volunteers.

SIDE BAR: Between 2007 and 2025, over 100 peacemakers have carried on the legacy of spreading peace and nonviolence among the people who reside, work, and visit San Quentin. Some of those incarcerated individuals are listed below. S. Alvarez, J. Appley, O. Arana, T. Banks, R. Barns, A. Beamon, R. Bennette, E. Boles, J. Brown, C. Burnside, M. Callahan, R. Carter, J. Chiu, C. Christenson, D. Clark, K. Dallas, G. Derrick, R. DeTrinidad, T. DeTrinidad, R. Dietz, R. Ehde, C. Fairly, A. Farmer, I. Flores, D. Flowers, L. Fortanel, K. Fuqua, C. Gallo, A. Garcia, E. Garcia, J. Gomez, A. Gonzalez, I. Gonzales, T. Hall, C. Harris, O. Harris, J. Heredia, L. Hernandez, J. Huynh, A. Jackson, C. Jackson, S. Johnson, D. Keller, P. Kelly, H. Lacapa, M. Landeros, E. Lara, T. Lawson, J. Levin, C. Long, I. Love, Z. McCormack, V. Miles, M. Mizuo, D. Monroe, M. Moore, Z. Moore, A. Moss, V. Moua, M. Negrete, S. Nguyen, E. O’Connor, D. Ong, F. Ortiz J. Parker, A. Parra, J. Reed, L. Pela, R. Polzin, S. Price, A. J. Pruitt, C. Ramirez, D. Reinehardt, S. Reitz, J. Sanchez, A. Sanders, P. Senegal, B. Shipp, D. Silva, H. Smith, A. Starks, C. Thao, B. Van Groeningen, J. Vue, T. Waldrip, T. Warren, B. Waters, M. Webb, R. Williams, T. Woodmore, L. Xiong, P. You, V. Zakharchenko, and R. Zorns.