Protection and preservation of Artwork/Murals -Oakland

If you're an artist who painted a mural or wall in downtown Oakland or the Fruitvale district and want to help facilitate yours and others being preserved please read this flyer and contact the "Black Cultural Zone" at info@blackculturalzone.org 

There have been multiple groups of folks working behind the scene to help preserve these works of art but the BCZ is bringing folks together. Please share with friends if you know of someone who painted something as well.

Articles about the artwork:
KQED-Artists honor victims of police brutality even as Police take their paint
KQED-Oaklands Black Lives Matter Murals Call for Justice

1619-2020 W/ Nikole Hannah Jones

Loved Nikole's reporting before I even knew who she was. When I discovered the link between her reporting and her I was in awe. Still am. If you haven't read "The 1619 Project" I recommend it.

This talk is about that, but more it is about providing actual concrete things white people can do to reach racial equity and so much of that has to do with acknowledging America's past, teaching it, and owning it.

One of the most poignant points she makes here is about tech companies and corporations trying to seize the current moment, not by committing to large shifts in their hiring practices but to saying "Black Lives Matter" in a tweet or giving laptops to students. I wish I could say more, but take a listen.

Mural: Black Lives

Before/After

I painted this in collaboration w/ artist & business owner Binta Ayofemi. She came up with the design and Paint The Void commissioned it. Haven't painted a big wall (30' x 50') in a minute so it was nice to get back up on the lift. It was painted with house paint, brushes, rollers, and Montana Spray.Shout out to Nisha K Sethi (TYS) who hooked this up for me. 

Affirming Black Lives w/ the words "Reparations" and "Transformations" is a powerful statement. Despite the circumstances it felt good to collab with Binta and hear from every day folks. There were so many beautiful pieces painted in downtown and East Oakland since George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were murdered. This is not the first time I've painted a wall, banner, or painting in response to police terrorism and I know it won't be the last. But, i'm encouraged by how many more artists (OGs and youngsters) out there taking control of the narrative w/their work.

The work we all create is part of a legacy of resistance. Keep creating young artists! Marathon over sprint. And please take care of each other. We got a long way to go. 

Check out some of the process and close ups. 

Binta's sketch

Mask ready

Sketch

Adding gold

Cleaning it up

Adding gold

Almost there

Binta wanted to let em know

Done

Signed

Dig this? Did you see this post? Police Brutality Over The Years

Kindred Journey 37 - A4BL

I remember beaming with happiness and pride when I saw a group of young Asian Americans chain themselves to a building( Police Dept)  to protest. They were bold and I remember thinking "that's what I'm talking about". Showing up and showing out with direct action. That group was A4BL or Asians 4 Black Lives, in support of Black activists and Black folks being murdered by cops. This was shortly after Mike Brown was killed. After Oscar, Rekia, Tamir, Tyisha, and Trayvon. Anyway, I won't get into the history. I've pasted their statement below. To all my young Aapi's this month I just wanted to share this with you if you didn't know. Solidarity exists. Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month. Fuck the police. 

We stand on the doorstep of the Oakland Police Department today as a group of Asians putting our bodies on the line in response to a national call to shut down institutions that perpetrate the war on Black people.  It is unacceptable that every 28 hours a Black person is killed by the police, security or vigilantes.

As Asians, we recognize the ways in which we’ve been used historically to prop up the anti-Black racism that allows this violence to occur. We are an extremely diverse community.  Some of us have been targeted, profiled, and killed by U.S. government institutions.  Many of us came to the U.S. as a result of the devastation and displacement caused by the US military and its “partners” in Asia, only to find a country uses police to devastate and displace black communities.  However, we also recognize the relative privilege that many of us carry as Asians living in the US. 

Many of our Asian brothers and sisters around the country have made powerful statements in support of ending the war on Black people and shown up to protests.  We hope that Asian communities will join us in reflecting on and continuing to practice an intentional Black-Asian solidarity, as we work toward the vision offered by organizers in Ferguson:

“We are striving for a world where we deal with harm in our communities through healing, love, and kinship. This means an end to state sponsored violence, including the excessive use of force by law enforcement. We are committed to an America that comes to terms with the trauma of its painful history and finds true reconciliation for it. Mass incarceration and the over criminalization of black and brown people must forever end, leaving in its place a culture that embraces our histories and stories. This means an end to racial bias and white supremacy in all its forms.

 Our dreams are directly linked with those resisting militarism, war, and state repression around the world. We will achieve this new beloved community hand in hand, step by step, in global solidarity with all people committed to lasting peace and full justice.”

We understand that our liberation depends on the liberation of black people, and echo the demands that have come out of Ferguson.

Source: https://a4bl.tumblr.com/

Did you catch the last one of Rocky Rivera?
Did you see this one of Bambu?

The Bull Horn Blog- Kenneth Braswell

Yo, so many months in the making, I finally got a chance to interview Kenneth Braswell of Fathers Incorporated. Please check it out on "The Bull Horn Blog"

LINK

Character 119 - Diamond Reynolds

This is Diamond Reynolds and her daughter, the partner of Philando Castile and the woman who filmed his murder by a Minnesota Police officer. Rest in piece brother Philando, a traffic stop should not have resulted in your murder. Bless Ms Reynolds and her daughter who should have not had to witness what they did. For the nay sayers on police brutality, this is not an isolated incident. It's not because he did not follow the law. It is because America as a continent is terrified of Black people and feels our lives are less than. Terrorism is not just abroad, it is right here in the US in Black communities. If you are outraged, get involved. Organize with folks who are invested in dismantling the system. For young creatives and artists, if you have the spirit to, speak on injustice in your work.

Black Lives Matter- Remember Trayvon

Here are some illustrations I did for Black Lives Matter/ The Movement 4 Black Lives as they remembered the anniversary of Trayvon Martin's murder. Here is a statement from BLM:

"Five years ago today, Trayvon’s extrajudicial murder and his family’s commitment to ending gun violence and strengthening communities catalyzed a generation of organizers and activists to take action for Black lives.

Five years later, the same conditions that led to Trayvon’s death have been exacerbated under the Trump administration. Anti-Blackness is pervasive and implicit, and Black children and adults continue to be put on trial for our own murders.

The perceptions of Black people and Blackness in America, and globally, have resulted in the refusal to acknowledge the unique cultural contributions of Black people. Moreover, they perpetuate prejudice, deadly policing, racist legislation, and interpersonal violence.

Trayvon Martin's death catalyzed us. Join us in remembering him. "

#RememberingTrayvon

Sketch by: Rob Liu-Trujillo | Design by Laura Jenks

Who is She? 22- Black Lives Matter

Give thanks and nuff respect to Opal, Patrice, and Alicia for being. And thanks to all of the chapter members and allies across the world for doing the work; prominently Black women leading the work. All of them lit a spark that grew into a movement. For those who haven't heard. Three Black women from different cities and similar minds made up the term, hashtag, and movement called "Black Lives Matter". In LA, Oakland, and NYC it started and spread to Florida, Missouri, and other states; each having their own unique fights. If you want to read the words of the founders I suggest reading the statements directly from their site and interviews in The California Report, Truth-Out, The Root, and Democracy Now.  But, read from several sources to get the full picture. Some people cover the root causes and some people merely want to capture the "cool".

In 2012 I remember it rising from frustration of being murdered by police with absolutely no consequences for taking of life. It came from the media's misinforming the public about what happened and who BLM is. It comes from the state's (city, state, and national governments) record of violence (physical, environmental, financial, and mental) on the lives of Black people all over the world. It came from turning that frustration into affirmation and saying yes we are here, we exist, and our lives matter. We've been facing it, struggling outside of the system, and going by the book. But when they finally had enough and stood up and said "no more" is when people started to take notice. Some people who understood joined in solidarity.  Others, who simply don't see why BLM activists couldn't just wait, calm down, or whatever used thinly disguised racism to attack them.

And well this is simply for affirming their very existence black folks from Toronto, Cincinatti, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Sacramento, Pasadena, Philly, D.C., Cambridge, Denver, Boston, Tennessee, Texas, and other cities. For saying "no you can't just oppress us" without a fight. For saying "Black Lives Matter". What I admire most about the adults and youth doing the work is that they wont be categorized or placed in a neat box for older white conservatives or leftists to digest. They are changing the way we think, act, and act up. And they are not settling. Respect to the activists facing charges today, and those who stand up to the tired arguments that try to do everything but acknowledge the racism that exists overtly and covertly in our courts, classrooms, offices, police departments, banks, I could go on. The whole damn system is guilty.

Sources: Black lives Matter (site), Deomcracy Now (video), AJ+ (Video)

Character 91- Father, Son, & Fear

Do people understand what Black fathers, Black women, Black trans folks, etc feel like when they walk outside? 

Hey all , this month the Black Lives Matter movement has secured a major lighthouse on the internet of information. A megaphone for those looking for information, thoughts, calls to action, demands, and plans to move ahead.

Every day this month (Black History Month) Huff Post will feature a different writer addressing the issues that Black folks (and many poc) are facing across the US. The first piece was about “leadership” and “next steps” written by BLM co-founder Opal Tometi.

Go to http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/black-future-month/ and follow the discussion. Share it! But mostly, look for some dots to connect and a lane to ride on.

Visuals artists! This is about to be a major cache of material for inspiration to create work that makes it vivid for the folks that wont read the articles, or dont care to. 
-Rob

My crew reps hard w/ Las Cafeteras

This past weekend the ILL group Las Cafeteras from East Los came up to the Bay (San Francisco/Oakland) to do some shows on their west coast tour. But they didnt just come through and rock an amazing show, they invited community organizers and artists to bless the spaces where they threw down. That mean local giants Mass Bass, Culture Strike, La Pelanga Djs, Causa Justa, Black Lives Matter, and my crew got to dance and come together to  build bridges. Hence the flyer for the Oakland and SF show. It was a great night with high caliber art from visual artists and the musicians. Check out the shots from my crew (Yoshi, Cece, and Bounce of The Trust Your Struggle Collective), my piece is the one of the kids (you know!). Some photos by La Chucha, Mass Bass, and myself.

Artists against Police Brutality- Comics Anthology

via John Jennings:

We’ve all seen the pictures. A six-year-old Ruby Bridges being escorted by U.S. marshals on her first day at an all-white, New Orleans school in 1960. A police dog attacking a demonstrator in Birmingham. Fire hoses turned on protesters. Martin Luther King Jr. addressing a crowd on the National Mall. These pictures were printed in papers, flashed across television screens, and helped to change the laws of this Nation...but not all of the attitudes.

We’ve all seen the pictures. Michael Brown lying face down in a pool of his own blood for hours. Protesters with their hands up, facing down militarized policemen. We’ve also seen the videos. Eric Garner choked to death. John Crawford III shot down in Walmart for carrying a toy gun. Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice gunned down in broad daylight for the same reason.

This time, the pictures and videos aren’t doing much to change things; if anything, they are a repeated reminder of how worthless black and brown lives are to the justice system. So we need conversations to go along with the pictures, and we’re sending out an APB to artists and writers to help jump start those conversations.

APB: Artists against Police Brutality is a comic book anthology with one primary goal: show pictures and tell stories that get people talking. We are looking for artists across the disciplines to lend their talents and critical eye for this artistic examination of the US justice system and its treatment of communities of color. We are looking for personal stories, biographies, sociopolitical and historical analysis that shed a light on shared experiences across these communities, not just to act as an echo chamber, but to be used to change minds outside of these communities.

APB will be a black and white book that collects these stories. While primarily a comic book project, we will also consider following:

ONE- AND TWO-ROW COMIC STRIPS
PIN-UPS AND SPOT ILLUSTRATIONS
PROSE STORIES (whatever the genre; up to 1,500 words) and analytical essays (personal, sociopolitical, historical; up to 2,000 words)

The main goal is to encourage people to talk about the persistent problems facing this country in terms of race and the justice system in an accessible and powerful medium.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

PITCH PROCESS
Please send an email to artistsagainstpolicebrutality@gmail.com to give the editors (Bill Campbell, John Jennings, and Jason Rodriguez) the general idea of the story that you want to do. Tell us a little about yourself and send samples (or a link to your website) if you have them. ALL PITCHES MUST BE RECEIVED BY JANUARY 15, 2015.

throw something in there yall.

Justice for Renisha McBride-Collab with Dignidad Rebelde

Download poster here: http://bit.ly/HTXdE3

Reposted from Melanie Cervantes: PLEASE SHARE
Seeking help after being in a car accident, Renisha McBride,a 19-year-old young Black woman, knocked on the door of a home in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights last Sunday. Instead of assisting her, the White homeowner Ted Wafe (54 years old) opened the door and shot McBride in the face with a single shotgun blast and killed her. She had knocked on several doors seeking help after the accident. #blacklivesmatter #justice4renisha #blackwomenmatter

My thoughts on this? It's hard to even verbalize how angry it makes me that black folk are being taken away from their families and robbed of life because of a nation's fear and or hatred of Black or Brown women and men. I wont go on, I'll just say that they cant take us away unless we let them. Shout out to Melanie Cervantes of Dignidad Rebelde for letting me get down on this beautifully colored/designed poster. Please share it and print it out if you are protesting. Shout out to Alicia for making the connection and call to artistic arms!