Black Art: In the Absence of Light- Trailer

 

Hey, this doc inspired me today to draw like I haven't in a long time. If you haven't seen it, check it out!!

trailer link

Te gusto? Check out my last inspiration board 

Black Is Beautiful 2023 - Charles Johnson

 

Charles Johnson was born in 1948 in Evanston IL. At an early age he showed an interest in drawing. He began his career as a cartoonist in high school drawing as a student of Lawrence Lariar. He won two competitions for his work from Columbia Scholastic Press. An adult discouraged him from pursuing art primarily so he went to school for journalism, continuing to draw, and pound the pavement in NY to get gigs. In that time while working for Chicago Tribune he saw a talk by Amiri Baraka and was inspired to do more cartooning about Black history and to reflect the times. He then worked Ebony and Jet magazine publishing cartoon strips and illustrations. 

I picked up his book "All Your Racial Problems Will Soon End" and was inspired by the drawings he'd done in the 70s. But he didn't stop there. Inspired by a friend he took creative writing and continued his college education earning a doctorate in Philosophy. Johnson would go on to write for papers like the NY Times and the Wall St Journal. But he also began writing novels such as The Middle Passage, King, and Soul Catcher. He became a professor of creative writing at the University of Washington for more than 30 years. He wrote over 20 scripts for TV, he was awarded by the MacArthur Genius Award, Guggenheim, National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He's a buddhist, and is still writing as we speak. 

Sources: The Belief Agency, Wikipedia, oxherdingtale.com

Dig this? Check out my piece about Ruth Carter and Robert Sengstacke Abbott

10 Years of Revision Path!!!!

 

Ey, we gotta give big props and credit to Maurice Cherry who has spent the last decade researching, contacting, featuring, interviewing Black designers and artists. I started listening to the show off and on when my friend Qa'id Jacobs was a featured guest(2016). I knew Qa'id from Brooklyn and was astonished at the time to see a podcast dedicated to Black artists and designers like this. It did NOT exist back then. But folks Like Andrea Pippins, John Jennings, Kimberly Bryant, Goldi Gold, Craig Brimm, Gabriele Smith, and Dawn Okoro were working HARD even back then.

If you're interested in architecture, graphic design, illustration, UI UX, etc go to the website and listen to some of these episodes. LINK

Listen to this episode about the history of Revision Path where he breaks down some of the hardships he's faced over the years and some of the triumphs. Thank god he has kept it going! 

Thank you Maurice!!! Who himself is a great designer. This is his company.

Dig this? Check out Black Work Talk podcast or these Business Podcasts

African American Read In week- Tacoma Public Library

This past week myself, Tyrah Majors, Leonard Williams, and Parable Tacoma had a panel discussion about our work, diversity and books, and we read a few exerpts from our stories. You can visit Tacoma Public Library online here. BIG shout out to Mejin Turner, Kelsey King, and Kim Mose who are the librarians who invited us to speak!! I met these folks last summer at the Seattle Urban Book Expo.

Here's the original flyer:

Dig this? Here's a video from a literacy presentation I did with Sacramento's Sol Collective

 

Drawing From Black History- Berkeley Ca Feb 25th

 

Yo! I'm going to be at Berkeley Public Library tomorrow at the central/downtown branch drawing and talking with artists Avy Jetter and Fred Noland. We'll be joined by two esteemed librarians as well. Ms Elaine Tai and Erica Glenn. This is an all ages event so come through with your shorties, your grandma, and yourself. 

LINK FOR MORE INFO

From the library: 

February 25, 2023 - 3:00pm-5:00pm 

Central Library

Join Bay Area artists Rob Liu-Trujillo, Avy Jetter, and Fred Noland for a creative celebration of Black art and Black history. We will begin with an artists' panel, where each of these artists will share about their professional artwork and process, and show a brief demonstration. This will be followed by an art activity where kids (K-8), teens and adults can learn from these artists and express their own creativity!

• Artists' Panel and Demo at 3PM
• Art Activity at 4PM

This event is for grades K-8, teens, and adults. All materials will be provided. It will take place at the Central Branch on the 5th Floor, Art and Music. Sponsored by the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. 

Dig this? Check out the art of Fred Noland and Avy Jetter

Black Is Beautiful 2023- Dr. Muriel Petioni

Dr Muriel Petioni was known as the "mother of medicine" in Harlem. Born in 1914 in Trinidad she migrated to the US with her family. Her father worked hard to bring his family to the US, attended school, and became a doctor. She followed in his footsteps becoming a practicing physician for over 40 years with a degree from Howard University. She worked at various hospitals throughout the south before returning to NYC to start her own private practice which involved caring for poor and working class families in Harlem. She saw patients and made house calls, often addressing the entire person's health, not just one ailment. She started the Friends of Harlem Hospital and helped to get 2 million dollars for it. She was on the board of the greater Harlem nursing home. She helped mentor others through the Dr Susan Smith McKenney Steward Medical Association. She was awarded by the Harlem Hospital Center, the NYC Coalition of 100 Black Women, CUNY, The Schomburg, and by her alma mater Howard. Dr Petioni passed away in 2011 at the age of 97. 

Sources: NAACP, Harlem Cultural Archives, NY Amsterdam News

Dig this? Check out this one about Dr Dorothy L. Brown or Alice Augusta Ball

Black Is Beautiful 2023 - C.R. Patterson & Sons

 

Check this out. Did you know there was a Black owned automobile manufacturing business? I didn't! C.R. Patterson & Sons was founded by Charles Richard Patterson. Born in 1833 into slavery this brother escaped and made his way north to Ohio. There he began working as a blacksmith honing his skills to make horse carriages. In 1873 he linked with J.P. Lowe started a joint horse carriage business. In 1893 they parted ways and he renamed the company C.R. Patterson and Sons which he ran with his son Frederick (1 of 5 kids). They repaired carriages and cars at first then debuted their first car in 1913. Between the years of 1893 and 1939 they would make coupe's, trucks, busses, and at one point had 28 types of horse carriages. C.R. passed away in 1910 his son Frederick kept the business going. They had several employees and a thriving business but could not compete with larger companies such as Ford, and once the depression hit they were one of many small companies to fold. Imagine what it would be like if they had the resources to continue?! Although there are no intact C.R. Patterson and Sons vehicles left they were pioneers from from Greenfield Ohio.

Sources: BlackPast.org, Wikipedia, The Big Car Channel

Dig this? Check out these pieces about race car drivers Cheryl Linn Glass and Willy T. Ribbs

LLAG Radio - Art Nelson Concordia interview

 

video link

This is a really great interview with educator, activist, and dad Art Concordia Nelson about his work in Ethnic Studies. He has been a teacher in schools for over 20 years, was instrumental to the fight for ethnic studies in San Francisco public schools, Ethnic Studies as a requirement for all California high schoolers, and is now working on a program in Santa Barbara.

Some of my favorite topics he brought up in this video are:

• Ethnic Studies going from the margins to the center and the attacks that come with that
• Why Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory are under scrutiny and threat
• How race was invented to divide people
• The path of inquiry to understand systems
• The experience of working with young people and the responses or questions they have
• Anti Oppression/ Anti Racism
• Sorting neighborhoods into workers, managers, and owners

There were more gems but heres a good quote: "Ethnic Studies is history from the perspective of racialized communities of color"

Dig this? Check out my last Ethnic Studies in Every School painting and the Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies

Reflection Press Crowdfund- The Gender & Infinity Book

 

Hey, my folks Maya and Matthew of "Reflection Press" just launched a new kids book project! It's called the Gender & Infinity Book and it's a story/guide for all children.

Go to the campaign with THIS LINK

All the good info you need to know about the project is on their site, but I';; just say that these two have been doing pioneering work to develop stories, art, books, curriculum, and games for all people to enjoy, but especially for gender fluid and Queer kids and those who support them. Feel me? 

Right now you got mayors, governors, etc actively trying to criminalize young people who identify outside of Boy or Girl, or who are Queer. For no more than fear and ignorance. So this work is serious for those kids and families who are going through it and looking for more tools to reflect with and to share. 

Again, check out their project HERE and spread the word to open minded people.

Dig this? Check out this organization that is putting more Lgbtq/Queer stories into schools

Virtuous Con- Virtual convention Feb 25-26th

 

Hey folks, I'm going to be a virtual vendor at the third "Virtuous Con". I'm excited to participate, check out the panels, and to interact with attendees. Once you register for this event you'll be able to virtually interact with the different creators and vendors. More info and registration here.

What is this?
Virtuous Con is a company created by Cerece Rennie Murphy that produces and hosts virtual events, as a vehicle for independent science fiction, fantasy, and comics creators to grow an audience for their work. Each event venue creates an authentic experience for attendees including virtual “booths” for vendors to interact live with attendees about their products and live panel rooms to interact in real-time discussions. Murphy created Virtuous Con out of a need to help many of her BIPOC creative colleagues and friends whose businesses were disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 shutdowns.

Dig this? Check out this virtual panel I did as one of the organizers of the Social Justice Children's Book Holiday Fair