BAM San Francisco Planners Meet

Marvin X, Geoffery Grier and Michael Bennett met recently to plan the Black Arts Movement 50th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco. These brothers were in the Glide Church Facts on Crack recovery program under Rev. Cecil Williams and Jan Mirikitani. Geoffery operates Recovery Theatre. Michael is the Physical Wellness Director at the Bayview/Hunters Point YMCA. If you would like to participate in BAM San Francisco, please call 510-200-4164. We are looking for organizations, funders, volunteers, participants. jmarvinx@yahoo.com. On June 5,6,7, BAM members will participate in the Sacramento Black Book Fair: Dr. Nathan Hare, Sonia Sanchez, Marvin X, et al.

The Black Arts Movement Supports the State of Black Oakland, Saturday, March 28, 10am, Geoffery's Inner Circle

Join Black led organizations on Saturday, March 28, 2015 10:00 am - 4:00 pm in creating a Black People's Agenda for Oakland.

There is tremendous work happening in Oakland with and for Black people. Many organizers, artists, advocates, community members, mothers, and more are working hard towards systematic change for the 109,471 Black residents left in Oakland (as of the 2010 census). The reality, however, is that we've also suffered many blows in the past few years. Every 28 hours a Black woman, child, or man is killed by a government protected vigilante force, as is evidenced by the report issued by MXGM, Operation Ghetto Storm. Simultaneously, the recent national uprisings for Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and countless others in our own backyard, have ushered in a spirit of hope and inspiration for a renewed people led movement.

Arguably, after the Oscar Grant uprisings (where Black folks where at the helm of leadership and collective response in Oakland) the Black community has not come together to sustain city wide change across issue. Moreover, the legacy of COINTELPRO which was key in dismantling the Black Panther Party and reared its head as recent as the Oscar Grant uprisings, have made Black collective action seem even harder. Additionally, the displacement of 25% of African people in the last decade from Oakland, and the pouring of federal monies, nearly 2 million dollars recently, into upholding a police state in Oakland has weakened our community. At the same time, there's been a "renaissance" of art and culture of Black people into Oakland that has been ushered into the city. In the midst, there are folks that have continued or birthed, a commitment to a spirit of Black Power, Service to the People, Pan Africanism, Self Determination, Youth Development, Community Empowerment and more!

Join us as we bring Black Oakland together to discuss these conditions, and what we can do as a collective Black community to bring change! This is open to all and only Black community members in Oakland!!!

Black Bird Press News & Review: Open letter to USA Black Military Veterans to unite with Veteran soliders of the 1960s Revolution for American Democracy

Black Bird Press News & Review: Open letter to USA Black Military Veterans to unite with Veteran soliders of the 1960s Revolution for American Democracy

Black Arts Movement Dream and Wishlist

 

I want to see artists and craft persons in the Black Arts Movement District along Oakland's 14th St., just as they are daily on Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue and San Francisco's Market Street. This will inspire entrepreneurship or do-for-self economics in our community, as well as inspire cultural consciousness. If youth can sell drugs, they can sell anything, legal goods, gear, music and educational tapes, books, healthy food and vegetables. I don't want to hear problems, I want to hear solutions! The cultural revolution is first, then follows the political revolution!--Marvin X

 Black Arts Movement chief architect Amiri Baraka (RIP), Black Panther Party Co-founder Bobby Seale, BAM student Dr. Ayodele Nzinga, Ahi Baraka, and Marvin X at his Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway, downtown Oakland, in the heart of the BAM District.
photo Gene Hazzard

 Marvin X at his Academy of da Corner in the heart of the BAM District, 14th and Broadway.

photo Adam Turner

 

 

PASS THE BATON BUT CAN YOU CATCH IT?

ONE OF THE BLACK ARTS MOVEMENT'S CO-FOUNDERS, MARVIN X, ASKS IF THE ELDERS PASS THE BATON  TO THE YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, CAN YOU CATCH IT?

 In this picture, we see, L to R, Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb, Laney College Professor of Art, Dr. Leslee Stradford, Rt. Col. Conway Jones, Jr. Marvin X, Naima Joy, granddaughter of Marvin X, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Jah Amiel, grandson of Marvin X, President of Laney College, Dr. Elnora T. Webb, Dr. Nathan Hare, father of Black Studies, and Lynette McElhaney, President of the Oakland City Council.
photo South Park Kenny Johnson

Open letter to USA Black Military Veterans to unite with Veteran soliders of the 1960s Revolution for American Democracy

From the Black Arts/Black Liberation Movement 

To all Black American military veterans 

who served in foreign wars and to those veteran Black liberation Movement/Black Arts Movement artistic freedom fighters and political activists who fought for the liberation of the Hood from the ravages of domestic colonialism; who are also patriots in the American revolutionary tradition; who believed in the consent of the governed, a jury of peers, innocence until proven guilty, one man, one vote. 


We call upon our North American African, United State of America military brothers and sisters to celebrate a reconciliation with a banquet and parade down the Oakland BAM District, 14th and MLK, Jr. Way to 14th and Alice. We call upon our US Military Veterans to show unity with the people with public recognition of love and respect between all those who fought for the American revolution, from the founding fathers to the elders of today, in the US military and those in the Black Arts/Black Liberation Movement. We must have a unity gathering, what about Geoffery’s Inner Circle, in the BAM District at 14th and Franklin?

We envision a Red, Black and Green Parade (with the heart) , in the Marcus Garvey style, down 14th from MLK, Jr. Way to Alice. We see USA North American African veterans in uniform marching along with the F.O.I, Black Panther Party, workers, students, religious leaders, educators, politicians, artists, same gender loving persons, et al.

As we all well know, our community is in need of unity,thus our task is to unite the people, regardless of our individual political/religious beliefs, military allegiance .  Let us come together for the common cause of our liberation—no matter the results of American politricks, we must get a consensus on our agenda for the next 50 to 100 years. Let us put on the Divine thinking cap and come to understand there is only one truth, one reality. If it’s true for you, it is true for me. Ache’.

As independent people, we must remain in this world but not of it! Let us stay focused on our wants and needs. For all we know, though we hope not, America may fall tomorrow. Where shall we be, want part of the American pie do we want. We know there shall be the Balkinization, ethnic, political, religious groups will claim their share of the American pie. Without an agenda, we shall find ourselves on the lowest rung of the multicultural ladder.

We therefore call upon Bay Area North American African US Military Veterans, especially, Rt. Col. Conway Jones, Jr. and Charles Blanchard, to lead the charge for a Day of Reconciliation of North American African Veterans who fought in US wars abroad and at home, including the F.O.I., Black Panther Party, Students, Workers, et al. Ase’.—Marvin X