Kehinde Wiley Conversation on Sex, Gender + Identity

People in Koret Auditorium during a Kehinde Wiley panel at the de Young

Koret Auditorium, de Young museum, San Francisco, 2023. Photograph by Gary Sexton

The lives of Black people are often flattened through the limited gaze of anti-Blackness and white supremacy. This conversation will explore the nuances of being Black through an interdisciplinary lens of storytellers, artists, scholars, faith leaders, and activists.

Panelists:

  • W. Kamau Bell, award-winning comedian and television host
  • Ryan Coogler, award-winning filmmaker and director
  • Alicia Garza, principal at Black Futures Lab, author of The Purpose of Power, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Global Network
  • Dr. Tamura Lomax, co-founder of the Feminist Wire
  • Mistah F.A.B., hip-hop artist and community organizer
  • Emil Wilbekin, founder of Native Son

This event will be held in person and via livestream.

Watch the livestream

People in Koret Auditorium during a Kehinde Wiley panel at the de Young


About the speakers

W. Kamau Bell is a stand-up comedian and the director and executive producer of the critically-acclaimed four-part Showtime documentary, We Need To Talk About Cosby, which premiered at Sundance. He is the host and executive producer of the Emmy-Award-winning CNN docuseries United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell. Kamau’s work often highlights untold and occasionally controversial stories and centers marginalized voices on screen and off screen.

Ryan Coogler is anAmerican filmmaker. He is a recipient of four NAACP Image Awards, four Black Reel Awards, a Golden Globe Award nomination, and two Academy Award nominations. Coogler's films have received widespread acclaim and commercial success. His work has been hailed by critics for centering on often overlooked cultures and characters — most notably African Americans.

Alicia Garza believes that Black communities deserve what all communities deserve — to be powerful in every aspect of their lives. An innovator, strategist, and organizer Alicia founded the Black Futures Lab to make Black communities powerful in politics. She is the co-creator of #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Lives Matter Global Network, the strategy and partnerships director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and the cofounder of Supermajority. Alicia warns you: hashtags don’t start movements — people do.

Dr. Tamura Lomax received her PhD from Vanderbilt University in religion. She specialized in Black religion and Black diaspora studies and developed expertise in women, gender, and sexuality studies and Black cultural studies. She is CEO and visionary for the Feminist Wire, an online publication committed to feminist, anti-racist, and socio-political critique.

Mistah F.A.B. is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, community organizer, and activist. F.A.B.’s community activism and philanthropic efforts have been highly visible throughout the years. Most notably, he hosts and organizes annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, backpack and school supply drives, holiday toys events and various charitable events benefiting cancer patients and domestic violence survivors. 

Emil Wilbekin is an American journalist, media executive, stylist, content creator, culture critic, and human rights activist. He is the founder of Native Son Now, an organization dedicated to empowering and lifting up Black gay men through positive representation and business opportunities.

About the Kehinde Wiley Speaker Series

This event is part of the Kehinde Wiley Speaker Series, developed in collaboration with Pastor Mike McBride and Sherrie Deans of Live Free USA. This six-part series brings together some of the biggest names in culture, art, sports, and activism. Through panels, performances, and collective healing practices, this series offers a platform to those most impacted by state-sanctioned violence and offers a constructive framework for understanding the intersections of art, suffering, and healing.

Ticket info

Free. Seating is limited and unassigned. This does not include admission to the museum.

About Live Free USA

Live Free is a nonprofit and social justice network dedicated to ending gun violence, mass incarceration, and mass criminalization through education, advocacy, and direct action. They are driven by a mission to build community power and agency by reimagining public safety and increasing civic engagement. Live Free sees a world with safe, equitable communities for all and where every person is safely and peacefully connected to community.

Sponsors

The Kehinde Wiley Speaker Series is made possible by the generous support of Google.org.

Presenting Sponsors

Generous Support
The Harris Family
Charles and Brandi Hudson
Kaitlyn and Mike Krieger
Nion McEvoy and Leslie Berriman
Sonya Yu

Additional support is provided by the Adamolekun Family, Lisa Blackwell, Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan, Delvecchio and Kelly Finley, Bryan and Tara Meehan, Elaine A. Mellis, The Plexo Foundation, Soho House, Lisa and Jim Zanze, and the Contemporary Support Council.

Free admission on select weekends is generously underwritten by Google.org. Year-round, Free Saturdays admission for Bay Area residents is generously underwritten by Diane B. Wilsey and programming is supported by the Koret Foundation and Wells Fargo.

Contact info

Public Programs
publicprograms@famsf.org

415.750.7694

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