SAN FRANCISCO—Honoring the incredible legacy of Black Power in the San Francisco Bay Area, the de Young museum is proud to announce a line-up of programming and partners tied to celebrating the landmark exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963–1983. Featuring renowned artists, performers, musicians, activists, civic leaders, and more, these programs welcome special guests from San Francisco and beyond to bring Black Power to the forefront of our winter programming season.

In addition, the de Young is offering free admission to the entire museum, including free entry to Soul of a Nation, for all visitors on four Saturdays throughout the run of the exhibition.

Many works in the exhibition respond to turbulent moments in American history, in addition to iconic leaders from the San Francisco Bay Area. The museum is proud to welcome founder of the Oakland Community School and leader of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense Ericka Huggins, who will re-create her classroom for visitors, as well as Fredrika Newton, who will discuss the legacy of her late husband, Huey P. Newton, cofounder of the Black Panther Party.

In response to the various musical themes featured throughout the exhibition, seen in Barkley L. Hendricks’s What’s Going On and William T. Williams’s Hawk’s Return, we also welcome some of the Bay Area’s most respected musicians and music scholars. Guests such as Jahi, from “Public Enemy (radio)”, Soul of a Nation artist Mike Henderson, and the legendary hip-hop group Souls of Mischief look at the influence of music on culture and art, particularly in times of adversity.

As the works in the exhibition speak across time, reminding us that struggles for racial liberty, justice, and creative freedom remain more relevant than ever, we also highlight contemporary work that is radically informing the discussions we have today. San Francisco native Jimmie Fails, star of The Last Black Man in San Francisco, as well as renowned director, producer, and musician Boots Riley will host conversations at our museum that look at art as a key force in effecting social and political change.

Please read below for the full list of programs and partners, and join us in celebrating Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983.

EVENTS

November 9, 2019 \ Opening Weekend + Block Party + ENTIRE MUSEUM FREE

The opening day of Soul of a Nation will kick off with a Block Party held at the de Young museum featuring programming throughout the day. The exhibition, as well as the museum’s permanent galleries, will be free for all visitors. Hear from artists featured in Soul of a Nation, catch a musical performance, take part in wellness activities, or join in the family artmaking. The event partners include the following:

• Artists Beuford Smith, Gerald Williams, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Linda Goode Bryant, Mike Henderson, and Richard Mayhew who will discuss their work currently on view in Soul of a Nation.
• MCs Melonie and Melorra Green, co-executive directors of the African American Art & Culture Complex and radio hosts of “The Ibeji Lounge” on KPOO 89.5 FM, Poor People’s Radio.
• Music performances by Warriors DJ DJ D Sharp featuring Martin Luther and Vocal Rush, Sistah Iminah, DJ Nina SOL, JAHI and THE LIFE, Ruby Ibarra, Howard Wiley, Aneesa Strings, and SOL Development.
• Dance performances with GrooveMekanex.
• Morning with wellness activities with We The Healthiest.
• Art-making projects with Malik Seneferu.
• Local makers of textiles, home decor, jewelry, and accessories, selling their wares.

November 16, 2019 \ Blues concert with Mike Henderson, Soul of a Nation artist
Mike Henderson is a pioneering artist, filmmaker, and musician whose dynamic practice has spanned more than 50 years. Catch Henderson’s free live blues performance, offered in partnership with the San Francisco Art Institute and Haines Gallery, before heading downstairs to see his work in Soul of a Nation.

November 23, 2019 \ Film screening of The Last Black Man in San Francisco, featuring a Q&A with star Jimmie Fails + Mary Lou’s Apartment
Join us for a special screening of the award-winning movie every Bay Area local needs to see. Co-writer and lead star, Jimmie Fails, will be on-site to introduce the film and answer questions from the audience during an exclusive Q&A after the show.

December 7, 2019 \ Drum making workshop with Jahi, from “Public Enemy (radio)”
Bring the entire family for a master lesson in drum-making with hip hop artist and DJ Jahi.

December 14, 2019 \ Musical performance by Souls of Mischief + Film Screening of “Til Infinity: The Souls of Mischief” + ENTIRE MUSEUM FREE
The legendary Bay Area hip-hop group Souls of Mischief is coming to the de Young. The day includes a film screening of the group’s documentary Til Infinity: The Souls of Mischief, followed by a panel with the director, and a performance in our Wilsey Court.

December 21, 2019 \ Film screening of Rainbow Black: Poet Sarah W. Fabio + director talk
Join us for a film screening of Rainbow Black: Poet Sarah W. Fabio, accompanied by a Q&A with the director Cheryl Fabio, Sarah Fabio’s daughter. This viewing is a part of a film series about Black power and Black art with a Bay Area focus curated by Cornelius Moore of California Newsreel.

December 28, 2019 \ Jim Prigoff: “The History of Murals” + Totemaking with Julian Prince Dash
Jim Prigoff has spent the past 50 years taking countless photographs of and writing books on the art form of murals. After his talk, head inside the galleries to see his work in Soul of a Nation.

Create your own tote bag and watch it be sewn together before your very eyes with social practice artist and clothing designer, Julian Prince Dash. No sewing skills required!

January 4, 2020 \ Film screening of Free Angela & All Political Prisoners
Curated film series about black power and black art with a Bay Area Focus by Cornelius Moore of California Newsreel.

January 11, 2020 \ Rigo23 in conversation with the Angola 3 + ENTIRE MUSEUM FREE
Hear Robert Hillary King and Albert Woodfox of the Angola 3 in conversation with artist and activist, Rigo 23, as they explore the unique ability of art to bring awareness to cases of social injustice. After the talk, head downstairs to see the activist art featured in Soul of a Nation exhibit for FREE.

January 18, 2020 \ Performance and talk with Tarika Lewis and Tureeda Mikell in collaboration with Oakland Museum of California + Screening of film created for OMCA’s exhibition All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50 + Drum-making workshop with Jahi, from “Public Enemy (radio)”
Sit down with the first woman to join the Black Panthers, Tarika Lewis and award-winning poet and educator Tureeda Mikell for a conversation about their experiences with art, activism, and their life-long friendship. Stay for a screening of a film created for OMCA’s exhibition, All Power to the People: Black Panthers at 50.

February 1, 2020 \ Film screening of Agents of Changewith Directors Talk
From the well-publicized events at San Francisco State in 1968 to the image of black students with guns emerging from the takeover of the student union at Cornell University in April, 1969, the struggle for a more relevant and meaningful education, including demands for black and ethnic studies programs, became a clarion call across the country in the late 1960s. Through the stories of these young men and women who were at the forefront of these efforts, Agents of Change examines the untold story of the racial conditions on college campuses and in the country that led to these protests.

February 8-9, 2020 \ Partnership with Museum of African Diaspora and Ericka Huggins + ENTIRE MUSEUM FREE
Ericka Huggins is an educator, former Black Panther Party member, political prisoner, human rights activist, and poet. For 37 years, she has lectured internationally on human rights, restorative justice and the role of spiritual practice in sustaining activism and promoting social change. As the founder of the Oakland Community School, Huggins re-creates her classroom in this special partnership with the Museum of African Diaspora.

February 15, 2020 \ “The Legacy of Huey P. Newton” with Fredrika Newton
Fredrika Newton, widow of Black Panther Party cofounder Huey P. Newton, gives an insightful talk on love and her late husband’s legacy.

February 22, 2020 \ Talk on hip-hop culture and education with Jahi, from “Public Enemy (radio)”
“The Intersection between Hip-Hop Culture & Education” is an interactive lecture series, discovery, demonstration, performance, and musical call to action created by Jahi. The talk focuses on the life-affirming aspects of hip-hop from an academic, educational, and cultural lens.

March 14, 2020 \ Closing weekend party: Boots Riley in conversation
Boots Riley is a provocative and prolific poet, rapper, songwriter, producer, screenwriter, director, community organizer, and public speaker. He most recently wrote and directed the comedy–fantasy sci-fi film Sorry to Bother You, his directorial debut.

ADDITIONAL PARTNERS

Uhuru Food & Pies at the de Young Cafe
The de Young Museum Café has partnered with Oakland favorite Uhuru Foods & Pies to sell slices of their pies at the café. Flavors include chocolate pecan, sweet potato, and blackberry (vegan).

Named for the Swahili word for “freedom,” Uhuru Foods & Pies is a subsidiary of Black Star Industries, a Black-led self-determination program of the African People’s Socialist Party, a worldwide organization building for African liberation and unification.

Black Panther Party Legacy Collection x de Young
The de Young Museum Store has partnered exclusively with the Black Panther Party Legacy Collection and collection founder Fredrika Newton, widow of Huey P. Newton, in honor of Soul of a Nation. Custom T-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and other items featuring the registered Panthers logo and the “All Power to the People” trademark will be available to purchase both in-store and online, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation.

The de Young Museum Store will also be selling a myriad of products related to the exhibition including:

• Shirts, tote bags, posters, puzzles and other items featuring Wadsworth Jarrell’s painting Revolutionary (Angela Davis)
• Black Power scarves
• Painted neckties and scarves designed by M-Lew
  

FREE ENTRY TOSOUL OF A NATION
In addition to the programming listed above, the de Young is offering free admission to Soul of a Nation as well as the rest of the museum for all visitors on four Saturdays throughout the run of the exhibition. Please join us on one of the dates below to see the exhibition for free.

• November 9, 2019 (opening day)
• December 14, 2019
• January 11, 2020
• February 8, 2020
  

More information on all programs and partnerships listed above is available on our website.

About the Exhibition
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983
de Young museum \ November 9, 2019–March 15, 2020

The internationally acclaimed exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963–1983 travels to San Francisco this fall, celebrating works by Black artists created during two pivotal decades in American history. The exhibition—organized by Tate Modern, London—examines the very purpose of art and the role of artists in society. Featuring more than 150 works by over 60 artists, the de Young presentation uniquely includes works closely connected to the San Francisco Bay Area. Soul of a Nation captures a turbulent time when race and identity were central issues in American society, much as they continue to be today. Read the full release.

Media Contacts:
Shaquille Heath, Communications Associate \ sheath@famsf.org

Miriam Newcomer, Director of Communications \ mnewcomer@famsf.org