“Sights and Sounds” is our weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene through the eyes and ears of local artists. On this episode, host Jenee Darden speaks with activist Ericka Huggins. She’s a member of the Black Panther Party and co-author of Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party.
“Angela Davis - Seize the Time”
Oakland Museum
Happening now till June 11, 2023
This exhibit honors Davis’ activism in Black resistance, female empowerment, and prison abolition. There are magazines, photographs, and writings from her Oakland archives. The exhibit also examines how Davis inspires social justice efforts - such as disrupting the white status quo and the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Painting the Streets: Oakland Uprising in the Time of Rebellion”
This book documents and celebrates Oakland murals created in protest of police brutalities against Black people. It includes photos, essays, and interviews by artiss who are in solidarity with Black liberation movements. Having a book like this is so important. It’s a great way to capture what was happening in Oakland during the 2020 protests. The cover art features a mural by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith.
Till
In 1955, Emmett Till, a 14 year old black boy, was lynched in Mississippi after being accused of whistling at a white woman in a grocery store. The film tells the story of Emmett’s mother Mamie Till Mobley turning her grief into action. Till’s murder and the photos of beaten, bloated body in his casket was the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. The movie shows the power and resilience of a mother’s love.
Ericka Huggins is co-author of Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party. See her discuss the book this Friday, 5:30 pm at the Oakland Museum.
