Uplifting Black Voices of The Past and The Present

Black History Month @ Brightworks.

Uplifting Black Voices of The Past and The Present.

“Celebrating the history of Black people; it’s important to me because it was sad a lot of years ago when Black people got enslaved. {Black History Month} makes me very happy because it makes it seem like we are being celebrated because we are - also BHM is a really nice month to celebrate Black people.”

Nathi, Quartz Band, Brightworks

“February is Black History Month; a month to celebrate, examine, and learn. Collective memory is important every month, but it is of the utmost importance–now more than ever–to continue the legacy of activists and imaginaries that envisioned a world without the shackles of racism and ignorance.”

-18-year-old, Savanna Tess, from Dallas, TX about the significance of Black History Month. Black History Month: Uplifting Black Voices of the Past and Present

Black Histories/Black Futures

Together, we must ensure that the efforts, histories and experiences of Black people will never again be overlooked or erased.

This Black History Month (BHM), at Brightworks, we have studied, shared, reflected, and created in service of learning and celebration of Black culture. Don’t forget, Black history is American history and it’s being created every single day.

FILM.

In the upper school, students watched and discussed The Space Race: The Untold Story of the First Black Astronauts on February 23rd. “THE SPACE RACE weaves together the stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars, including Guion Bluford, Ed Dwight and Charles Bolden, among many others.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
55 Black History Videos Everyone Should Watch

ART.

And this week, we welcome artist and educator Malik Seneferu to our lower school. Malik will be speaking to the younger students about Black history, including Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, which is being studied by many bands. He will conclude his visit with an art workshop.

Malik Seneferu, born in 1971 in San Francisco, California, is a visual artist native to the Bayview Hunters Point. He is the recipient of the 2024 Creative Corps Grant and currently serves as the artist in residence in San Francisco. With a lifelong dedication to painting, education, and public art, Seneferu is renowned for his interactive murals and sculptural projects across Northern California. Learn more here.

This week students will also be participating in a group afro-futurism-inspired art project led by the beloved Jo Johnson, our support collaborator and incredibly talented artist.

Carah Jo is a self taught, mixed-media artist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They are currently based in San Francisco, California. Their colorful pieces capture the beauty in everyday San Francisco scenes. Check out their show at MM Clay in Hayes Valley to see some of their work on display. carahjo.com

Learn more about Jo's work

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Activity at Home - inspired by the art of Romare Bearden.

Celebrate Black voices and talent further at the MOMA website, honors the joy, beauty, and complexity of Black history.

BOOKS.

In Lapis, we read books about American History through the lens of Black American History starting with the true story of Queen Njinga who ruled the African Kingdoms of Ndjongo and Matamba, present-day Angola and Republic of Congo. We read pages from the picture book Project 1619 Born on the Water and discussed the sad part of history called the Middle Passage. We read a book about the secret language of quilts during the Underground Railroad.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Black History - More Than A Month.
More Than a Month, SFPL’s celebration of Black history and futures, is focused on the theme of "African Americans and the Arts". Beginning on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday weekend, during Black History Month and throughout the year, the Library champions Black leaders and change makers in San Francisco and beyond. Check out their page for beautiful art, special events throughout the city and book recommendations.
Titles on Black history for children, young adults, and educators. Teaching for Change carefully selects the best multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

MUSIC + HISTORY

Gerald Rivers

Gerald Rivers, The Peace Drummers and Wildchoir joined us in January to kick off the Season of Nonviolence, which commences on January 30 and marks the 64 calendar days between the memorial anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4.

The objective is to create an awareness of nonviolent principles and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and communities. It is, therefore, the purpose of the Season and the following 64 Daily Practices to educate and inspire individuals and organizations alike to actively seek out nonviolent means by which to empower themselves and others to co-exist in peace and prosper together in community.

From 5 year olds to 18 year olds to grown ups, everyone in attendance was engaged and inspired by the morning of activities. Gerald recited an MLK Jr speech, Oakland’s WildChoir shared their beautiful music, and the Peace Drummers even did drumming workshops with smaller groups of students.

Click the image below to see a video of our morning:

“ Music is our witness and our ally. The beat is the confession which recognizes, changes, and conquers time. ”

— James Baldwin, author “Of the Sorrow Songs: The Cross of Redemption" in 1979

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

Songs In Flight. In January 2023, MetLiveArts presented the premiere of Shawn E. Okpebholo and Tsitsi Ella Jaji's groundbreaking song cycle Songs in Flight, based on early US newspaper ads seeking the recapture of self-emancipated enslaved people, now enshrined in Cornell University's massive "Freedom on the Move" database. The premiere, which included a powerhouse team of performers from the opera world's most prominent stages, was praised for "[finding] uncommon power in the humble format of folk and art songs" (The New York Times).