Celebrate Oakland LGBTQ+ Pride + REfresh the All Black Lives Matter Mural!

568 Bellevue Avenue,Oakland CA 94610

25 September, 2021

Description

Join us Sat. Sept 25th 8-10am to celebrate Oakland Pride for Part 2 of the ABLM mural refresh + uplift the lives of Black LGBTQIA+ people! Sept 25, 2021 (8-10AM PDT) - We welcome you to join us as we CONTINUE our refresh/touch up of the ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER / OAKLAND PRIDE MURAL at Lake Merritt Boating Center in Oakland! No previous skills are required. ALL BEINGS are invited to join in the project, that sends a message of hope and resilience to all - especially the most marginalized among us. Last June 2020 - Volunteers of all ages (guided by a team of 14 Bay Area Black + Brown QT artists, 1 graphic designer, the mural visionary + over 250 volunteers) painted the mural in a city-designated historic gathering place. For detail about the mural see below. This art-in-action continues Oakland's legacy as one of the nation's most recognized communities for progressive actions, protests, and effective resistance to white supremacy, bi/trans/homophobia, ableism, and misogyny. WHAT TO BRING: Volunteers are asked to bring “mess-friendly clothing and shoes”, PPE: gloves and masks (we will also have some PPE available). We welcome you to bring paint rollers if you have them. We also will provide paint, painting supplies, and guidance. Donations to support the mural supplies are appreciated. HOW TO SUPPORT: Read, sign and share the mural’s message: https://bit.ly/ALLBLMMuralSolidarityStatement Join us every September during Oakland Pride to refresh the mural with a lovely coat of paint. Donate to our paint and painting materials drive (either by donating funds and/or bringing rollers, trays, drop cloths, buckets, and gallons of water). THANK YOU + PLEASE SHARE THE LINK BELOW TO THIS SIGN-UP SHEET WITH YOUR FRIENDS + FAMILY. To ensure that we have enough paint rollers - please have each person - even children - fill out their own! SIGN UP LINK: ---------- THE ABLM OAKLAND PRIDE MURAL + A MESSAGE OF HOPE/RESILIENCE: In June 2020, a summer of societal disjoint and community disconnect, the lives of all Black folks - especially marginalized Black folks were further devalued as the reality of a new global pandemic unfurled. For many of us, the pandemic is one of many ills and oppressions that we already face. Our community was more disproportionately impacted by COVID19 than most others. As more people sought ways to vent their despair - abuse targeting our community increased. Violence (racist, trans/homo/biphobic in particular) was openly denied and overlooked even more. We are the most at-risk population and yet, we were being rendered voiceless and invisible. We had to do something. Kin Folkz (The Queer Healing Arts Center) envisioned a mural and crafted a pledge to bring attention to the plight of any being who lives the experiences of any of the identities Black, Trans, Queer, NonBinary, Woman, Disabled, or Imprisoned - especially those of us who experience it all as intersecting truths. Kin sought out other groups to partner with and make the mural and the pledge a reality. Kin Folkz (The Queer Healing Arts Center) partnered with Janetta Johnson (TGIJP), Guerrilla Davis (We Are The Ones), Endeavors and 13 other Black + Indigenous QT artists (listed below), to lay down the massive stencil and over 250 community members came to fill it in - the mural was finally brought to life. As the largest + longest mural in Oakland, to date, the mural has attracted attention worldwide. It was recently included in the city's 100th Anniversary video celebrating Lake Merritt. The affirming pledge to engage mindful practices and take action to protect marginalized beings has been signed by individuals and organizations across the globe. THE ARTISTS Aala Oni Aika Eden Bash Derrick Bell Fiera Ferrari Guerrilla Davis Imani Smith Kahalla Kin Folkz Olivia Ramos Queen Sen Sen Sasha Kelley Vee Vee Violet Batista Janetta Johnson AND Nkosi Smith (graphic designer)