Final Program of the Black Arts Movement 50th Anniversary Celebration at Laney College, Feb. 7

Elena Seranno, Director of Eastside Arts, Alameda County Supervisor Marvin Keith Carson and Black Arts Movement co-founder Marvin X. Elena and Marvin X received Commendation from Alameda Country Board of Supervisors acknowledging the 50th Anniversary of the Black Arts Movement, founded on the east coast by Amiri Baraka with his Black Arts Repertory School in Harlem, 1965,  and on the west coast by Marvin X and his Black Arts West Theatre in the Fillmore District of San Francisco, 1966.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf supports the Black Arts Movement

Oakland City Council President Lynette McElhaney, Empress Diamond, Marvin X

President McElhaney will introduce a resolution declaring 14th Street The Black Arts Movement District

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Paul Cobb

Conway Jones, Jr.

Samantha Akwei

Dr. Elnora T. Webb

Dr. Leslee Stradford

Michael Bennett

LaNiece Jones

Nefertiti Jackmon

Muhammida El Muhajir

Amira Jackmon, Esq.

Hasan James 

Dr. Nathan Hare

Suzzette Celeste

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During his tenure as chairman of the Western Aerospace Museum (renamed Oakland Aviation Museum), Oakland, California, from 1984 until 1988, he established the Museum’s first home at North Field, Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California.  

Dr. Elñora Tena Webb is President of Laney College in Oakland, CA. She has led the College to greater levels of student success and has ensured the College’s reaffirmation of accreditation, integrated planning and budgeting, sound resource management, community partnerships, institutional assessment and overall advancement. Prior to her appointment as President, Dr. Webb served as the Vice President of Instruction from 2005–2009, and as a Division Dean from 2002–2005. Dr. Webb consistently demonstrates ethical, visionary and collaborative leadership in a range of administrative roles within all systems of higher education in California. 

 John Santos Multi-Grammy-nominated percussionist, and US Artists Fontanals Fellow, John Santos, is a prolific Afro-Latin band leader, composer, teacher, writer, and producer with over 40 years professional experience. He has worked with acknowledged masters including Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Max Roach, Eddie Palmieri, Francisco Aguabella and Omar Sosa. He has composed and published over 100 original compositions, his record company, Machete Records, was formed in 1984, and he is part of the faculty at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, California and at the College of San Mateo. He has taught nationally and internationally since 1973 and currently directs the highly acclaimed John Santos Sextet.
 Val Serrant. Originally from the Republic Of Trinidad & Tobago, Serrant plays the drum and steel drum & has been in-tune with the West Coast "Black Arts Movement" since moving to San Francisco in 1975. At the time he resided with Danny Glover & Family. He is also the co-Founder of "Caribbean All Stars”, “Afrika Heartbeat","Riddim Time"& "The Journey"{with Tarika Lewis & Tacuma King}. He is also a member of: -"Jazzological Muse-Oetry"{led by Kujichagulia Phavia} and. "Avotcja & Modupue".

Ken Johnson South Park Kenny is a native San Franciscan: photographer for Bay View News, Sun Reporter News, and Post News.  TV Producer on KQED Ch9, SF Public Access TV, Independent Productions. Presently Co-host The New Stimulus Package. Weekly live cable TV program on SF Comcast cable TV 29 & 76. He is a longtime associate of Marvin X.

Avotcja is a poet, playwright, multi-percussionist, photographer and teacher. She has been published in English & Spanish in the USA, Mexico & Europe, and in numerous anthologies. She is a Bay Area icon with her group Avotcja & Modúpue. Avotcja is a Radio Personality, and the Founder/Director of “The Clean Scene Theater Project (AKA) Proyecto Teatral De La Escena Sobria.” Avotcja is a proud member of DAMO (Disability Advocates of Minorities Organization), PEN Oakland, California Poets In The Schools, and IWWG & is an ASCAP recording artist.

Tacuma King is a percussionist and master drummer. He regularly performs locally, nationally and internationally. Marvin X would not perform without Tacuma. "He has great respect for the spoken word as a musician."

Poetess Kalamu Chaché  was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and has lived and worked in East Palo Alto, California since the 1960s. She is a published poet, singer/songwriter, author, strong community advocate, promotions specialist and the current Poet Laureate of East Palo Alto, CA. She is a Ubiquity Records recording artist with the Sons and Daughters of Lite and Undercurrent Records recording artist on the ‘Frontliners’ album series for the National Black United Front (1984-1987). Poetess Chaché’s current cultural arts initiatives: Ancestors Page & Tribute Publications, Event Flyers Design, Publication Publicity & Promotion Services, Sistahs With Ink Blog Radio Host, Wednesday Poets Showcases & Artist Profiles and Facebook Features

Terry Collins  was born in Lansing, Michigan, January 29, 1936. Raised in Connersville, Indiana and Los Angeles, California, Collins participated in the restructuring of the San Francisco State College BSU and TWLF, from the Fall of 1967 to the Summer of 1969, and the strike that continued for 4 months, that
brought the concept of Black Studies and Third World Studies (later renamed Ethnic Studies) to be instituted at San Francisco State University. Terry is President of KPOO Radio Board, San Francisco.

Earle Davis Jazz trumpeter and visual artist, Earle Davis began studying the trumpet in 1947. In 1968, Earle played with John Coltrane at the Jazz Workshop. He then moved from San Francisco to New York City, continuing to work as a bandleader, sideman, and visual artist. While on the New York scene, he worked with such renowned jazz artists as Joe Henderson and the Kenny Dorham Big Band for two years. He later joined the Sun-Ra Orchestra as an on – off member until Sun-Ra’s death in the late 90s. During his stay in New York, he also worked with other jazz greats on the Avant-Garde scene (new music movement) such as Cecil Taylor, Archie Shepp, Oliver Lake, Roland Alexander, Sam Rivers, Roland Kirk, Jackie Byards’s Apollo Stompers Big Band and Roswell Rudd. In 1971, Earle joined the legendary Miles Davis Band for a guest appearance at The Both/And Jazz Club at Miles’ request. Miles’ band at the time included Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Buster Williams, and Wayne Shorter. Earle Davis is a permanent fixture on the New York City Jazz scene and the underground art movement as well. Earle, now the president of the newly formed Musician Co-op (Blue Gorilla) in New York City, remains focused on his creative sources as a bi-coastal artist. Earle Davis coined the term “En-cog- Negro” in 1984. This term refers to existing outside the box. He is also the father of “Blazz” (2005), which stands for Brain Liberated Artz, a new concept of black classical music.

Nathan Hare was born April 9, 1933. In 1965 while teaching at Howard University he wrote “The Black Anglo Saxons” and in 1968 he was the first person hired to coordinate a black studies program in the United States, at San Francisco State University. He was the founding publisher of the Black Scholar from 1969 to 1975. In addition to numerous accolades, he has written dozens of articles in a number of scholarly journals and popular magazines, from The Black Scholar and Ebony to Newsweek, Saturday Review and The Times of London. Dr. Hare is an author and has written several books in collaboration with his wife, Dr. Julia Hare. The Hares were also catalysts for the black male/female relationships movement and the rites of passage movement for black boys.
 

Billy X Jennings joined the Black Panther Party at 17 years of age, and worked on the First Free Breakfast Program at St. Augustine Church in 1969. Jennings worked In East Oakland for the Black Panther Party, and later transferred to their national headquarters. He was Huey P. Newton’s aide in 1971 and in 1972, ran Bobby Seale’s mayoral campaign office. In 1995, Jennings helped establish It’s About Time/ Black Panther Party alumni committee and hosted the 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th year reunions of the Black Panther Party. Jennings started the website It’s About Time in 1998 to maintain the BPP Legacy. It’s about Time has a traveling photo exhibit which has been exhibited all over America and in London, Ireland, Portugal, Tanzania, and Australia where he has taught since 1998.

Ms. Joan Tarika Lewis Visual and performing artist J. Tarika Lewis is often referred to as a “Renaissance Women” and Jimi Hendrix on electric violin. She teaches visual arts within the public and charter schools bringing an extensive professional background in illustrating greeting cards, posters, book illustration, banners, architectural and stage design. Ms. Lewis is currently designing an original product line for “Kimmies’s Kitchen” TV program and Strings of Soul Violin classes. Ms. Lewis performs locally with a new dynamic Black Rock Band ‘AMA EVOLUTION’, the Bobby Young Project Blues Band and “The Journey” with percussionist Tacuma King and Val Serrant, bringing West African music and audience interaction to bay area campuses. For many years Ms. Lewis toured nationally and internationally with a jazz band featuring the renowned alto saxophonist John Handy with Class. Ms. Lewis is most proud of her heritage, being the daughter of John Henry Lewis (first African American to win the title Light Heavyweight Champion of the World) and mother Florence R. Lewis daughter of California pioneers. Before California became a state her grandfather Capt William Henry Galt organized a militia in Sacramento California to help prevent California falling into the hands of the Confederacy and prevent rekidnapping of African Americans seeking asylum. Ms. Lewis is a graduate of the Academy of Art and Cal State Hayward.

Genny Lim has performed as a feature poet at the San Francisco Jazz Center’s Jazz Poetry Festival in June 2013. She has collaborated with many musicians, such as Jon Jang, Francis Wong, John Santos and the late Max Roach and Herbie Lewis. She has appeared at World Poetry Festivals in Venezuela, Sarajevo and Naples. Her seminal play, “Paper Angels,” received a SF Fringe Festival Award in 2010 and her solo performance piece, “Where is Tibet?” was presented at CounterPULSE, in 2009 and Afro SoloArts Festival and Women of the Way Festival in 2011. She is author of three poetry collections, Winter Place, Child of War and Paper Gods and Rebels and co-author of Island: Poetry and History of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, which will be republished in a new and expanded edition.

Ayodele Nzinga, MFA, PhD is Marvin X's prize pupil.  She is an actress, director, producer, and internationally published author. Pri Thomas called her the best of our time. Ishmael Reed describes her as a tour de force.  Nzinga is by all accounts a renaissance woman; she is the founder producing director of The Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc , Oakland's premiere North American African Theater Company. She is committed to the production of The August Wilson Century Cycle in chronological order. Her troupe in residence at The Flight Deck uptown Oakland, will present the last two installments in the ten installment cycle in 2015, making Nzinga and her troupe the first theater company on the planet to present the entire cycle in order. Contact Dr.Nzinga at wordslanger@gmail.com

Fantastic Negrito

Val Serrant Originally from the Republic Of Trinidad & Tobago, Serrant plays the drum and steel drum & has been in-tune with the West Coast "Black Arts Movement" since moving to San Francisco in 1975. At the time he resided with Danny Glover & Family. He is also the co-Founder of "Caribbean All Stars”, “Afrika Heartbeat","Riddim Time"& "The Journey"{with Tarika Lewis & Tacuma King}. He is also a member of: -"Jazzological Muse-Oetry"{led by Kujichagulia Phavia} and. "Avotcja & Modupue".

James Gayles is an Emmy Award winning artist based in Oakland, California. James attended Pratt Institute in New York, where he studied under renowned painters Jacob Lawrence and super realist Audrey Flack.  James has won public art commissions from cities across the US and Asia. He is very committed to cultivating artists and sharing his work in the Bay Area where he has lived for the last 20 years. As a commercial artist early in his career,  he established himself in New York as a Graphic Designer and illustrator, becoming Assistant Director of Graphics at NewsCenter 4, NBC-TV. AtNBC he won a television Emmy Award for design and illustration. James is  also  a  two-time winner  of  Art  Direction  Magazine’s  Creativity  Award,  one for  the News Center 4 logo redesign, and the other for an editorial illustration for the New York Times.James has illustrated for McGraw-Hill, Random House, Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine, as well as several advertising agencies on both the East and West coasts. 

Aqueila M. Lewis A Bay Area Native and resident of Oakland, CA, Aqueila M. Lewis has been writing poetry since she was in high school. As a multi-talented artist, she is well-versed in composing, singing, modeling, poetry/spoken word, journalism (print and radio) and more. Aqueila is a graduate of Napa Valley College and UC Berkeley.  Aqueila’s work has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers, KPFA 94.1 FM Radio’s First Voice Media Apprenticeship Program and Full Circle Show, National Radio Project Making Contact Storytelling Fellowship, Sistah’s With Ink Voices anthology, Reflections: A Collaboration Between Painting And Literature and Til Death Do Us Part All Lady Warrior Zine. She is the Co-host and Executive Producer of “All the Rest of Us” which airs Sundaysfrom 3pm-4pm on KPFB 89.3 FM Radio.  She is the Co-host and Co-Founder of Urban Hang Suite,a Open Mic, Showcase and Mixer in San Pablo, CA. She is currently creating children’s books focused on issues in relation to social justice and community. 

Suzzette Celeste Johnson, MSW, MPA has breadth and depth in the health and human services field which spans public health, alcohol and other drugs services, mental health, criminal justice, and education.  Her experience includes direct services, program planning and development, systems coordination/integration, health services administration, and training. Ms. Johnson’s professional and personal mission is to achieve health equity through developing transformational leadership approaches, fostering collaborations and coalitions, changing organizational practices, and educating providers.   She is a skilled facilitator, educator, critical thinker and perennial student of cultural humility, shifting paradigms, and Universal Spiritual Principles.    

Empress Diamond Healer, Spiritual Consultant, Botanist, Certified Herbalist, Iridologist, and Natural Health Consultant. Specializing in Dry Blood Cell Analysis and Mayan Womb Massage; a protocol used to re-set the fallen wombs of women to its proper place of balance within the Reproductive System.   Visit her online: papyrusherbals.com

Sistah Kujichagulia - Griot (Djialli Ba), educator, activist, and cultural artist, Phavia Kujichagulia is a former Professor of Ethnomusicology & African Civilizations at World College West and Stanford University’s Workshop on Political & Social Issues. In 2002, Sistah Kujichagulia was a member of the United States Delegation to the 2^ndWorld Conference Against Racism (WCAR - Culture & Spirituality Committee) in the Caribbean country of Barbados. She has performed and lectured extensively throughout the continental USA, the Caribbean, and England and currently writes for the San Francisco Examiner Online Newspaper. Phavia Kujichagulia’s latest book, Recognizing & Resolving the Roots of Racismis a must-read for those serious about eliminating racism. It is available online and can be ordered through any book store [ISBN 978-1-4507-4050-0]. For more info visit www.kujichaguliaphavia.com

CAST of Flowers for the Trashman by Marvin X, directed by Dr. Ayodele Nzinga

Pierre Scott, Negro: debuted as Mr. West in Two Trains Running with The Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc. He also played Fielding in Jitney. An Oakland native who is honored to be a part of the Lower Bottom Playaz Troupe, Pierre is an aspiring writer, voice actor, coach, husband, and active father of six. His crisp baritone voice is melodic and demands of attention. Pierre would like to thank Director Dr. Ayo Nzinga for her patience, guidance, and instruction on self-expression. Pierre would like to give special thanks to his family for their support and an extra special thanks to his father who demanded that he read aloud as a child in order to fine tune his vocal skills

Koran Streets, Wes: Streets recently appeared as Shealy in Jitney and Sterling in Two Trains Running with The Lower Bottom Playaz. Streets is a film star, musician, and a core troupe member. He has appeared in each installment of The American Century Cycle staged by LBP. He played Citizen Barlow in Gem of the Ocean, Jeremy in Joe Turner has Come and Gone and Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. He costarred in the film LICKS and will appear in each coming installment of The Century Cycle.

Stanley T. Hunt, II, Joe:  Stanley was named best actor in the film LICKS at the Chelsea film festival in New York. He appeared as Wolf in Two Trains Running. He is a core member of The Lower Bottom Playaz and has been on stage since age 9. He has appeared in over 30 plays. He was named actor to watch by the South-by-South West film festival in 2013. He has appeared in 6 productions of Wilson’s work. He has appeared as Caesar in Gem of the Ocean, Herald Loomis in Joe Turner’s come and Gone, and Toledo in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Stanley is also a talented musical artist.

Reginald Wilkins, Whiteman: appeared as Holloway in Two Trains Running and as Turbo in Jitney with The Lower Bottom Playaz. . Reginald Silverback Wilkins, originally from Baytown, TX, is a distinguished member of the world famous Pan Theatre Improv troupe, lead singer for the band Nephalim and an artist whose work has been featured in various exhibits. He is also the creator of the comic strips "Bete Downs" along with the soon to be published, "Smoke". We welcome his impressive presence to The Lower Bottom Playaz, Inc

Nate Hi Beats Hatton, Jailer, is a music producer, the light and sound director for The Lower Bottom Playaz who is usually more comfortable behind the scenes. He has appeared on stage in Lower Bottom Playaz productions and reprises his role as Jailer in this BAM classic. 

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 William Riley, Peralta College District Board of Trustees

Dr. Elnora T. Webb, President, Laney College

Dr. Leslee Stradford, Instructor, Art Department, Curator BAM Exhibit

Judy Juanita, Instructor, author, activist BAM/Black Power Movement

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Photographers/videographers/writers

Ken Johnson

Kamau Amen Ra

Khalid Waajib

Adam Turner

Gene Hazzard

Malika Kambon

Aqueila Lewis

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Nikki Giovanni

Paul Cobb

Delores Nochi Edwards

Suzzette Celeste Johnson

Dr. Elnora T. Webb

Conway Jones, Jr.

Leon and Carolyn Teasley

Doris and Rashid Easley

Inder Singh

Amira Jackmon, Esq.

Debra Jackmon

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Paul Cobb, Publisher, Post News Group

Terry Collins, KPOO Radio

Davey D, KPFA Hardknocks Radio

Greg Bridges, KPFA, Transitions on Traditions

KBLX

Laney College Radio

Peralta College TV

Faisa Ali, Peralta Social Media

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