Reparations – Art of Rob

Testimony: Oakland Teachers re: school closures

This video gives some testimony by former and current teachers in Oakland California’s public school system. Their school Roots was closed by OUSD school board and there is a current fight to stop several schools from being closed in Oakland which predominantly serve Black and Brown students. Like most places, Oakland has its affluent and working class areas. Can you guess which areas are being targeted?

This week has a bunch of actions

And here are some stats: via Reparations for Black Students

And here are some photos by Brooke Anderson showing demonstrations this past week.

Articles:

Oakland Side

February 9, 2022

in General

1619-2020 W/ Nikole Hannah Jones

Loved Nikole’s reporting before I even knew who she was. When I discovered the link between her reporting and her I was in awe. Still am. If you haven’t read “The 1619 Project” I recommend it.

This talk is about that, but more it is about providing actual concrete things white people can do to reach racial equity and so much of that has to do with acknowledging America’s past, teaching it, and owning it.

One of the most poignant points she makes here is about tech companies and corporations trying to seize the current moment, not by committing to large shifts in their hiring practices but to saying “Black Lives Matter” in a tweet or giving laptops to students. I wish I could say more, but take a listen.

July 14, 2020

in General

Before/After

I painted this in collaboration w/ artist & business owner Binta Ayofemi. She came up with the design and Paint The Void commissioned it. Haven’t painted a big wall (30′ x 50′) in a minute so it was nice to get back up on the lift. It was painted with house paint, brushes, rollers, and Montana Spray.Shout out to Nisha K Sethi (TYS) who hooked this up for me.

Affirming Black Lives w/ the words “Reparations” and “Transformations” is a powerful statement. Despite the circumstances it felt good to collab with Binta and hear from every day folks. There were so many beautiful pieces painted in downtown and East Oakland since George Floyd and Breonna Taylor were murdered. This is not the first time I’ve painted a wall, banner, or painting in response to police terrorism and I know it won’t be the last. But, i’m encouraged by how many more artists (OGs and youngsters) out there taking control of the narrative w/their work.

The work we all create is part of a legacy of resistance. Keep creating young artists! Marathon over sprint. And please take care of each other. We got a long way to go.

Check out some of the process and close ups.