The Black Panther Party was the most significant radical organization in American history, and you’d be wrong if you thought that in order to achieve that prominence their graphic identity needed to follow convention. Not only did the Panthers create propaganda and visual materials that broke with the anaseptic conventions of mid-20th-century design and culture,…
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D’Real Graham on School of Thought
School of Thought is a Washington, D.C. radio show that explores social justice, higher education, and the city’s music scene. It’s broadcast out of WPFW’s studios every Monday from 7–8 p.m. EST. Last night, hosts Corinne Ruff and Shalina Chatlani spoke with educator/youth mentor/community organizer D’Real Graham. Listen to his segment below.
Emory Douglas: Designing Justice
Emory Douglas was the Black Panther Party’s Revolutionary Artist and Minister of Culture, platforms from which he produced work that influenced the 20th century more than any other American artist or designer. He’s coming to Ann Arbor next week to give a talk: Emory Douglas: Designing Justice October 4, 2018 5:10 p.m. Michigan Theater The talk,…
Nya’s Mighty Fight
For those of us looking for ways to stand up and care for black comrades in our community, here’s a timely one: help Nya Njee get the pay she’s owed by Mighty Good Coffee Company of Ann Arbor. Here is a bit about Nya’s plight, in her own words: The following is a statement…
Attica
Cinda Firestone’s legendary film Attica (1974) is freely available at last, brought to us by a crew of folks who organized a free screening last week at Hasta Muerte, in solidarity with the 2018 #prisonstrike. Pictured above is 21-year-old Attica organizer Elliott “L.D.” Barkley, who was executed by prison guards after the rebellion had been…
POC-Owned Businesses in Ypsilanti
Our post about the gentrification of Ypsilanti had some folks messaging us to ask for names of Ypsilanti establishments owned by people of color. Herewith a necessarily incomplete list, crowdsourced by Keep Ypsi Black followers. Contact us to add an entry! And keep in mind that we haven’t rigidly adhered to the official borders of…
Gentrification as Ypsi Reality
If you’ve tried to have a conversation with a white friend about gentrification, it’s pretty likely you reached an impasse the moment you posed any sort of critique of “revitalization.” If you’ve tried to have such a conversation with a white Ypsilanti resident about the readily apparent gentrification of this city, it’s even more likely…
