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Black Arts Matter

Black arts bear witness to centuries of fight not flight. See how their rich legacies continue to rally this nation’s spirit in pursuit of justice and joy.

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A digital artwork of a Black woman in a galaxy, surrounded by beams of light and nebulas. She is holding a geometric box in her hand that is glowing. She is looking at the item.
These Artists Are Remixing the Superhero Genre to Center Black Stories
Afro-speculative trailblazers John Jennings and Stacey Robinson are the creative duo behind "Black Kirby," an art collaborative that combines Afrofuturism with the superhero genre to imagine alternative worlds that center Black stories.
African American men and women in a parade of cars during Cinco de Mayo in Compton.
'You Had to be There': Compton in Literature and Memory
Compton-raised writers Robin Coste Lewis (former Los Angeles poet laureate), Amaud Jamaul Johnson (poet, professor and National Book Critics Circle finalist) and Jenise Miller (a poet and urban planner of Panamanian descent) discuss a Compton beyond the popular imagination.
Fredrika Newton and Dana King stand on either side of a bronze bust of Black Panther Party leader Huey P. Newton. Fredrika Newton, who was long gray braids, places her hand on Huey's cheek as she looks up at the bust with reverence. Dana King, who has gray, curly, shoulder-length hair topped with a purple knit hat, looks over at Fredrika with a respectful gaze. Surrounding the women are a crowd of people holding umbrellas. They sky above is gray and overcast.
Black Panther Party Leader's 'Love and Legacy' Captured in Sculpture and Documentary
Short documentary "For Love and Legacy," a film by A.K. Sandhu, explores the nexus of art, race, and legacy as it follows sculptor Dana King and activist Fredrika Newton as they build a monument — a bust of Black Panther Party (BPP) leader Huey P. Newton, Oakland's first public monument honoring a member of the BPP.
Sole Folks Is Helping Black Design Thrive
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Sole Folks Is Helping Black Design Thrive
Why incubators of Black creativity like Sole Folks are so crucial to the community.
An old black and white photo of Sidney Poitier directing behind a large film camera. He's wearing a brimmed hat that partially shades his face and a plaid collared shirt. Poitier looks directly in front of him and points two fingers at something out of frame.
How Sidney Poitier Paved the Way for Black Leading Men in Hollywood
Black filmmaking wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for the countless pioneers that came before. Sidney Poitier revolutionized the film business with countless roles that veered away from demeaning stereotypes of Black life in Hollywood, but he also hungered to portray more complex characters that represent the Black experience.
A man holding a large video camera.
In Every Era, Black Filmmakers of L.A. Struggle to Tell Their Stories
Filmmaking is not only a way to tell a story, but to preserve memory. In every era, Black filmmakers like Gregory Everett, Zeinabu irene Davis, Ava Duvernay and Issa Rae continue to use film as a medium to keep their stories alive.
A collage image of the same African American man in different stages of his life.
No Longer Overlooked: Gregory Everett's Impact on Black Los Angeles
From his west side party series to his community work in the Crenshaw District, Gregory Everett has always been motivated by the larger perspective, but his impact stayed relatively underground. Learn more about this pivotal person in the Black L.A. community.
A woman breathes out as white doves fly in the mural "Our Mighty Contribution"
The Great Wall of Crenshaw and the Ongoing Story of Black Los Angeles
Since the 1990s, Los Angeles has become less African American, as a way to hold onto their cultural integrity, Black Angelenos have turned to public art to help tell their ongoing story.
A collage of 1980s and '90s photos with flyers in the background.
The Westside Dance Movement That Laid the Foundation for West Coast Hip-Hop
During the early 1980s, throwing parties was one of the most lucrative ways for people in the 'hood to make money. Learn more about Ultra Wave, a popular crew that animated the Westside of Los Angeles.
A wooden shadowbox diorama with four miniature Black men on horseback. They're all wearing cowboy hats and cowboy attire. Behind them is a miniature white fence with various skin-toned dots painted onto the back of the shadowbox, implying a crowd of people beyond. Gold, sparkly block letters read, "Compton Cowboys."
How One Woman’s Miniatures Are Helping Tell Powerful Black Stories
A self-taught folk artist, Karen Collins and her collection of miniatures tell important stories about the struggles and triumphs of the Black community.
A still from the short animated film "Wolf and Cub" depicts a Black father and son standing at the edge of a cliff, looking off to a vast desert landscape. In the middle of the desert landscape is a building. The son is piggy-backed on the father's shoulders and the father is holding some sort of staff.
An Animator’s Sudden Death Derailed His Film, So His Friends Finished It for Him
The short animated film was the last script written by CalArts animator and writer Marvin Scott Bynoe before his sudden death March 2020. Over a year later, the unfinished project was completed by over 80 CalArts students and professors as a labor of love.
A young woman smiles at the camera with roller skates on.
Black Angelenos Reclaim L.A.’s Roller Skate Culture on the Rinks and in the Streets
Today's jam skaters draw from a community built over generations at Venice Beach and rinks across the city.
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