After the extrajudicial murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Dominique “Rem’mie” Fells, Oluwatoyin Salau and countless other Black people in 2020, thousands of artists painted murals on the streets of Oakland as an expression of protest, activism and solidarity. Recognizing the historic significance of this artistic groundswell, EastSide Arts Alliance teamed up with Nomadic Press to document and preserve the outdoor gallery and the stories behind them. Their new book, Painting the Streets: Oakland Uprising in the Time of Rebellion, is a full-color, hardcover art book featuring nearly 100 murals created in support of the ongoing struggle for Black liberation along with essays, poems and other reflections by activists and cultural workers.
In honor of its publication, San Francisco Public Library’s African American Center is hosting a 3-month exhibition showcasing the local Black artists who captured the spirit of the June 2020 movement and transformed Oakland.
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