Excavating Uranus:
A Psalm for Nyota Uhura

September is here. A new season settles in, and with it, a constellation of gatherings, conversations, and activations we’re excited to share with you this month and into the fall.

At the center of what’s ahead is Excavating Uranus, A Psalm for Nyota Uhura, the forthcoming exhibition curated by AAFR founder Ashara Ekundayo at the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery. Named for the iconic communications officer portrayed by Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek, the exhibition takes Uhura’s presence in the future as a point of departure for thinking about Black memory, transmission, and possibility.

Featuring the work of Sydney Cain, Ayana V. Jackson, Courtney Desiree Morris, and Bryant Terry, the exhibition draws from African cosmologies and Dr. Rasheedah Phillips’ thinking on Black temporalities to consider what we carry across generations, and what becomes possible when the past, present, and future are understood as connected rather than separate. Excavating Uranus opens October 8 and remains on view through January 30, 2027. The opening reception on Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. will be free and open to the public. We hope you’ll save the date and join us in San Francisco.

Before then, Ashara will be in Detroit for Season Contemporary the weekend of September 11th sharing news of AAFR’s archive expansion through PS_Detroit (Projection Site Detroit), a trans-local archival and cultural infrastructure portal.

Meanwhile in the Bay Area, there’s still time to claim a slot for our third AfroPortals Community Archive Day for Black, Brown, and Indigenous Artists, Teachers, and Healers, alongside our ongoing Men’s Wellness Fellowship and Revolutionary Rest programming. A full roundup of dates, opportunities, and First Responder arts activations is below.

Hold the calendar, and we’ll see you out there in the cosmos,
Ashara, Christian, Ietef, Lyn, Marcella, Nakachi, Sam, and Zandashé

Black people have made homes, raised families, built community, and shaped East Oakland for generations. Deep East Inspiration: Affirmations makes that presence visible, placing artist-designed affirmations at Black homes throughout Deep East Oakland.

Each sign affirms Black presence and legacy in place, giving residents a way to visibly claim belonging in the neighborhoods they call home. Together, the signs create a collective presence across Deep East Oakland, shaping the visual landscape to reflect the Black people, families, and histories rooted here.

As part of the project, we are documenting where the signs live and the people, families, and histories connected to those places. This public art campaign is supported by the 40x40 Reach Artist Grant.

If you’re a part of a Black legacy family in Deep East Oakland and would like an affirmation sign in your yard, you can pick one up in person from our Manager of Memory and Refusal, Lyn Patterson at the Levitt Vibe Concert Series on September 12th and September 26th; or Art + Soul Fridays on September 18th (5-7pm) at Sankofa Sanctuary.