August is for Liberation: AAFR August Newsletter

August 2025

AAFR August Newsletter

Author and revolutionary George Jackson, Age 29

AAFR Honors Black August

Black August is a month of remembrance, discipline, and commitment to the ongoing struggle for Black liberation. Born out of the resistance of incarcerated freedom fighters in California prisons, it calls us to honor those who sacrificed their lives, fight for the release of political prisoners, and confront the ongoing realities of systemic oppression.

We invite you to join us in commemorating Black August — in study, in movement, in organizing, and in care for one another. Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing stories, history, and resources on Instagram that center this legacy and uplift those often left out of the narrative. Follow along and be part of the work. Learn more about the history of Black August here, and make a plan for how you’ll take part.

In power,
Ashara, Christian, Ietef, Marcella, NiQueen, Sam, and Zandashe

Artist as First Responder Team Activations on the African Continent

Ashara Ekundayo and Dr. Angela Wellman in co-residence in Nigeria with Angels & Muse

AAFR Founder & Creative Executive Director Ashara Ekundayo and Advisory Board member Dr. Angela Wellman have embarked on a collaborative 5-week Curatorial Research Residency in Nigeria with Angels & Muse at the invitation of acclaimed visual artist & scholar Victor Ehikhamenor. Their site-specific inquiry archive work will explore memory in Lagos, Badagry, Makoko, Ibadan, Osogbo, Ile Ife and Benin City.

Inspired by Amiri Baraka’s seminal text “Blues People: Negro Music in White America”, their collaboritve research residency, “Myriad Blues: Musings on a Blues People” will explore the intersections between the visual and musical production of the Blues, where labor, spirit, and artistry emerge from the extraction of nature, rendering archives of a people’s journey. Ekundayo and Wellman ask “What does it mean to read both indigo and the Blues as living archives, repositories of story, survival, longing, and incantation?”

AfroPortals Activation at Johannesburg Art Fair

This September, AfroPortals is heading to South Africa!

We’re teaming up with STILL Artist Residency and Shared Studios Johannesburg to bring an AfroPortals activation to FNB Art Joburg, the leading and longest-running contemporary African art fair on the continent. We’ll be connecting across continents through art, culture, and conversation. Stay tuned for more details as we prepare to share this work on an international stage.

Ietef Vita in Residence at G.A.S. Farm House

For the next eight weeks, AAFR Climate Futures & Legacies Manager Ietef Vita is engaged as an Artist In Residence at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ijebu Ode, Nigeria at the invitation of the Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation founded by esteemed artist & scholar Yinka Shonibare CBE RA. He’ll continue his work of bridging music, environmental activism, and cultural storytelling. This precedes his upcoming residency in La Napoule, France and participation in the 2nd Global Artivism Convening in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil.

August Happenings

Men’s Wellness Fellowship | August 26th from 6:00-8:30 PM at Black Panther Party Museum (1427 Broadway, Oakland)

Men’s Wellness Fellowship is back at the Black Panther Party Museum with an open circle for Black and Brown men to connect, reflect, and heal together. Through honest conversation and mutual care, we nurture brotherhood and a shared commitment to wellness and liberation. All men of color are welcome to join and be part of this ongoing practice of wellness and liberation.

Follow Men’s Wellness Fellowship on IG

Revolutionary Rest | August 27th from 6:30-8:00 PM at Black Panther Party Museum (1427 Broadway, Oakland)

Revolutionary Rest returns this month at the Black Panther Party Museum with an evening of yoga led by Mana Siti and sound healing by Si, brought to you by Prana to the People. Created for our community to slow down and reconnect, this event is free and open to all. Donations for our facilitators are welcome and encouraged. Join us and BYOM (Bring Your Own Mat)!

Carve out time this #BlackAugust to honor rest as resistance and a crucial step on the path towards collective liberation. Follow Prana to the People.

Marcella Sanchez’s “Be Seen” Closing Reception| August 28th from 6-9 PM at the African American Art & Culture Complex

Join us in celebrating the final night of AAFR Studio Manager and photographer Marcella Sanchez’s powerful portrait series centering Black Bay Area creatives in public and outdoor spaces.

There will be music, bites, and one last chance to engage this stunning exhibition.

Learn more about the project here.

Access and equity are core to AAFR’s mission. We create inclusive, community-led arts programming that centers healing, cultural memory, and creative leadership. Programs are held in physically accessible spaces and offered at no or low cost. We welcome participants of all abilities and identities.

Need accessibility support? Email us at artistresponder@gmail.com

Sustain our creative first responders.

Please indicate that your donation is for Artist as First Responder

PAYPAL