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Celebrating Black History Month 2024

Black History Month

Last updated on Feb 08, 2024

Black History Month serves as a vital cultural commemoration, recognizing the enduring legacy, diverse traditions, and societal contributions of the Black community, fostering understanding, and celebrating the richness of Black culture and heritage. At CCA we recognize the depth and wealth of African Americans and their contributions to the arts. This year, the national 2024 Black History theme is "AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE ARTS". As an art college, we get to uplift and center the voice of Black American artists by highlighting this particular part of the community and celebrating the ways they are represented in the culture, past present and future! Join us for campus events, or treat yourself to some time off campus in the vibrant Bay Area for local events and celebrations!


CCA Black History Campus Events

"Chef Mo's Home Cooked Meal" featuring family recipes for St. Louis BBQ ribs and mac & cheese

Wednesday, Feb 7 | Dinner Service | Makers' Cafe, Founders' Hall

A Vision for Black Futures

Thursday, Feb 8 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM. | Room East 1, Main Building

Calling on the Black CCA Community!! Join us to create a collective community piece using words, images and collage materials to make a vision board about the future of the culture. Light refreshments provided. Sponsored by the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging and the Office of Student Belonging & Inclusion.

Finding the Benevolent Body in Times of Grief & War

Friday, Feb 9 | 3:00 - 4:30 PM | CCA Campus Gallery | 1480 17th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94107

Please join artist, space holder, & CCA Alum Ali True and Associate Director of CAPS Leah Oliver, PsyD. This will be a trauma-informed guided somatic experience in which participants are welcome to bring their full selves, voices, and feelings to the moment. We will practice residing in our bodies, centering self-love and self-kindness as we engage with movement and drawing practices. There will be ample time for integration and digestion. Please consider this a ceremony and be prepared to come on time and stay for the entire event. Please bring a yoga mat, cozy socks, and an eye mask if you have one. Some props will be available for those who need them. Sponsored by: Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Exhibitions and Public Programming, Creative Citizens in Action (CCA@CCA), Staff Advisory Committee (SAC), and the Division of Student Affairs.

Black History Month Celebration

Wednesday, February 21 | 11:00 AM - Noon | Student Lounge, Main Building

Join Student Council's Community Engagement for a vibrant Black History Month celebration. Explore interactive displays, engage in discussions and honor Black Excellence. Sponsored by Student Council.

Black Brilliance Exhibition: "BLACK LIGHT: A Transformative Art Experience"

Saturday, February 24 | 5:00 PM | The Space Between Gallery - 1 Columbus Ave, San Francisco

CCA's Black Brillance is hosting their first annual gallery show! Located at The Space Between Gallery, this exhibition showcases the work of 10 Black CCA Student Artists. "Black Light" is a narrative of resilience and proactive initiative, emerging from the imperative to counter invisibility imposed by societal prejudices. Come to take in the experience and expression of this dynamic group though their works featuring spoken word, painting, multi-media, ceramics and more.Black Brilliance is a campus student organization dedicated to fostering connections among the African American community at CCA. Light refreshments provided. Sponsored by Black Brilliance with co-sponsorship from Campus Life, the Office of Student Belonging & Inclusion, and the Office of the Vice President Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Belonging is an Act of Resistance

Thursday, Feb 29 | 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM | CCA Campus Gallery, 1480 17th Street

Join us in conversation about the urgency of belonging in the time of extreme polarization and radicalism, from the point of view of the communities that were, and still are, structurally and systematically othered. In recent years, intangible concepts such as belonging, place and community have become tokenized, hollowed of meaning and filled with political agendas. They are becoming buzzwords that draw people apart rather than bring them together. To counter this narrative, we are welcoming two Oakland-based cultural leaders to share their deeply rooted perspectives and critical thinking about these concepts and their urgency today. Drawing from a lifetime of activism and cultural engagement, Dorothy Lazard and David Peters are working tirelessly to preserve and enact these concepts as catalysts for equity, inclusion, representation, engaged citizenship and creative agency. Sponsored by Creative Citizens in Action (CCA@CCA).

Film Screening: Crip Camp

Thursday, Feb 29 | 7:00 PM | Timken Hall, Main Building

During Disability is Diversity Week, come watch this historic documentary about a groundbreaking summer camp for teens with disabilities that proves so inspiring that a group of its alumni join the radical disability rights movement to advocate for historic legislation changes. Crip Camp is a film celebrating the diversity of the Disability Justice Movement & its supporters. Sponsored by Access & Disability Services and the Office of Student Belonging & Inclusion.

"African Americans and the Arts: New books on Black experiences"

All Month | Simpson Library, Main Building

In celebration of Black History Month, Simpson Library presents a special display titled "African Americans and the Arts: New Books on Black Experiences." This curated selection showcases the latest acquisitions in our collection, offering insightful reflections on both contemporary and historical Black experiences within the realms of art and design. Highlighted titles include Zaria Ware's Blk Art: The Audacious Legacy of Black Artists and Models in Western Art, Ekow Eshun's In the Black Fantastic, and Mounting Frustration: The Art Museum in the Age of Black Power. All featured books are available to borrow.


Local Community Events

Plan the Perfect Weekend in Oakland During Black History Month!

All February, cross over to the East Bay to experience, celebrate, and honor the culture. Visit Oakland for a list of events and places to visit!

9 Ways To Honor Black History Month In San Francisco

All month, and beyond, get out into the city and engage with arts, music, culture and food with these events happening in San Francisco

7th Annual BLACK JOY PARADE

Sunday, Feb 25 | 12:30 PM | 14th & Franklin Streets, Downtown, Oakland CA

Black Joy Parade is a hyper-positive non-profit based in Oakland, CA that celebrates the Black experience and community's contribution to history and culture with its signature parade and celebration, partnerships and events.

More Than A Month: Black History, Culture & Heritage

Various events, all month | San Francisco Public Library, See link for locations!

More Than a Month, SFPL’s celebration of Black history and futures, is focused on the theme of "African Americans and the Arts". Beginning on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday weekend, during Black History Month and throughout the year, the Library champions Black leaders and change makers in San Francisco and beyond.

We have highlighted some of our favorites, but you can click here to check out an on-going list of events in the Bay Area!


2024 Black History Month Zoom Background