Black History Month at the Brown School

Our theme is Art of Activism. Our story begins here in St. Louis with the first local artist to be recognized for her talent and creativity. Elizabeth Keckley was an enslaved seamstress who stitched her way to freedom and into the inner circle of the President of the United States as fashion designer for First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. From Scott Joplin, to Josephine Baker, to Chuck Berry, to Maya Angelou, to Dick Gregory, to cbabi bayoc — these artists, and countless other Black creatives from St Louis, have unapologetically transformed the world stage. As the struggle for Black lives, Black history, voting rights, diversity, and Black healthcare continue, Art of Activism is not merely a theme — it is a call to action!

“Why can’t we have nice things?” Heather McGhee asks at the start of her February 1 talk at Washington University, and at the beginning of her seminal book “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together“.

McGhee discussed the concept of “drained pool politics” and its connection to economic disparities and racial and social justice. She emphasized that the economy is not just a result of uncontrollable forces but rather a game with rules set by only the most powerful players. McGhee argued that America’s lack of universal healthcare and well-funded public schools can be attributed to a zero-sum game mentality, where one player’s gain is seen as another player’s loss. McGhee highlighted the need for mutual progress. She used the example of the largest public pool in the country at Fairgrounds Park pool in North St. Louis, which was closed down to avoid integration, as a metaphor for drained pool politics.

McGhee’s concept of drained pool politics refers to the draining of public resources while those who are financially capable continue to benefit. She pointed out that decisions made by past presidential administrations, such as reducing public funding for education, have disproportionately affected people of color, making high-paying jobs more accessible to those who can afford a college education — primarily white individuals. McGhee emphasized that racism in politics and policy-making has an economic cost in the trillions, although the burden is not equally shared. She hopes that students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, will recognize the connection between the economy and the effects of racism and work towards mutual progress and addressing racism.

A recording of Heather McGhee‘s February 1 presentation, “The Sum of Us: Moving Beyond the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game” is available via on Vimeo here.

During his February 5 presentation “Art Is My Voice” at the Clark-Fox Forum, cbabi bayoc discussed how he uses acrylic paint, a flat brush, and an iPad to combat the ignorance of prejudice and racism by showing the dopeness of Black people.

cbabi — whose name is an acronym for “Creative Black Artist Battling Ignorance” and “Blesses African Youth Of Creativity”, and who prefers lower case letters — uses art as his voice to relay the humanity, beauty and resilience of Black people in their everyday lives in America through what he refers to as “artivism”.

In one example, bayoc spoke of his 2012 series, 365 Days with Dad, a New Year’s resolution to depict positive representations of black fatherhood every day for a whole year. This endeavor was both inspiring and challenging, leading to the sharing of numerous stories highlighting the diverse experiences of loving and engaging fathers at different stages of life. The project sparked a community conversation as people who were not Black wanted to be depicted. bayoc was resolute about the need for Black representation around fatherhood, especially after the shooting of Mike Brown and how often Black masculinity is portrayed as being less than nurturing.

A recording of cbabi bayoc’s February 5 presentation “Art Is My Voice” is available via the Brown School’s Open Classroom and on youtube here.

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Heather McGhee
The Sum of Us: Moving Beyond the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game
Thursday, February 1, 2024
6:00 PM – 8:00PM CT
Graham Chapel

A recording of Heather McGhee‘s February 1 presentation, “The Sum of Us: Moving Beyond the Myth of Equity as a Zero-Sum Game” is available via on Vimeo here.

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cbabi bayoc
Open Classroom | Art Is My Voice
Monday, February 5, 2024
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm CT
Free. 

A recording of cbabi bayoc’s February 5 presentation “Art Is My Voice” is available via the Brown School’s Open Classroom and on youtube here.

You can read a recap of bayoc’s visit here.

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DeBorah D. Ahmed
Open Classroom | Creative Energy: A Tool for Change?
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM CT
A panel discussion with Deborah Ahmed with dancer and journalist Malena Amusa, spoken word artist Dacia “InnerGy” Polk, and thespian and organizer Serroge Watt
Free.

A recording of DeBorah Ahmed‘s February 6 panel discussion, “Creative Energy: A Tool for Change?” is available via the Brown School’s Open Classroom and on youtube here.

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Jason Newland, MD, MEd
Open Classroom | Syphilis: An Infectious Disease Perpetuated by Social Inequities
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM CT
Currently, an exponential rise in syphilis cases have been observed in adults and in turn the rates of congenital syphilis are also rising rapidly. Social inequities are frequently associated with this infectious disease. More attention, understanding and research are needed to address the current syphilis epidemic in the United States.

A recording of Jason Newland, MD, MEd’s February 13 presentation “Syphilis: An Infectious Disease Perpetuated by Social Inequities ” is available via the Brown School’s Open Classroom and on youtube here.

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See a recording of KVtheWriter’s free Open Classroom Black History Month Series presentation:

Open Classroom | The Last Word: Exploring Identity, Resistance, and Narrative Power in Art
Thursday, February 22, 2024

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See a recording of MK Stallings’s free Open classroom Black History Month Series presentation:

Open Classroom | Black & Blue: Double Consciousness and the Black Artist
Tuesday, February 27, 2024

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