Support AeroSoul in Creating a Black Panther Mural in Oakland

AeroSoul is a community institution and cultural resource that documents, promotes and develops the legacy and rich history of the African/African diaspora's writing culture commonly known as Aerosol Art or Spray Can Art. From ancient Kemetic (Egyptian) pyramid texts and Dogon (Mali) wall drawings to the wall paintings of (Haitian) Vodun temples; AeroSoul draws upon the legacy of African/African diasporic writing and historical narrative that is displayed on walls and architecture. 

AeroSoul’s international outreach and influence extends to Africa, Europe and Hawaii by collaborating with and showing the work of artists from many parts of Africa and the African diaspora. AeroSoul’s artists create murals in the HipHop aesthetic that advocate for self-determination in struggling Black and Brown communities. 

In order to keep integrity with our mission and stay relevant by addressing the currently challenging times that we live in, we are asking for your help. Currently, there are no Black self-determined murals commemorating the Black Panther Party in West Oakland. We need art supplies such as paint, we also need help in accommodating internationally recognized Senegalese artist Batsh1. He will be travelling from France to assist local lead artist Refa 1 in completing this mural. Batsh volunteered his own money for the ticket to America from his current residence in France.  His commitment to be present and work on this mural is evidence of AeroSoul and Refa 1’s work building rapport with African and African diasporic artists internationally.

Refa has collaborated with Batsh on murals in France, Senegal and West Oakland. We need to raise money for Batsh’s return flight and the paint supplies. All contributions are appreciated, no matter how small or large.

Artist Refa 1 of AeroSoul Art has designed a mural to be completed at 1333 Peralta St. in West Oakland. This is a highly significant location for many reasons.  It is in the local Oakland community that the Black Panthers organized their Food and Breakfast programs. It is walking distance from the location of the original Black Panther Party’s West Oakland headquarters. It is walking distance from the house that Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton created the Black Panther Party’s Ten Point Program and Platform and it’s also walking distance from the area that Huey P. Newton lost his life. 

The mural will represent the Black Panther Party’s Food and Breakfast programs as implemented by rank and file Panthers in addition to honoring the memory of BPP founder Huey P. Newton. Because the mural will be completed on 14th St. and Peralta it is in the Black Arts Movement Business District. BAMBD is a project that has been decreed by the City of Oakland as a historically Black cultural district honoring the legacy of the internationally influential Black Arts Movement. This mural project – with its cross-continental Black artists collaboration – is in keeping with that international legacy.

As an additional component of the creative process AeroSoul Art plans to bring youth student artists to the wall to help with the creation of the mural. Refa 1 has created murals at Martin Luther King School in West Oakland and George Washington Carver in San Francisco’s Hunter’s Point district.

Your contributions will enable us to create a priceless educational piece of public art at a time when keeping Black history as told by Black culture workers is so important to our contemporary moment.

Thank you,
-AeroSoul

https://www.gofundme.com/blackpanthermural​

This is the portrait that will be painted of Huey P Newton.

Mock up design for the mural theme