California African American Museum

In 1960s America, racial segregation extended to the stars. Space itself was restricted, and for a Black child growing up in South Carolina, dreams of space flight were grounded by the idea of that frontier as accessible only to white pilots. But for Charles F. Boldenwhose childhood fascinations eventually fueled an extraordinary careerthe boundaries of racism were not enough to confine his ambition. As a young Marine, Bolden received encouragement from Ron McNair (the seco...nd African American to journey into space) that inspired Bolden’s climb toward the cosmos. After being refused a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy by South Carolina’s state representatives, Bolden’s letter to Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson led to a nomination from a Chicago congressman. The young pilot served as an aviator before becoming a NASA astronaut, and suddenly space went from impossible to tangiblea realm he would not only journey to, but one he could leave his mark on. As pilot and then commander on four momentous shuttle missions, Bolden created a legacy that would make him the first African American appointed Administrator of NASA, and help him develop innovations such as the deep-space vessel, the Orion. Bolden is one of 27 revolutionary men profiled in Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., an exhibition that honors Black men and shows how they have altered the course of America, which awaits your visit once LA museums can reopen. Bràulio Amado Charles Bolden Portrait, 2018 Courtesy the artist NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Pauses for a Moment after Watching Orion Splashdown, 2014 NASA/Bill Ingalls Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

Ta-Nehisi Coates is one of his generation’s most prominent voices. His work has been published widelyfrom the Village Voice, Time, and The New Yorker to The New York Times and O Magazine. As a national correspondent for The Atlantic, Coates won two National Magazine Awards. He wrote the bestselling book Between the World and Me, an extraordinarily personal examination of America’s violent past and present, and followed it up with The Water Dancer: A Novel. Since 2016 he... has penned Marvel Comics’ Black Panther series, spearheading the renaissance for the character that reached an apex with Ryan Coogler’s feature film. The son of a Black publisher and a literary descendent of writers like James Baldwin, Coates seeks answers by interrogating his country and exploring questions others have refused to ask. Coates is one of 27 revolutionary men profiled in Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., an exhibition that honors Black men and shows how they have altered the course of America, which awaits your visit once LA museums can reopen. Robert Pruitt Monumental, 2018 Courtesy the artist and Koplin Del Rio, Seattle / Adam Reich Photography Ta-Nehisi Coates Gabriella Demczuk Photo: Gabriella Demczuk

Join us this Monday from 5-6:30pm for In Conversation: Alicia Garza and Bakari Sellers. Alicia Garza, one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter, presents a new paradigm for the next generation of changemakers. Her debut book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart, is a 21st-century organizer's manifesto that draws on this generation's particular strengths. It is an essential guide to building the type of movements that can address the challenges of our time, from one of the country's leading organizers. Hear Garza explore her lessons from years of bringing people together to create change with attorney, politician, and political commentator Bakari Sellers. RSVP for Zoom instructions www.eventbrite.com/e/in-conversation-alicia-garza-tickets-1

Since penning his first piece of creative writing in college, Ryan Coogler has displayed an uncanny ability to marry engrossing storytelling to hard-hitting reality. From early independent films to the record-breaking phenomenon @Black Panther, Coogler has infused his movies with the energy of Black truths. His retelling of the murder of Oscar Grant (Fruitvale Station) thrust Coogler into the spotlight and gave him the status he needed to craft the hit film Creed. Both ...movies spoke to Coogler’s goal of challenging himself and his audience, and in the case of Creed, a legendary franchise was rebooted on the shoulders of an African American hero. Oakland-born and bound for greatness, Coogler is at the forefront of a new generation of filmmakers. Coogler is one of 27 revolutionary men profiled in Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., an exhibition that honors Black men and shows how they have altered the course of America, which awaits your visit once LA museums can reopen. Alfred Conteh Home Team, 2018 Courtesy artist Alfred Conteh and Amath Gomis Ryan Coogler and Danai Gurira on the set of the film Black Panther, 2017. Matt Kennedy. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Marvel Studios and The Walt Disney Company, Marvel/Matt Kennedy Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

Just added: Bakari Sellers will be in conversation with Alicia Garza, a founder of Black Lives Matter, during this CAAM conversation on Monday night! RSVP now to reserve your spot: https://www.facebook.com/events/366744854506800?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22surface%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22edit_dialog%22%7D]%7D

Convicted of murder, Shaka Senghor spent nineteen years in prisonseven of them in solitary confinement. In prison, he read his way to new worlds by consuming the wisdom of Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, and Plato. After his release, Senghor became a college lecturer and a leading voice in the fight for criminal justice reform. His 2016 memoir, Writing my Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison, became a bestseller. His 2014 TED Talk was viewed over 1.5 millio...n times in four years. Understanding the power of words to catalyze change, Senghor has used his story to move and inspire people all over the world. Senghor is one of 27 revolutionary men profiled in Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., an exhibition that honors Black men and shows how they have altered the course of America, which awaits your visit once LA museums can reopen. Troy Michie In the Wake, 2018 Courtesy the artist Shaka Senghor, 2016 Shawn Lee of SHAWN LEE STUDIOS Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

Join us this Thursday (10.22) for FUPU: Black Women and Performance in the Punk Rock Tradition from 5-6:30pm. As a rock 'n' roll pioneer, Tina Turner paved the way for an entire generation of rock and subgenre musicians to emerge. Amongst them is FUPU, South LA’s own all-Black, femme punk band. During this evening of history and music, trace the group’s roots with FUPU lead vocalist Jasmine Nyende and performance artists Gabrielle Civil and mayfield brooks as they explore Black women’s performance and their work in relation to Nikita Gale: PRIVATE DANCER. RSVP for Zoom instructions www.eventbrite.com/e/fupu-black-women-and-performance-in-th

Hailing from Comptona city with legendary ties to Hip-Hop Kendrick Lamar rose from mixtape prominence to chart dominance on the strength of lyrics so authentic that his songs felt more like testimonials, the raw observations of a rapper judging his city, his country, and even himself. His incredible 2017 LP Damn. earned a Grammy Award and became the first Hip-Hop album to win a Pulitzer Prize. But it’s Lamar’s 2015 To Pimp a Butterfly that most perfectly taps into the l...ong tradition of Black musical myth-breaking. The funk-laden, jazz-dipped, gospel protests and moral reckonings of Butterfly come as a result of his knowledge of his forebearers and the respect he holds for them. Lamar is one of 27 revolutionary men profiled in Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., an exhibition that honors Black men and shows how they have altered the course of America, which awaits your visit once LA museums can reopen. Derrick Adams Figure in the Urban Landscape #25 (portrait of Kendrick Lamar), 2018 Courtesy the artist Kendrick Lamar, 2018 Andrew Lih. Courtesy of Fuzheado/Andrew Lih Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

This Saturday (10.17) from 2-3pm let's all practice some Self-Care: Yoga! In connection with "Sanctuary: Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection" and building sacred spaces, move through a 60-minute yoga flow with yoga and meditation teacher Constance Hartwell. No previous experience necessary. RSVP for Zoom instructions www.eventbrite.com/e/self-care-yoga-tickets-121797653059

By definition, the future lies in front of us. But if August Wilson’s genius proved anything, it’s that honoring what came before us is the most powerful way to get ahead. The world-famous playwright’s cycle of ten generational plays (one for each decade of the 20th century) proved his point, giving us a prolific Black narrative that represents the pain, beauty, and passion, not only of African American history, but of humanity as a whole. In plays like Fences, The Pian...o Lesson, and Gem of the Ocean, Wilson utilized the everyday poetry of Black language and funneled it through stories full of gritty realism, pure spirituality, and universal allegory. His writing earned him two Pulitzer Prizes and a Tony Award, but more importantly it asserted that Black is human during a time when the world often denied this fact. Wilson is one of 27 revolutionary men profiled in Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth., an exhibition that honors Black men and shows how they have altered the course of America, which awaits your visit once LA museums can reopen. Radcliffe Bailey Lost and Found, 2013 Radcliffe Bailey, Courtesy the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York August Wilson, 2004 Photo by David Cooper Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

World Champions! #MambaForLife Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service

Join us tomorrow (10.12) from 5-6:3-pm for In Conversation: Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Marcus J. Moore, and Greg Carr. Our new exhibition "Men of Change: Power. Triumph. Truth." includes profiles of Kendrick Lamar, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, and John Coltrane. Listen in as acclaimed jazz pianist/producer Robert Glasper, musician/rapper/producer Terrace Martin, and music journalist Marcus J. Moore riff on these five pioneering musicians plus preview the...ir own upcoming projects in this dynamic conversation moderated by Greg Carr, associate professor and chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. Presented in conjunction with Moore’s new book, "The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America." RSVP for Zoom Instructions: www.eventbrite.com/e/in-conversation-robert-glasper-terrace