Hailed as one of the most recognized organizations for Black liberation in American history is the Black Panther Party. And as a symbol ubiquitous with the very revolution that the Panthers called for was a piece of art…an iconic photograph of its bold leader -a marvelous black man named Huey P. Newton. To this day, this single piece of art inspires millions to (in the words of James Brown) Say it Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud!
The revolutionary message was so inspiring because it directly challenged all the other messages that were being said about Black people at the time.
And here we are in 2020, and again it is artists who are declaring with the same radical commitment to self-love that Black man / Black woman, you are beautiful. You are worthy.
Black artists are ushering in a new revolution…a new modality for resistance that isn’t solely measured in the number of marches attended or petitions signed. THIS revolution is measured in our collective healing, our flourishing, and in our joy.The BLACK JOY IS REVOLUTIONARY installation and the Black Boy Art Show overall is a continuation of the revolution. It is a form of capturing once again the beauty of blackness and of resisting any message and any mindset that suggests otherwise.
Black Joy IS revolutionary…and we invite you…as MARVELOUS as you are to JOIN the REVOLUTION.
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A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show: This show is aimed toward celebrating black men, the strength in our stories, and the creativity in our expression. The event features all black male artists using varying forms of media. - Curated by Joshua Dingle
Black Men Smile® creator Carlton Mackey partnered with Dingle and A Marvelous Black Boy Art Show to co-host the inaugural bi-annual event as well as create the Black Joy Is Revolutionary installation -the central activation of the event.