[News] SF - Emory Douglas Shows Artwork at Babylon Falling 02/08/08

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Emory Douglas Shows Artwork at Babylon Falling 02/08/08

SAN FRANCISCO–January 21, 2008–In celebration of 
Black History Month, Babylon Falling, in 
association with The Freedom Archives and It’s 
About Time, presents ‘The Long Memory’ – Works 
Past & Present by Emory Douglas.  The artist 
reception will take place on Friday, February 8, 
2008 starting at 7pm, and will feature a talk by 
both Emory Douglas and Richard Brown 
(SF8).  Refreshments will be served.  Exhibition runs through February.

  “The long memory is the most radical idea in America” – Utah Phillips

Curated by Billy X Jennings, the exhibition 
features Emory Douglas’s artwork as it appeared 
in the pages of the Black Panther Party (BPP) 
Newspaper, on BPP posters and ephemera, as well 
as his recent posters decrying the injustice of 
the SF8 case.  The focus of the exhibition is to 
underscore that the obdurate persecution of the 
SF8 is not an isolated case, but in fact has a 
thread of continuity stretching back to that 
infamous and illegal COINTELPRO campaign which 
brought about the dissolution of the Black 
Panther Party.  History is not dead!

Emory will give a short talk on his inspiration 
for specific pieces, as well as the importance of 
the role of art in revolutionary 
struggle.  Richard Brown (SF8) will talk about 
his experiences as a former Panther and community 
activist, as well as the significance of the SF8 
case in the current political climate.

About Emory Douglas –Emory Douglas moved to the 
Fillmore District in San Francisco as a young 
boy. He studied commercial art at the City 
College of San Francisco. Present since the early 
days of the Black Panther Party (BPP), Emory 
officially became a member in 1967 offering his 
talent as an artist to Bobby Seale’s nascent 
Black Panther Newspaper.  From 1967 until the 
early 1980’s, Emory oversaw the layout and 
publication as the BPP Minister of Culture, and 
his artwork graced the pages of the paper (which 
reached a circulation of 400,000 copies per week 
at its peak).  Many of those images were also to 
be seen pasted up on the streets throughout the 
Bay Area.  Emory currently lives in San Francisco 
and continues to lend his talent, voice and 
vision to the causes in which he believes.

About Richard Brown and the SF8 Case – Eight 
former Black Panthers were arrested January 23 in 
California, New York and Florida on charges 
related to the 1971 killing of a San Francisco 
police officer. Similar charges were thrown out 
after it was revealed that police used torture to 
extract confessions when some of these same men 
were arrested in New Orleans in 1973.

Richard Brown, 65, of San Francisco stated, "For 
the past six years I have been a Community Court 
Judge Arbitrator working with the San Francisco 
District Attorney's office. We place a lot of 
emphasis on restorative justice, so most of the 
community service done will be done in our own 
community where the offender can give back to the 
community." He was freed on bail August 30.

About Billy X Jennings & It’s About Time - Billy 
Jennings grew up in San Diego and moved to 
Oakland in June 1968. He was Huey Newton’s 
assistant and a member of the Black Panther Party 
from 1968 to 1974. He currently works as the 
Black Panther Party archivist, running the 
website www.itsabouttime.com, and working to 
preserve the true history of the Black Panther Party through education.

About The Freedom Archives - The Freedom Archives 
contains over 8,000 hours of audiotapes. These 
recordings date from the late-60s to the mid-90s 
and chronicle the progressive history of the Bay 
Area, the United States, and international 
solidarity movements. The collection includes 
weekly news/ poetry/ music programs broadcast on 
several educational radio stations; in-depth 
interviews and reports on social and cultural 
issues; diverse activist voices; original and 
recorded music, poetry, original sound collages; 
and an extensive La Raza collection.

About Babylon Falling - Babylon Falling is a 
concept-driven independent bookstore with a focus 
on the spirit of Revolution. In addition to new 
books, the store carries similarly themed 
collectible toys, clothing, posters, artwork and 
DVDs. The name of the store reflects the owner's 
Jamaican heritage where the word Babylon is an 
all-purpose euphemism for both oppression and 
those who oppress. The phrase Babylon Falling 
then, is at once an affirmation and a demand.

Previous shows at Babylon Falling have included 
local artists Robert Bowen, David Choong Lee, 
John Felix Arnold III, and most recently Frank Kozik.

Babylon Falling

1017 Bush Street (@Jones)

415-345-1017

<http://www.babylonfalling.com>www.babylonfalling.com

<mailto:sean at babylonfalling.com>sean at babylonfalling.com

<http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com>www.itsabouttimebpp.com

www.freedomarchives.org

<http://www.freethesf8.org>www.freethesf8.org

Flyer Pictures:

<http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_front_web.jpg>http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_front_web.jpg

http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_back_web.jpg








Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

415 863-9977

www.Freedomarchives.org  
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