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<div align="center"><b>Emory Douglas Shows Artwork at Babylon Falling
02/08/08<br><br>
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SAN FRANCISCO–January 21, 2008–In celebration of Black History Month,
<b>Babylon Falling</b>,<b> </b>in association with <i>The Freedom
Archives</i> and <i>It’s About Time</i>, presents ‘<b>The Long Memory’ –
</b>Works Past & Present by<b> Emory Douglas. </b>The artist
reception will take place on Friday, <b>February 8, 2008</b> starting at
<b>7pm</b>, and will feature a talk by both Emory Douglas and <b>Richard
Brown</b> <b>(SF8)</b>. Refreshments will be served.
Exhibition runs through February.<br><br>
“The long memory is the most radical idea in America” – Utah
Phillips<br><br>
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!
<br><br>
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.<br><br>
<b>About Emory Douglas –</b>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.<br><br>
<b>About Richard Brown and the SF8 Case – </b>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.<br><br>
<b>Richard Brown</b>, 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.<br><br>
<b>About Billy X Jennings & It’s About Time - Billy Jennings</b> 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
<a href="http://www.itsabouttime.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.itsabouttime.com</a>, and working to preserve the true history of the
Black Panther Party through education. <br><br>
<b>About The Freedom Archives - </b>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.<br><br>
<b>About Babylon Falling - </b>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.<br><br>
Previous shows at Babylon Falling have included local artists Robert
Bowen, David Choong Lee, John Felix Arnold III, and most recently Frank
Kozik.<br><br>
Babylon Falling<br><br>
1017 Bush Street (@Jones)<br><br>
415-345-1017<br><br>
<a href="http://www.babylonfalling.com">www.babylonfalling.com</a><br><br>
<a href="mailto:sean@babylonfalling.com">sean@babylonfalling.com</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com">www.itsabouttimebpp.com</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.freedomarchives.org<br><br>
</a><a href="http://www.freethesf8.org">www.freethesf8.org</a><br><br>
Flyer Pictures:<br><br>
<a href="http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_front_web.jpg">
http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_front_web.jpg</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_back_web.jpg" eudora="autourl">
http://babylonfalling.com/images/Emory/emory_flyer_back_web.jpg<br><br>
</a> <br><br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
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<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
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