Commissioned by the foundation, Alicia’s poster depicts poet and activist Chinaka Hodge and the closing line of her poem “What will you tell your daughters about 2016?”
March 21, 2019
Oakland, CA —Akonadi Foundation today unveiled the 11th Annual Racial Justice Poster Project commissioned by Akonadi from renowned artist, Chicanx social justice activist, and teacher Juana Alicia.
Juana Alicia has been creating murals and teaching for over 30 years. Her sculptural and painted public works can be seen in Nicaragua, Mexico, Pennsylvania, and many parts of California, most notably in San Francisco. Her work is associated with the greatest artistic and political achievements of the Chicanx movement.
The poster, entitled “Tell Her”, features poet and Oakland native Chinaka Hodge presenting her poem, “What Will You Tell Your Daughters About 2016?”, a call to arms to resist the rising fascism, racial hatred, misogyny, and white supremacy of the current era. The background of the image features a detail of Rigoberta Menchú Tum from the MAESTRAPEACE Mural on The San Francisco Women’s Building created by seven women muralists, including Alicia.
“Chinaka Hodge’s voice is the soundtrack of West Oakland, the epicenter of revolution, cultural wealth, urban devastation and now, gentrification. My portrait of Hodge, presenting the last line of ‘What Will You Tell Your Daughters About 2016’, connects the work of generations of women artists of color as cultural activists and leaders,” said Alicia. “In creating this piece for the Akonadi Foundation, I seek to celebrate these connections among women in leadership and to inspire younger women to learn about them and become activists in their own right.”
Since 2000, Akonadi Foundation has supported the development of powerful social change movements to eliminate structural racism and create a racially just society. The Racial Justice Poster Project is one approach the foundation uses to honor and inspire racial justice movement building in Oakland and around the world. The project commemorates March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and honors the legacy of political posters as an integral part of social movements for more than a century. This year, Akonadi will expand the poster project through a partnership with Civic Design Studio and Oakland Unified School District’s Skyline High and Oakland High art programs to engage 200 students to make their own racial justice poster designs. The program will culminate with a public exhibit.
“From our home in Oakland, we have a front-row view of the devastating impact of structural and everyday racism on our communities and the country,” said Lateefah Simon, Akonadi Foundation President. “But we are also privileged to work alongside and support community leaders who are dismantling these systems and carrying us toward a racially just society. This year’s poster, and the poster project overall, help us lift up the artistic legacy of resistance and pay tribute to the artistic and cultural ambassadors on the frontlines of this struggle.”
Akonadi will distribute copies of “Tell Her” to activists, schools, and organizations across the country through their annual mailing. To see past designs or learn more about Akonadi’s Racial Justice Poster Project, visit www.Akonadi.org.
About the Akonadi Foundation
At Akonadi Foundation, our mission is to support the development of powerful social change movements to eliminate structural racism and create a racially just society. With an emphasis in Oakland, Akonadi Foundation seeks to stop the criminalization of youth and young adults of color, end the school to prison pipeline, and build responses to harm that nurture wellness and well-being. Since its founding in 2000, the Foundation has given over 1,600 grants totaling $40 million to nonprofit organizations, primarily in the Bay Area as well as across the country. For more information: Akonadi.org. On social media @akonadi_oakland