Black Opulence
A love letter to Black creatives
written power and magic by Melorra Green and Melonie Green, Co-executive directors, African American Art & Culture Complex
GUIDED MEDITATION
Take a moment to imagine. Black opulence. Beautiful Black faces. Hands. Smiles. Laughter. Black people working. Playing. Praying. Loving. Inventing. Speaking. Declarations. Flittering. Dancing. Building. Grieving. Applauding. Praising. Teaching. Creating. Acting. Teching. Belonging. Healing. Relaxing. Sitting. Breathing. Living. Breathing. Living, breathing people. We are people. Imagine that?
Imagine that we are people. Imagine that we are people. Your mind is the engine of innovation. When we limit the mind, we limit innovation, opportunity, and potential. And, actually, most importantly, motivation, because even with all of the aforementioned limitations, no-thing will move without motivation. Be motivated. Imagine that we are people.
THE OPULENCE OF BLACKNESS STATEMENT
I AM the Opulence of Blackness.
I am beautifully and wonderfully made. Whether people think I belong here or not, it is important that space is made for me. I am guided and protected by my ancestors. My spiritual path, rituals, and precious artifacts are not for sale, nor are they to be treated like props in a photo booth. Please return what you stole.
I am the creator of my own destiny and control my own narrative. I challenge you (allies and otherwise) to see the world through my lens — not yours. I can speak for myself. I am qualified to lead conversations that concern my health, my self-expression, my body, my children, my elders, my future, and my dreams. I invite you to challenge policies, systems, and structures that do not have Black people in mind. I challenge you to thoughtfully and intentionally inquire about the needs, positions, and effects these policies, systems, and structures currently have and will have on Black people.
I am innovative and my ideas should be valued and paid for. I should be free to fail. I should not feel that my creative and innovative mistakes will cause catastrophic results that impact my livelihood and reputation. I should experience life as a valued inventor, designer, educator, or artist whose brilliance is elevated and rewarded with parity and equity in mind.
- Melorra Green & Melonie Green
MOAD EXPERIENCE AND THIS MOMENT
Last year, in March 2020, we completed an exhibition at the Museum of the African Diaspora, titled DON’T SHOOT: An Opus of the Opulence of Blackness. Featuring more than fifteen Black Bay Area artists, Don’t Shoot was both a physical and spiritual manifestation of the continuous and tedious process of explaining, defending, and advocating for the importance of Black-only voices and representation. The completion of the exhibition represented closure in one experience and an opening for expression in others. We have been using the term “dream doulas” for about eight years, and it started with the conversation from a friend who witnessed us have numerous conversations and sessions with creatives, activists, and curators who were stuck in a thought process or simply needed a muse to mirror their genius.
As leaders of the African American Art & Culture Complex, it has been extremely difficult to hold on to our core values while experiencing verbal, systemic, and conversational abuse in scenarios that seem like an endless pathway through a labyrinth that leads to nowhere but the same results. This moment echoes the frustration of Black people all over the world who are simply tired of the same questions. The same dramas. The same issues. And countless brilliant scholars and luminaries who — decades ago — provided the simple answers of what it takes to create change. That answer has always led to the work that white people need to do, in order to be the champions of change. The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and Peoples of Color) community has already spoken. The BIPOC community has already protested. The BIPOC community has already shed blood. And this does not mean that there are no white allies (or otherwise) that exist, but what it speaks to is that there are not enough.
OUR DREAM
Our dream is for Black people, in particular Black creatives, activists, everyday people who live in San Francisco — the Bay Area — to see how great we are and how far and wide the ripple of our contributions to culture, art, and activism has reached. Read our battle cry and love letter to Black creatives that we wrote during the exhibition, titled The Opulence of Blackness.
We feel called to use our artistic expression to respond to this moment in time. We, as curators, art leaders, and installation artists, understand various aspects of the Art World that impact the environment and experience of Black creators. Each role provides a lens and a view of a way of life. We will share our experience and the experiences of other Black creatives and art administrators to tell the truth about the toxic, racist, and caste-based environment of the arts community. This will serve as a guide, create new structures, and provide solutions as an impact for a more equitable reality based in action and results.
The moment that we are in: a global pandemic, social justice uprising, and national economic crisis. We also have amazing opportunities for reparations. Opportunities for revolutionary health and wellness practice and access for all. And we have a huge opportunity for systemic change, not only for the arts ecosystem but for all other industries. The results that are possible from artists uniting for systemic change is that we get to control the solutions for what a new city looks like. We get to control our own narrative and speak for ourselves. And we also get to determine our own quality of life for everyone through a liberated lens.
Toni Cade Bambada said, “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” What better tool than art as a means to reimagine and recreate all of our environments, cities, neighborhoods, homes, and jobs? What better tool than creativity to promote wellness and joy? Imagine always listening to the genius of creatives who continue to innovate, fail, try again. Innovate, fail, try again. Imagine if we spent more time listening to Black creatives, rather than perpetuating policies and procedures that shift our focus from our stories to restricting ourselves to the rules of white supremacy.
Our dream is for Black genius to be elevated, supported, bonded, and allowed space to create our platform. Our dream is for real allies to step forward and sign up to participate in change. Our dream is for people to settle in that change. We know that change does not always happen overnight, but transformation can happen in a matter of minutes — even seconds. We are looking to partner with people and organizations that are truly interested in creating systemic change in the Art World. We have the tools, we have the hypothesis, we have the creatives.
Now is the time for you to support us and get involved in Artists for Systemic Change.
The African American Arts and Culture Complex is a multiyear California Arts Council Artists in Communities grantee, with support for its various artistic residencies as vehicles for community vitality.
ABOUT MELORRA GREEN & MELONIE GREEN
Melorra Green and Melonie Green are the Co-Executive Directors of the African American Art & Culture Complex, located in the Fillmore/Western Addition neighborhood of San Francisco. Originally from Memphis, Tenn., they moved to San Francisco in 2000, after graduating from a Historically Black College & University, Tennessee State University, to study film at the Academy of Art University. Affectionately known as “The Twins,” they have practiced the art of collaboration since before they were born. Through collaboration, they have generated an enormous artistic legacy, producing more than 80 exhibitions and 100 public events. They continue to elevate their promise to inspire and empower Black and Brown people to tell our stories and uphold our truths with their radio show, The Ibeji Lounge, and exhibitions like The Black Woman is God — co-curated by Karen Seneferu and Melorra, Don’t Shoot: An Opus of the Opulence of Blackness — co-curated by Melonie and Melorra at MoAD, and Closer: 6 Feet Apart — curated by Melorra and currently on view in AAACC’s open air gallery.
Proud participants in the 2018 East Bay Community Foundation’s three-year ASCEND BLO Cohort, a space where Black-led organization leaders connect, heal, and empower each other as they lean into a big idea to take their organization to the next level. This year, under their leadership, the African American Art & Culture Complex was named Gucci Changemakers 2021 — one of 15 organizations in the country and proudly representing San Francisco — San Francisco Over Everybody! Their pride in being Black + queer + women was nurtured in the Bay Area, and they are proud to BE, represent and acknowledge what they fought so hard to not be ashamed of. This year they are celebrated as the San Francisco Pride 2021 Community Grand Marshals.
To get involved, visit www.aaacc.org or email artistsforsystemicchange@gmail.com.
DREAM is California’s newest arts and culture magazine, published by the California Arts Council, the state’s arts agency.
The annual publication features voices and stories from across the state, sharing a glimpse into the depth of impact of creativity and cultural expression in a region as large and diverse as California. The premier issue explores what it means to dream, introducing artists and culture bearers from communities throughout the state.
Visit www.arts.ca.gov/dream for more information.
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