Wanda's Picks

This is a busy weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area: Conference on Race: Nov. 14-16 at the Marriott Convention Center in Oakland; the Green Festival in San Francisco; the 35th Anniversary of Dimensions Dance Theatre, Vukani Mawethu Choir's Gala dinner, and Black Rep's 44 Anniversary Gala and Community Award's program, tonight, 11/14. I'll speak to Dr. Mona Vaughn Scott and her son, Sean, monies raised will go to the Music in the Community program and breast cancer awareness. Well that was the plan last week and then 8 AM dawned and things changed. Robert King, author, activist and the only exonerated member of Angola 3 was joined in the studio by: Ron Chisom, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, Mwalimu Johnson, Advocate, Capital Post-Conviction Center in New Orleans, and Jackie Sumell, Artist, The House that Herman Built. They updated us on the case of A3 member: Albert Woodfox, who had his final hearing Wednesday, Nov. 12. Visit angola3.org. This discussion was followed by an interview with artist, Amana Bremby Johnson, whose latest sculpture will be unveiled Tuesday, Nov. 18, at the Joseph P. Lee Recreation Center, 1395 Mendell Street, on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Jill, a representative from the San Francisco Art Commission was also be in the studio. She spoke about the work, how Amana was chosen, and San Francisco county’s commitment, even in the lean times, to supporting community art projects like these. Art is not optional— it is integral to community life and its sustainability. Visit www.sfartscommission.org/pubart Guests Faye Carol, Kito Gamble and Deborah Vaughn were sick this morning and needed to conserve their strength for their respective shows this weekend. We closed the show today with a wonderful conversation with Harriet and Alex Bagwell, and Attieno Davis about Vukani Mawethu Choir, their gala and their continued work to support grassroots CBO/NGOs in South Africa, Haiti, Oakland and elsewhere.