Mission:
BLACC is a committee of Black community leaders and allies committed to affirming and celebrating Black life and culture through the arts in Mobile. Through public-facing, artist-led projects and programs, we support cultural production that represents the diversity of our city, celebrates the rich cultural heritage of African American communities, and seeks to create equity in representation and affirmation of Black life. We work in and with community to create understanding and build the cultural capitol of Black arts.
Methodology:
Through fundraising and collaboration, we create sustainable opportunities for Black artists in Mobile and surrounding areas to make new work. The projects and programs we support:
- Affirm the value and significance of Black voices in our community;
- Address the heritage and history of both the African American community and the African diaspora in Mobile;
- Uplift Black contemporary culture and visualization;
- Address existing inequities in underserved and under-resourced historically Black communities;
- Seek to build equity and access for Black artists;
- Empower new generations of Black artists to creatively engage our city; and
- Seed sustainable and meaningful change through the arts.
Founding:
In June of 2020, as instances of police brutality once again turned the national conversation to racism and the message that Black Lives Matter once more rose to the center of public discourse, a diverse group of Mobile-area citizen came together to discuss the work of creating multiple large scale works of art that affirm and celebrate the Black communities of Mobile.
This committee, since formalized under the name Black Life Arts and Culture Coalition (BLACC), moved quickly, and within a week of its first meeting coordinated a large-scale chalk mural, designed by artist and committee member Soynika Edwards-Bush, that was timed to coincide with the City’s virtual Juneteenth event, coordinated by committee member Kimberly Pettway. The event successfully brought many parts of the greater Mobile community together to speak out through collaborative public art, and though the mural itself was washed away by the summer rain, its creation has been emblazoned in the hearts of all in the Mobile area who believe it is important to loudly proclaim that Black Lives Matter.
The Black Life Arts and Culture Coalition (BLACC) is a subcommittee of ACAC’s Board of Directors, working to realize public-facing projects that lift up Black artists and voices in the Mobile community, in line with the ACAC mission and in pursuit of equity and accountability in the arts.
Call to Artists!
We are currently commissioning 3 quilts, and artists who are interested can apply at the link above or click the link below for more information on the project. We are also still accepting sponsorships to commission more quilts. If you’re interested in supporting this project or learning how to get involved, see the full project description below.
2023 Committee Members
Monica J. Beasley, Vice Chair is an artist and art educator. Monica was exposed to art culture at a very young age. After graduate school, and receiving her Masters of Fine Arts, Monica returned to Mobile to live closer to her family. Since 2002, Monica has been employed by the Mobile County Public School System. She noticed that art museums were not being utilized by the youth in Mobile, which was a concern to her. As a mentor, Monica is exposing her students to a variety of art disciplines and styles. She is honored to be a part of BLACC because of the interest in addressing the heritage and history the African American community and the connection with the African diaspora in Mobile.
Chandra Brown-Stewart, Co-Chair is the executive director of Lifelines Counseling Services, a multi-level agency that serves over 30,000 people each year with counseling, assistance, referrals and education to help deal with life problems. As a native of Mobile and over 20 years-experience in community programming and nonprofit management, she is now interested in seeing our community thrive through the arts.
Christopher Ray Coleman is the Founder & Director of Fuckup Nights Mobile and a best-selling author. He aims to use his influence and skillset to achieve funding targets while helping to optimize our community as one where black artists can thrive through the fine arts. Coleman brings to the group experience in community building, networking, event organizing, fundraising, and an obsession to close the wealth, diversity, and cultural gap within Mobile.
Soynika Edwards-Bush, Chair of the Visual Arts Advisory Committee is a self-taught artist, mother of four, and wife, born and raised in Prichard. Bush, who is community focused and driven to bring art to her city, has worked alongside Legacy 166 and the Boys and Girls Club to bring art to art into the lives of children. Through her work on this committee, Bush hopes to further her missions of showing color where there is none, helping to cultivate young artists, and letting the art speak what the heart feels.
elizabet elliott is the Executive Director/Curator of the Alabama Contemporary Art Center and brings eleven years of grassroots and institutional curation experience to her work. Elliot’s connection to the Black Lives Matter movement is deeply personal and rooted in care for the health and wellbeing of her family and for her Gulf Coast home.
Lucy Gafford, Executive Director of the Mobile Arts Council, is also an award-winning area painter and sculptor in her own right. She brings to the group experience in curation, educational programming, community building, event organizing, and a love of and involvement in the arts community of Mobile. Through her work with the committee, Gafford strives to play an active role in finding ways to make our community more equitable, and for there to be more representation of black artists and their stories through displays of public art.
Dr. Raoul Richardson, Co-Chair currently serves as the Senior Vice President for Research and Development for Baheth Research & Development Laboratories, LTD. (BRDL, LTD.), a division of Baheth Companies USA. A native New Yorker, Dr. Richardson has made Mobile, Alabama his home, where he is actively engaged in community development efforts and organizations. He has two sons Raoul Richardson CPA, Brandon Richardson MBA and his wife Trueva Richardson. Dr. Richardson’s activist engagements can be stated in four specific areas; Education; Community Development; Economic Development; and Environmental Sciences.
Roslyn Spencer aka Catharsis Tha Poet has been performing spoken word since 2005 and is a founder and member of the award winning PowerLines Poetry Troupe. In 2014 she received the Mousai Award for Best Spoken Collaboration and most recently in 2019 she received the award for Best Spoken Word Artist at the Port City Secondliners Honors of Mobile Alabama. Additionally, Roslyn has an extensive background in nonprofit work to include creating mentoring programs and securing grants for local youth as well as helped to increase female entrepreneurs to start and maintain successful local businesses.