Black Media Appreciation Night 2014 this Saturday, Sept. 13

by The People’s Minister of Information JR

BMAN-half-pg-0814-web, Black Media Appreciation Night 2014 this Saturday, Sept. 13, Culture Currents Every two years, Block Report Radio and the SF Bay View newspaper get together to sponsor Black Media Appreciation Night, a night when we honor the very best in Black media from around the Bay Area. BMAN 2014 is Saturday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., at the African American Art and Culture Complex (AAACC), 762 Fulton, San Francisco. Click HERE for tickets.

This year’s headliners are

  • Hip Hop piano master Kev Choice, voted “Most Multi-Talented Musician” by East Bay Express;
  • the inimitable Donald E. Lacy, writer, director, actor, owner of Saturday morning on Black-owned KPOO Radio and a comedian who generates laughter and love like no other; and
  • djialli (griot), musician and author Phavia Kujichagulia, who will be hosting and performing – back by popular – with her band Ma’at, who brought down the house at never-to-be-forgotten Black Media Appreciation Night 2012. Ma’at is composed of Alton McGriff (bass), Ron Williams (guitar, djembe), Val Serrant (djembe, talking drum) and Phavia Kujichagulia (spoken word, trumpet, djembe).
Black-Media-Appreciation-Night-Phavia-Donald-Lacy-112612-by-Malaika-web, Black Media Appreciation Night 2014 this Saturday, Sept. 13, Culture Currents
Black Media Appreciation Night was soaked in love and mutual admiration among the Bay Area’s best Black talent. Phavia Kujichagulia and Donald E. Lacy blessed the mic and set hearts soaring. They’ll do it again Saturday. Be there! – Photo: Malaika Kambon

Visual artist and sculptor Eesuu Orundide will be creating the unique individual pieces of art that we will present as awards. Malik Seneferu, who made the coveted 2012 awards, is working on a special one for Emory Douglas.

We will present master artist Emory Douglas, the former minister of culture of the Black Panther Party, with a Black Media Lifetime Achievement Award for his almost half century of creativity and dedication to bringing Black people into higher political consciousness.

We will also honor the life and legacy of the beloved journalist, editor and mentor of a whole generation of media-makers Kevin Weston, our top honoree at BMAN 2012, who recently passed away much too soon. And in hopes for their speedy return to their historic San Francisco landmark home, we’ll present the revered Marcus Book Store, the oldest Black book store in the country, with a lifetime achievement award.

Black-Media-Appreciation-Night-Kevin-Weston-big-smile-Yoshis-112612-by-TaSin-Sabir, Black Media Appreciation Night 2014 this Saturday, Sept. 13, Culture Currents
The joy of surviving news of his impending death in September and the solidarity of the hundreds gathered at Yoshi’s who make and support Black media beams from the face of beloved editor Kevin Weston as he is named Champion of Young Journalists at Black Media Appreciation Night 2012. – Photo: TaSin Sabir

Here’s the full list of honorees – come show them your love:

  • Kevin Weston … Legacy Award for Making Media Makers
  • Emory Douglas … Lifetime Achievement Award for Political Art in Black Media
  • Marcus Books … Lifetime Achievement Award for Promoting Literacy in the Black Community
  • Harrison Chastang … Champion of Broadcast News
  • TaSin Sabir … Champion of Photography
  • Deverol Ross … Champion of Technical Support
  • Leroy Moore … Champion of the Disabled in Media
  • Melonie and Melorra Green … Champions of Culture and Black Women in Radio
  • Samm Styles … Champion of Film Making
  • Adam Hudson … Champion of International News
  • Thandisizwe Chimurenga … Champion of National News
  • Robert ‘Fleetwood’ Bowden … Champion of Positive Black Images in Media
  • Cecil Brown … Champion of Biographical Literature

There will be food, drinks, music and a helluva lot of media-makers in the house on Saturday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m., at the African American Art and Culture Complex, located at 762 Fulton in San Francisco.

Will you be there? Get your tickets now (http://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-media-appreciation-night-tickets-12432639359?aff=es2&rank=2) because seating is limited. See you there.

The People’s Minister of Information JR Valrey is associate editor of the Bay View, author of “Block Reportin’” and the newly released “Unfinished Business: Block Reportin’ 2” and filmmaker of “Operation Small Axe” and “Block Reportin’ 101,” available, along with many more interviews, at www.blockreportradio.com. He can be reached at blockreportradio@gmail.com.