Arts and Culture

The Morrie Movement: The Influence of ‘Wee Pals’ Cartoonist Morrie Turner

Published

10 years ago

September 30, 2014

“The Morrie Movement: The Influence of ‘Wee Pals’ Cartoonist Morrie Turner” comes to the African American Center of the San Francisco Main Library’s from Nov. 8 to Jan. 29 at 100 Larkin St. in San Francisco.

The exhibit opening and panel discussion will take place Nov. 16 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium. The exhibit is created and curated by Kheven LaGrone.

In 1965, Morrie Turner created Wee Pals, the first nationally syndicated racially integrated comic strip. The strip reflected the racially integrated West Oakland neighborhood that he grew up in.

Morrie Turner

Initially, few newspapers were interested in a racially integrated cartoon. After the 1968 assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., there was a surge of interest in racial integration and as a result, 100 newspapers published Wee Pals.

America was racially on edge; yet, Wee Pals defiantly portrayed a world where people’s differences—racial, religion, gender, sexual orientation as well as physical and mental abilities—were cherished and not scorned.

Each Sunday, Turner included an additional panel called Soul Corner that illustrated the accomplishment of a famous person of color.

Ironically, many Americans considered Wee Pals to be militant and confrontational. But as cartoon satirist Keith Knight said, “Cartoonists are the court jesters of modern times. We can get away with things that others can’t because of our “cute” drawings.”

Later, in the 1970s, Wee Pals was often contrasted with the even more militant Luther comic strip, created by Brumsic Brandon, Jr.

Morrie Turner (Dec. 11, 23, 1923 – Jan. 25, 2014) was born in Oakland. He attended Cole, Lowell and McClymonds schools in Oakland and graduated from Berkeley High School in 1942.

Since 1968, both Turner and Wee Pals received several awards. Wee Pals received the B’Nai Brith Humanitarian Award, the Cartoonists Society’s prestigious “The Brotherhood Award” and others.

In addition, Turner received the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian award (1970s) and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cartoonists Society (2009). In 2000, Morrie Turner won the Cartoon Museum’s “Sparky Award,” named after Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schultz.

In creating “The Morrie Movement,” curator/creator Kheven LaGrone used the Wikipedia definition of an art movement as a tendency or style with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists.

Morrie Turner inspired several nationally syndicated African American cartoon satirists, including Darrin Bell (Candorville), Keith Knight (the Glyph Award-winning K Chronicles, (th)ink and The Knight Life) and Ray Billingsley (Curtis). Thus, this exhibit is not a tribute or retrospective.

“I owe this exhibit to Mr. Turner,” says LaGrone, another Bay Area native, who has exhibited regularly at the San Francisco Main Public Library. His exhibits have then gone to the City College of San Francisco, Laney College in Oakland and Morehouse College in Atlanta.

LaGrone has also exhibited in New York City and Oakland. LaGrone met Morrie Turner when AfroSolo Arts Festival asked him to curate the Morrie Turner retrospective at the San Francisco Main Public Library in 2009.

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Arts and Culture

Richmond Preps for Full Weekend of Cinco de Mayo Festivities

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival. The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Scene from the 2023 Cinco de Mayo parade from Richmond to San Pablo. Photo courtesy The Richmond Standard.

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

Cinco de Mayo festivities in Richmond and San Pablo are some of the bests in Bay, and organizers say that tradition will be alive and well at this weekend’s annual parade and festival.

The action kicks off Saturday, May 4, with the 16th Annual Cinco de Mayo Richmond/San Pablo Peace & Unity Parade. The parade of floats, performances, and community organizations starts at 10 a.m. at 24th Street and Barrett Avenue and Richmond and ends at 12:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 1845 Church Lane in San Pablo.

The parade’s Grand Marshall this year will be community organizer Diego Garcia, owner of Leftside Printing.

The festivities continue Sunday with the Cinco de Mayo Festival along 23rd Street, which last year drew over 100,000 people, according to the 23rd Street Merchants Association. This year’s festival will again run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the intersections of Rheem Avenue and Clinton Avenue. It will feature two entertainment stages, one sponsored by La Raza 93.3 FM at 23rd and Rheem, and another sponsored by Radio Lazer FM at 23rd and Clinton.

Both events are important for the city and the region’s Latino community.

San Pablo Mayor Genoveva Calloway, who co-chairs the parade alongside John Marquez, president of the Contra Costa Community College District Board of Trustees, says Saturday’s festivities are about bringing the Richmond and San Pablo communities together in unity.

“This truly connects the spectators and people in the parade as one,” Calloway said. “The parade showcases the real communities of Richmond and San Pablo – our nonprofits, schools, horse riders, classic cars and trucks, our local businesses. All of these people represent the heartbeat of our community.”

Rigo Mendoza, vice president of the 23rd Street Merchants Association, said that at its heart, Richmond’s Cinco de Mayo Festival celebrates the date the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

But John Marquez started up the popular festival to bring the community together and also to exhibit the community’s businesses and culture to visitors, Mendoza said. The gathering was also a way to promote peace in the community.

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Art

Mario Van Peebles’ ‘Outlaw Posse’ Screened at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Film director Mario Van Peebles, who also stars in “Outlaw Posse,” appeared at a press conference held at RBA Creative on MacArthur Boulevard hosted by the Oakland International Film Festival. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Oakland International Film Festival hosted a screening of “Outlaw Posse” at the Grand Lake Theatre on Monday. Special guests included director/actor Mario Van Peebles and his co-star, Oakland native Scytorya Rhodes. The film is Peebles’ second western, the first being ‘Posse,’ 13 years ago. Filmmaker Van Peebles shared his passion for independent artistry and producing projects with his son, Mandela, who also starred in the film, along with Whoopi Goldberg and Cedric the Entertainer. Next week, The Post will publish an in-depth interview featuring Peebles’ reflections on his work, future projects, and continuing his father’s legacy and Rhodes on her grandfather, a real-life cowboy.

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Arts and Culture

Kedrick Armstrong: New Music Director for the Oakland Symphony

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director. In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Kedrick Armstrong is the new music director for the Oakland Symphony. Photo credit Scott Chernis.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Symphony Announced Kedrick Armstrong as its Next Music Director.
In addition to conducting the orchestra’s public concerts, Armstrong will also actively participate in the Oakland Symphony’s many education and community engagement programs, designed to inspire a love of music in people of all ages.

Armstrong is the successor to previous music director and Conductor Michael Morgan, who passed away in 2021 after a 30-year tenure at the Symphony.

Armstrong will open the Oakland Symphony 2024-2025 season on October 18.

Armstrong, who is 29 and hails from Georgetown, South Carolina, is currently the creative partner and principal conductor of the Knox-Galesburg Symphony.

The Chicago Tribune has praised Armstrong for his ability to “simply let the score speak for itself.” He enjoys a wide range of repertoire, spanning early music to premiering new works, using his joy and curiosity for all music to cultivate understanding and collaboration within diverse communities.
“I am deeply honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve as the new music director of the Oakland Symphony,” Armstrong said. “As a Black conductor, I find it humbling to stand on the shoulders of both Michael Morgan and Calvin Simmons,” the most recent and the first African American music directors of the Symphony, respectively.

Armstrong led three programs at the Symphony between 2022 and early 2024, which showcased his broad knowledge of the classical repertoire and enthusiasm for spotlighting diverse voices.
On his Oakland Symphony subscription debut on Feb. 16, Armstrong led the world premiere of “Here I Stand: Paul Robeson,” an oratorio by Carlos Simon on a libretto by Dan Harder, commissioned by the Oakland Symphony.

Armstrong was selected unanimously by the Oakland Symphony’s board of directors and musicians after an extensive two-year search. “The search committee was overwhelmed by Kedrick’s scholarship and curiosity about all kinds of music, from classical and jazz to gospel and hip-hop,” said. Dr. Mieko Hatano, executive director of the Oakland Symphony. “We are thrilled to have him join us at the Oakland Symphony.”