Category Archives: Oakland

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Oakland, What Do Brothas Do All Day, Zine Fest

1001 Black Men–#626

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This is the first of a series of drawings I’ve put together in a ‘zine called What Do Brothas Do All Day. The title is a reference to a book by children’s author and illustrator Richard Scarry. His 1968 picture book, What Do People Do All Day, was an introduction to the grown-up world of work and chores and errands. The activities Scarry depicts in his book are really little more than the mundane stuff of everyday life; but to children, this view into the activities, occupations, and locations that shape the daily lives of adults is an absolute revelation! As a child, I was absolutely fascinated by Scarry’s vision of daily life. And just as Scarry’s book responds to the curiosity of children, my ‘zine responds to many grown-ups’ curiosity about the attitudes, activities, minds, and bodies of men of African descent. It’s a curiosity that sometimes looks more like obsession. The next several drawings are taken from the What Do Brothas Do All Day ‘zine. If you’d like a copy of the whole book, you can order one on Etsy or you can drop by my table at Art Murmur Oakland (12/6/2013 at Uptown Body and Fender) or the East Bay Alternative Book and Zinefest (12/7/2013).

Ajuan Mance

 

Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Black Men, Cars, Lake Merritt, Oakland

1001 Black Men–#625

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Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland, California.

***

If you can’t afford a fancy paint job or racing tires and chrome rims, then you can rely on your body language to give the car a little extra style. The way you and your friends sit in the car, the way you position your seat, and the configuration of limbs you drape outside of your window can say almost as much as if you were driving around on a set of Yokohama tires. I haven’t even mentioned that large, loud speakers can elevate the coolness level of even the oldest, dirtiest, rustiest hooptie. You don’t need a new or customized vehicle if your car stereo has some seriously window-rattling bass.

And now, a poetic homage to the hooptie:

My hooptie rollin’, tailpipe draggin’
Heat don’t work an’ my girl keeps naggin’
Six-nine Buick, deuce keeps rollin’
One hubcap cause three got stolen
Bumper shook loose, chrome keeps scrapin’
Mis-matched tires, and my white walls flakin’
Hit mickey-d’s, Maharaji starts to bug
He ate a quarter-pounder, threw the pickles on my rug
Runnin’, movin’ tabs expired
Girlies tryin’ to dis ‘n say my car looks tired
Hit my brakes, out slid skittles
Tinted back window with a bubble in the middle
Who’s car is it? Posse won’t say
We all play it off when you look our way
Rollin’ four deep, tires smoke up the block
Gotta roll this bucket, cause my Benz is in the shop

–Sir Mix-A-Alot in “My Hooptie”

Ajuan Mance

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Oakland

1001 Black Men–#623

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A friend of my who is also an Oakland homeowner was kind enough to hold two sessions of CORE training. CORE stands for Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies, and it’s a free training program designed to prepare city residents to be effective emergency responders.

The man in this drawing was one of the other attendees at the session. I liked the way he sat quietly, taking it all in. His calm and calming presence was a welcome contrast to the very serious topics on the agenda.

Ajuan Mance

 

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Fruitvale, Oakland

1001 Black Men–#618

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Bay Area Rapid Transit (or BART) brings me in contact with a broader cross-section of the Bay Area population than just about any other place or public service. In some regions, the public bus system and the public schools serve as that great aggregator of all humanity; but, due to the dramatic class segregation in Oakland and San Francisco, public buses and public schools tend–in both cases–to bring together those who cannot afford a private alternative. BART is one of the few entities that brings together not only a wide range of races, but a wide range of classes, as well. The appeal of quick and convenient travel between the East Bay and San Francisco attracts travelers of all stripes, and the range of ages, classes, subcultures and genders I encounter on the trains between Oakland and San Francisco feels like a truly representative sampling of the region’s much-touted diversity.

The next several drawings reflect the range of men I encountered on a recent trip from Fruitvale BART Station in Oakland to 24th and Mission St. in San Francisco.

Ajuan Mance

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Fruitvale, Oakland

1001 Black Men–#617

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On Thursday evening, I took the bus to the Fruitvale BART station, and then I took BART to the Mission district in San Francisco. The man in this drawing got on at the West Oakland stop. I was fascinated by his puffy little pom-pom of a beard. That and his sideburns seemed to be the only hair he could grow on his face, and yet he had a quiet confidence that transcended the particulars of his grooming. You know a brother is cool if he makes a pom-pom beard look fly.

Ajuan Mance

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Black Men, Oakland

1001 Black Men–#615

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If the number of unemployed and underemployed men asking for food or money outside my local grocery is any measure of the economy, then times are pretty tough. There are more than twice as many people asking for money outside the store than there were even a year ago. And, despite the news of an impending recovery, the number of these men has increased dramatically in just the last two to three months.

As the number of homeless men seeking donations from shoppers has increased, the patience of the customers appears to be wearing thin. When asked for money, most people just keep walking. The number of people who react with anger or frustration, however, seems to be increasing. When approached by a gentleman asking to wash his car windows for spare change, the man in this drawing said nothing, but the curl in his lip made his annoyance quite clear.

The tension between the shoppers and the mostly homeless, mostly African American men who ask them for donations is almost inevitable. I certainly understand the need of Oakland’s most marginalized residents to be able to feed themselves, and when the social safety net has failed you, you really have little recourse but to ask for money from strangers. At the same time, I also understand the frustration of those who are confronted with requests for donations, but who may themselves be struggling financially. Shared financial woes can end up being more divisive than unifying, at least in this case.

Ajuan Mance