Building Black and Asian Solidarity Through Art
The legacy of Black and Asian American solidarity runs deep but too often goes untold. From the very beginnings of the civil rights movement, Black and AAPI activists have stood in support of one another, advancing a greater justice that is answerable to all.
Nearly twenty years before the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, Frederick Douglass gave a speech unequivocally condemning the looming restrictions on Chinese immigration: “I want a home here not only for the negro, the mulatto and the Latin races but I want the Asiatic to find a home here in the United States, and feel at home here, both for his sake and for ours.” In the 1960s, phrases like “Yellow Peril Supports Black Power” became popularized by the growing number of Asian Americans involved in the Black Panther Party, most notable of whom was Richard Aoki. When Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965, his friend and fellow activist Yuri Kochiyama tenderly cradled his head as he died.
During the pandemic, a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and renewed attention on the state-sanctioned violence against the Black community spurred by the murder of George Floyd sparked a new sense of urgency. In the face of overwhelming violence and misunderstanding, artists and activists have responded by continuing to build on the legacy of solidarity building.
To support this critical work, in 2022, Asian American Arts Alliance (A4) and The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) launched the Bandung Residency Program, the first NYC-based residency intended to foster understanding and allyship between the Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Black communities.
The four-month long residency is an opportunity to cultivate a dynamic safe space for changemakers interested in engaging in social justice discourse, restorative healing, location-based cultural activities, and expanding the narrative between communities. Here, we share seven projects from our inaugural cohort: