BLACK PANTHER IN BRAMPTON: PARTY, PRISON AND PRESENCE

AFRICAN CANADIAN HISTORY

BY: ANNISSA MALVOISIN

It was 1977 and he had just landed at the Pearson International Airport in Mississauga. Although his night was not spent where he may have anticipated. Rather, he found himself in a cold, concrete cell - while outside on Wellington Street East and Queen Street East his arrest had ignited a spur of support, protests, and overwhelming international media press.

By this time, you're probably wondering...who?

I'm speaking of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton.

The Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) is a cultural institution that was home to a prominent figure in the human and civil rights movement in the United States. Located in Brampton, Ontario, the trifold campus was renovated in 2012 (please check it out). The courthouse and jail were built in 1867 and the Registry Office in 1890. A little over a century later, the rarely-used prison was the subject on the cover of newspapers across North America.

Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives. (Image Soruce)

Black Panther Party leader Huey P. Newton on the right and co-founder Bobby Seale on the left. (Image Source)

My summer internship was research-heavy (which is always good), and I found some pretty incredible information while both living my life in the Peel Archives and on online libraries. Huey P. Newton, one of the original leaders of the Black Panther Party, was detained for five days on murder charges laid in the United States. Newton had a few run-ins with the law and eventually left for Cuba to avoid them. This incident followed his stay in South America. While stopping over in Toronto, he was arrested at the Pearson International Airport and brought to the Peel County Jail. Beginning with 1960's microfilm, the newspapers that I examined which covered the story were dominated by titles such as "Black Power Threat" and "Racial Problem in Canada". As I moved closer to the 1970's, I focused heavily on The Brampton Daily Times (please check this out too, if you like archived newspapers). Residents were afraid. Not of Newton, but of the intensifying solidarity between the Black community that generated as a result of his presence.

Research at PAMA. The title of the Brampton Daily Times newspaper article from 1977 reads "Panther Leader in City Jail". (Image Source: Annissa Malvoisin)

This reminds me of #BlackLivesMatter and the harmony between communities occurring today around the world as a result of the ongoing police brutality towards Black bodies. #BlackLivesMatter has played a critical role in spearheading a movement that seeks to bring awareness concerning Black people and the absence of their basic human rights in the face of state violence. To learn more about who they are and what they do, click here.

How did Newton's stay affect local Black communities? Well, it did to such a degree as creating this same sense of community with local members of the Black Panther Party and residents located right there in Brampton.

References

Black Panther Party. (2015). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Party

Brampton Daily Times. (June 1977). Reel 1, Peel Archives, Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives.

Richmond, Norman (Otis). 2009. “Huey P. Newton.” Pan-African News Wire blog, August 27. Retrieved from http://panafricannews.blogspot.ca/2009/08/huey-p-newton-1942-1989-canadian.html

BASQUIAT: NOW'S THE TIME

EXHIBITION REVIEW

BY: KATIE WILSON

Hailed as one of the most important artists of the 21^st century, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art is currently on display at the AGO in the exhibit, Now’s the Time, on until May 7.

Unfortunately the AGO does not allow photography in this exhibit, so you will have to bear with me. I've nabbed some of these photos from BlogTO. For those unfamiliar with Basquiat’s work, some pieces are available on the AGO exhibit website.

In his early days as a street artist Basquiat was always dismayed at the fact that there were no black artists or representations of Black bodies in art museums. 

"I think there are a lot of people who are neglected in art. Black people are never really portrayed realistically, not even portrayed in modern art." - Jean-Michel Basquiat 

In his paintings he began tackling the issues of racism, class struggle and social tension. He painted to represent the Black bodies that he believed were so glaringly missing from art galleries.

Untitled (Skull) By Jean-Michel Basquiat 

Basquiat’s art remains powerful today, especially with spreading the message that Black Lives Matter. Throughout the exhibition which meanders through a number of rooms, quotes appear from Black artists, musicians, and political figures fitting into this theme of empowering Black lives and bodies. Strains of Charlie Parker welcomes you into the gallery and in one area, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream Speech Plays,” and echoes throughout the space. 

A series of collaborative works created by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. 

In continuing to drive this message home, throughout the gallery are excerpts from prominent African-American/Canadian artists, professors, curators, and museum professionals, who write about what Basquiat’s work means to them. It really sheds light on his work and the way he has affected people personally. At the end of the exhibit (after walking through the gift shop) there is an interactive area where gallery visitors are invited to film, or write down their responses to the exhibit and what Basquiat’s work means to them.

Interactive Space at the end of the Exhibit 

On a personal level I liked this exhibit, but was a bit disappointed that his relationship with Suzanne, his muse, was not mentioned once. I just finished reading Widow Basquiat, and was really looking forward to seeing her influence in his art. I do understand however that the goal of this exhibit is about representing the Black body in art, and his paintings of Suzanne do not necessarily fit into this.

The story of Jean-Michel Basquiat and his lover/muse Suzanne

Overall it is a powerful experience and I think that everyone gets something different out of it. The exhibit is on until May 7, and with the weather warming up, I highly recommend going.