LEROY MOORE: How's
everybody doing?
[whoops, cheers]
Yay. So I'm gonna
stay stationary. [chuckles]
So once you get
up in age with CP,
you find yourself
stay stationary.
[chuckles] So I'm
gonna stay stationary.
I'm gonna get my
PowerPoint ready.
Thank you, library.
And I wanna say
thanks to the library.
I've been doing
events here since '95.
So I've seen people come and go.
I've been in this
space many times.
So I wanna really say thanks
to the library for having
this space and really being
a public space, you know.
So thank you.
And also, thanks, Kim.
Our friendship is
diamonds and gold.
[applause, cheers]
So thank you.
I have a PowerPoint in my
presentation, and I'm also
going to read a statement
that I did about the book.
So the book is entitled
Black Disabled Art History 101.
This event is, people
say it, but it's true:
There's no books around race,
poverty, and disability.
Growing up in the '70s back
East, I didn't see myself until
I took it on my own shoulders
and made people see myself.
So I wanna give the background
of the reason of the book.
In the '70s and '80s, not
seeing myself until my father's
record collection
downstairs, in the basement.
Seeing many Black disabled
musicians like Robert Winters,
Walter Jackson, both on
crutches, a lot of Black
and blind musicians, then
seeing on TV Porgy and Bess.
Most people don't know
what Porgy and Bess is.
Porgy and Bess was an
opera, a Black opera
done by George Gershwin,
and Porgy had a disability.
So when I saw that
on TV, I was like,
"Mom! Mom! I'm on TV!"
[laughter]
And this was
back in the '70s.
My mom come running
out of the kitchen.
My mom's cracked up, laughing.
My mom's like, "Oh, no.
That's Porgy."
I was like, "Mom, I'm Porgy!
I'm Porgy!" [laughter]
So you know, that was the
first time I saw myself on TV.
You know, media is really
important, and what POOR
Magazine is doing, what we're
doing is really important so
people can see themselves
in a newspaper and on TV.
This started my 30+
years researching, writing,
and advocating on
blackness and disability.
And in the early '90s, I bumped
into Tiny and Ti doing open mic
at the Black
Repertory in Berkeley.
And Tiny and Ti was in the
audience, and that's how
I got involved
with POOR Magazine.
And POOR Magazine opened my eyes
a little bit, because I knew
a little bit, but it opened my
eyes widely about disabled
people are 90% living under the
poverty line worldwide. 90. 90.
So POOR Magazine gave
me that education.
I have to be honest that I
wanted to have a Black publisher
to publish my books, and I
got rejections after rejections
after rejections of this book.
And only two that had stood
up for this book was two
white women that teaches at the
University of San Francisco.
They saw the
vision of this book,
and they invited me to talk.
And since that time, this
book now is published.
And also, the
two professors said,
"Leroy, you should
teach this book.
So you should be a
co-teacher at the university."
So now we're co-teaching
the book together
at University of San Francisco.
So I say that because all people
have a role to play to insist
of Black, Brown, poor,
disabled people that don't have
access to those environments.
These two assisted me to bring
my knowledge and bring
POOR Magazine
knowledge into their spaces.
So that's real, how you really
could collaborate together
on an even level.
So it's not like you have
a PhD, and I'm down there.
No, I'm at an even level.
So first, I wanted to read the
dedication and the importance
of language that starts in
the glossary of this book.
The book has a glossary in back
of it, and it has definitions
like what is CP, cerebral palsy?
So youth can go to the
glossary and look and
read the definition.
So it's our definition,
not the doctors',
not the medical industry.
It's the definition coming
from an activist stance.
So I wanna read the dedication.
This book is dedicated to all
the disabled children and youth
searching for a mirror,
for histories, for stories,
even for images that say,
"You are not alone.
You are being carried by
disabled Black and Brown adults
who were once disabled Black
and Brown children and youth.
We want you to
continue on your path
and lead others
in new directions."
This book is also dedicated to
my nieces and nephews, Sasha,
Mordechai, Ace, Lightning,
Cake, Tibu, and the rest.
And my sister.
So that's the
dedication of the book.
That starts the book.
And I wanna read at
the end of the book.
Before it goes
into the glossary,
it has a little saying.
Historically, the language
used to discuss disability
has pushed disabled
children, youth, and adults
to hide their full
identity and culture.
Here, I offer some emerging
definitions that aim to empower,
celebrate human diversity,
and transform culture.
That being said, language
is constantly changing
with every generation.
It is full of
richness and can have
many meanings
and interpretations.
So like all the definitions
you will encounter, I invite
the reader to think about these
terms and definitions and talk
about and put your own spin
on them in ways that fit you,
your generation, and
the people you love.
So we're gonna start
with the PowerPoint,
and I'm gonna
describe what you see.
So the first slide is the cover
of the book, and you see me.
And what's in the background
is the late Joe Capers.
And Joe Capers is really
important in the Bay Area.
Joe Capers was a blind music
engineer back in the '80s,
and Joe Capers had the first
accessible studio in the '80s,
in the Oakland hills.
And he produced
Tony! Toni! Toné!,
En Vogue,
Digital Underground.
And I'm gonna tell you a
story about him later, but yeah,
that's him in the background.
The drawing came from a
disabled artist, Bill Bruckner.
Bill Bruckner is a local
disabled artist that did
the yellow and green
painting back in 1993.
This is the publisher.
And like I said,
they're in San Francisco,
and they do only
children's books.
This is my family in
Connecticut and myself.
More pictures of my
family in Connecticut.
I'm gonna skip on.
And this is the video
of Black Disabled
Art History 101.
Do you know your Black
disabled art history?
Well, it's about
time you learned.
This is called Black
Disabled Art History 101.
Sit down and listen 'cause
there will be a test at the end.
Displaying and speaking our
history and culture through
music, art, and dance.
[jazz drums]
So you are ready
for Homeland Security?
Black disabled artists'
roots grow deep.
However, this garden is
starving for recognition.
The most famous classical
piantist in the mid-to-late
19th Century was a Black, blind,
autistic slave, Tom Wiggins,
aka Blind Tom was
his slave name.
His master used
him to make money
and left him poor and broken.
Horace Pippin, the first Black
disabled self-taught painter
lost his arm in World War I,
using his left arm to prop up
his right forearm,
crafting his first masterpiece
depicting horrors of war.
Oh, the price he paid
for being Black, poor,
self-taught, and disabled.
Blues is the Black anthem,
attracted blind singers
and musicians to make
a living on the streets.
Some made it into
recording studios.
Blind Willie McTell,
born in 1898
played on the seats of Atlanta.
Blind Willie Johnson,
born around 1902,
a street evangelist.
Step-mother through lye
in young Johnson's
eyes, causing blindness.
Johnson became the first
gospel guitarist to record.
He died of pneumonia.
Hospital refused to admit
him due to his blindness.
Blind Blake and Blind
Boone's birthdays are unknown.
Blind John William Boone
formed his own concert company,
traveling all over the country,
more than 8,000 concerts
in the US, Canada,
Europe and Mexico.
The most popular male Blues
recording artist of the '20s was
Blind Lemon Jefferson.
He was also a street performer,
danced to the Blues, rock,
jazz, and hip-hop.
Vibrations under the wall,
Zappers, a black Deaf dance
troupe feeling the rhythm from
the motherland to the chocolate
city, listen to the melody,
heartbeat of a Black
Deaf woman, Jade.
Fingers read, "I'm a
proud Black Deaf woman."
Let's travel to Jamaica,
where in the '50s,
polio infected the island.
Skelly, Wiss, and Apple
are Israel Vibration.
They met each other at
Mona Rehabilitation Center,
got kicked out 'cause of their
religious belief in Rasta.
Homeless, poor, and disabled,
began to sing on the streets.
Now they are the
fathers of Reggae.
Back to Africa, tribal
dancing, to the drumming,
guitar strumming, and singing of
Amadou and Mariam,
a blind married couple
blending rock, pop,
jazz, and hip-hop
with an international flavor.
From Cuba to Asia, India
to America, creeping into
the hip-hop nation.
[jazz piano plays]
Paraplegic MC
Fezo Da Mad One
and the Black Kripple.
Lifting the roof of oppression
that suffocates the
hip-hop industry.
Throwing away the
bling bling to create
Krip-Hop politicalizing
our communities.
Coming home to the Bay Area.
To swing from Charles
Curtis Blackwell
and Avotcja's jazz poetry
Celebration!
So get out and get #2
pencils for your final
on Black Disabled
Art History 101.
[cheers, applause]
So I play that every time I
do this presentation because
it teaches you the history
of Black disabled artists,
not only in the US but all over.
So I'm gonna go
through this PowerPoint.
I'm gonna say only
one thing with each slide
'cause I know time is ticking.
This is Horace Pippin, a Black
disabled self-taught painter
in 1888 to 1946.
He was a poor man and disabled.
He was a World War I Veteran,
lost his arm in the war and
taught himself how to
paint with his right arm.
The story is in the book.
But that's his painting.
Curtis Blackwell, Charles
Curtis Blackwell is a local
jazz poet/singer
here in Oakland.
He kicks butt.
This is a graffiti artist
back in the '70s in hip-hop.
He was one of the first graffiti
artists in the '70s in New York.
He painted
graffiti over at least
80 subway trains in New York.
He lost his arm in an
accident, painting.
So he taught himself how
to paint with his other arm.
And like I said, he is
one of the first hip-hop
graffiti artists of the time.
His name is Kase2.
And matter fact, there's a
documentary about his work
and his importance to hip-hop.
This is Kiilu Nyasha.
Kiilu is a local disabled
activist of the Black Panthers.
Also, he draws
drawings like this.
This is Malcolm X.
And he's still here.
He lives in Chinatown.
So that's Kiilu.
Al Hibbler.
Al Hibbler was a jazz singer,
blind jazz singer
back in the, I
think, 40s, 50s, 60s.
What the story that I
love about him is that
he marched with
Martin Luther King.
And when he got politicalized,
his label dropped him because
he was marching with
Martin Luther King.
And his songs were on
the frontlines when
Martin Luther King back in the
Civil Rights Movement.
Frank Sinatra picked him back
up and gave him another label.
But yeah, that's Al Hibbler.
Aw yeah!
This artist is
Johnnie Mae Dunson.
Johnnie Mae Dunson was a Chicago
Blues singer, used to sing on
the streets, and was also the
first female drummer and used to
write a lot of songs for a
lot of Black men at the time.
But never got the
bling bling for it.
So that's Johnnie Mae Dunson.
Now, I wanna say that all the
artwork in the book is done
by Asian Robles,
and he kicks butt.
[applause]
So Joe Capers. This is
one I'm so proud about.
Joe Capers, like I said, was a
blind music engineer in Oakland.
You know, started his own home
studio, and a lot of Oakland
stars that we know today,
En Vogue, MC Hammer,
Digital Underground
went through his studio.
And this story is so important
to me because I picked up this
story about eight years
ago, and I haven't let it go.
In those eight years, we
forced the former mayor
to have a Joe Capers Month.
I said, "Are you gonna do it?"
[laughter]
And now, every August
in Oakland is Joe Capers Month,
which is really important.
[applause, cheers]
Also, Joe Capers opened up
his studio in his home for
Black and Brown youth
on the streets and really
taught them how to engineer.
I mean, this is
before computers.
So this is before
our home studios.
But yeah, so every
August is Joe Capers Month.
And also, we just finished,
me and Naru just
finished a film
about Joe Capers.
So that's gonna come out soon.
So I'm really happy about that.
[cheers]
I'm gonna read a poem
that's in the book.
It's entitled Joe Capers
Lives On Every August.
She told me the story,
little boy in a bathroom
So many interesting
things to play with
Just like a kid, went for
what mother told him not to do
Drano cleaner in
his hands, holes on top
One drop of warm
water, then boom!
Blind Joe Capers was born
Lost his sight
slowly, like Ray Charles
Retreating inward,
banging on furniture
Mom bought him drums
and other instruments
that opened his creative
musical doors
Black, blind, with rhythm
No relying on others
This blind man
built his own studio
Gave musicians of
color a place to go
Playing jokes on his people
Turning off the lights,
screams in the dark
Laughing with a smile so bright
Not everything was right
Producing hit after hit for
others, Joe Capers experienced
a double-edged sword
of blind Blues musicians
I don't have to
explain myself anymore
Give, give, give, he kept
on giving to the newly blind
before ADA and
disability rights
The saying, "A dog
is a man's best friend"
meant so much more
when Joe met Tenor
More than an eye-seeing dog,
more like a family member
Man and his best
friend buried side by side
Now we remember Black August
sounds, gold albums in
the opening at J-Jam.
Every year, in
the hottest month,
Joe Capers will ring
through Oaktown
[applause]
So this year when August comes,
let's think about Joe Capers.
This artist is a drummer.
This artist is also transgender.
Vita E. Cleveland, and she's
a drummer and also an artist.
So this artist was a
dancer, a tap dancer,
and also a Blues piano player.
His nickname was
Cripple Clarence Lofton.
He was born with a limp, and
he also owned a club in Chicago
called The Big Apple.
And his story's that he
froze to death walking home.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: What?
LEROY: Yeah.
So yeah, Cripple
Clarence Lofton.
So this is a local dancer,
Deaf dancer, Antoine Hunter.
Antoine Hunter has a
dance company in Oakland.
He's Deaf, and he's also a poet.
So he does an
international dance show
every year in the Mission.
So if you're on Facebook,
check out his Facebook page.
Lee Williams.
Lee Williams was an artist,
poet, also an actor, musician.
He performed up on this stage
with me in the '90s during
my non-profit, when we had
on disabled people of color
doing their artwork.
So Lee Williams, he passed
away about two years ago.
This is Lynn Manning.
Lynn Manning was a playwright
and a poet, and his last play
was Krip-Hop Nation,
when we finally
had a chance
to collaborate.
And he used to live in LA,
passed away a couple years ago.
But I know Tiny would like
to see, used to do theater
all throughout Watts,
street theater.
So he used to go to the corner
to do a whole street theater
production, you know, did
all through Watts in LA.
I wanna leave with a
video, and her name is Cookie.
And she is an actress, a youth
actress with Down Syndrome.
And she did this
video to explain
about her
abilities and her gifts.
[ethereal harmonizing voices]
COOKIE: Do you know what I have?
I have a smart brain.
I have a beautiful spirit.
I have a loving heart.
I have a brain that
won't let me quit.
When others say I can't,
my brain says I can.
When I feel like giving up,
my spirit don't let me.
Every day, I'm challenged.
I'm not scared.
I'm just born ready.
I have courage.
When things
don't work for me,
I don't give up.
I keep going.
I try harder, I focus better,
and after I get it, I got it.
[ball swishes the net]
I know I can do
whatever I put my mind to.
You know what I have?
I have Down Syndrome.
There is no stopping me.
What's stopping you?
[ethereal harmonizing voices]
[applause, cheers]
LEROY: Yeah!
So, she is in the book.
She's the last page in the book,
and so I'm so happy for her.
She's really
kicking ass, and yeah.
I wanna end with a poem that I
just wrote a couple days ago.
It's gonna be a collaboration
by three Black disabled men:
Keith Jones, myself, and
Emmitt Thrower did the video.
The video's not done.
Keith Jones did the beat.
I don't have the beats with
me, but I'm gonna read the poem.
It's called Black Disabled Man.
Head hang down low
Yeah I know
Nobody cares about you
Sit down, lets talk
about your roots
We created the Blues
Blind Black man could
not even afford shoes
We always create our own rules
Got kicked out of the church
We took it to the porch
Guitar strapped with a tin cup
Many told us to shut up
Blues are the roots and
those leaves are Hip-Hop
Billy Holiday sung
about strange fruits
Jessie Washington lynched &
kicked by White men's boots
Black disabled men
still black and blue
Stealing our identification
From Jim Crow to
Hip-Hop appropriation
Dumping Jimmy Brooks aka
Drake out of the wheelchair
Black Disabled man
don't avoid me, come here
I'm pumping
Krip-Hop in your ear
Creating self worth
this is your rebirth
Life is hell on this earth
Only if you don't lift a finger
Eye to eye now
you see your brother
She wanted the best
for you, your mother
I know you want a partner
But you got to
love yourself first
There goes your mirror
But it's not only about you
Those young ones will be living
and wailing in your shoes
Black disabled man you survived
Now you are an elder
What will leave behind
Live today knowing
people are looking at you
I know some days you
will have the Blues
Just take a deep breath
[breathes out] and say ummmm
Black disabled man, just
remember where you came from
Kim, OK.
[applause]
