Black Speculative Arts Movement · Los Angeles
ART · CULTURE · COMMUNITY
IMAGINATION · ACTION
Being ourselves.
Freeing ourselves.
Building our future.
Grounded in ancestral intelligence.
Explore the gathering ↓Register for the conference ↗CREATIVE EXPRESSION / RADICAL IMAGINATION / COLLECTIVE POWER
BSAM LA 2026
01 / THE GATHERING
Ancestral intelligence. Imaginative possibility.
We gather to remember what we carry—and imagine what we can make together.
Join artists, scholars, organizers, and community members for four days of ideas and exchange at the intersection of Black Studies, Africana futurisms, technology, culture, and creative practice.
Find your place in the program ↘Register on Eventbrite ↗04DAYS
TOGETHER
TOGETHER
THURSDAY · NOVEMBER 5 PRE-EVENT · BSAM LA
John Jennings
Sheree Renee Thomas
Ben Caldwell
Amiri Mahnzili
02 / THE PROGRAM
Four days of inquiry & connection
Gather in
good company.
From the university lecture hall to community spaces in Leimert Park, each gathering opens a different door into our shared future.
01
Friday · November 6
CSULB · Lecture Hall 151
10:00 AM
Opening Plenary: Black Studies and Africana Futurisms
Keith Claybrook · Moderator
Dr. Maulana Karenga · Dr. Reynaldo Anderson · Christina Hudson · Rasheeda Phillips · James Stewart
Following plenary
Black Education: Sankofa Recovery and Futurist Re-imagining
Amiri Mahnzili · Moderator
Dr. Molefi Asante · Christina Hudson · Dr. Nana Lawson Bush · Louis Walee · John Murillo (UCI)
Afternoon
Engaging AI and Digital Culture: Ethical Concerns and Considerations
Christina Hudson · Moderator
Taharka Ade · Andrew Rollins · Dr. Phillip Butler · Dr. Khonsura Wilson
Afternoon
Resistance in the Shadow of the Techno-State
Louis Walee · Moderator
Rasheeda Phillips · LaWana Richmond · Edward Bush
Community policy and AI 2027
Closing plenary
Being Ourselves, Freeing Ourselves, and Building Our Future
Chimbuko Tembo · Moderator
Reynaldo Anderson · Dr. Maulana Karenga · Dr. Sheree Renee Thomas
02
Saturday · November 7
African American Cultural Center · Leimert Park
10:00 AM
The Politics and Possibilities of Black Freedom
Dr. Maulana Karenga · Moderator
Dr. Maulana Karenga · Dr. Melina Abdullah
Mining historical sources, mapping future directions
1:00 PM
Workshops in Africana Applied Knowledge and Transformative Practice
Christina Hudson · Coordinator
Storytelling · Reparations · Africana Forecasting · Education & Curriculum · Zene · Sonic Demonstration
In coordination with Yvonne Farrow and Ben Caldwell
03
Sunday · November 8
Long Beach & Leimert Park · venue to be confirmed
Afternoon
Africana Futurisms and New Concepts and Practices of Creative Production
Dr. Reynaldo Anderson & LaWana Richmond · Coordinators
Erika Alexander · Tony Puryear · David Kirkman (NEXUS) · Ben Caldwell
Panel discussion followed by a community closing ceremony
Closing ceremony
Being Ourselves, Freeing Ourselves, and Building Our Future
Core organizing committee
Reynaldo Anderson · Dr. Maulana Karenga · Dr. Natalie Sartin · Dr. Amiri Mahnzili · Dr. Louis Walee · Professor Chimbuko Tembo · Professor Christina Hudson · Dr. Keith Claybrook
Make room for ideas, creativity, and community.
Register on Eventbrite ↗03 / MAKE & PRACTICE
Saturday · November 7 · 1:00 PM
Knowledge in motion.
Afternoon workshops at the Center for Black Power in Leimert Park. Come ready to share, experiment, and leave with something new.
Storytelling
Sheree Renee Thomas · Danian Jerry
Reparations
A space for collective practice
Africana Forecasting
Lonnie Brooks · Ahmed Best
Education & Curriculum
Tim Fielder · art, AI & animation
Zene
Allen St. Clark
Sonic Demonstration
Todd Cochran
Coordinated by Christina Hudson with Yvonne Farrow and Ben Caldwell
Register for the gathering ↗04 / BEYOND THE STAGE
Art · airwaves · California connections
The conversation
keeps moving.
Discover work by artists Stacy Robinson and Jessi Ujazzi in the accompanying art exhibit. The Jazz Journey on KXLU 88.9 FM will also carry the gathering onto the airwaves.
The Jazz Journey · KXLU 88.9 FM
Mondays, 6–8 PM PST · Event features October 26 with Andrew Rollins and November 2 with Csmae Defstar.
BSAM LA also convenes the Black Studies Consortium to explore a working relationship rooted in California and connected across the nation.
Join us at BSAM LA ↗November 5—8, 2026 · Long Beach & Leimert Park
Come imagine
what comes next.
Four days rooted in the wisdom we inherit—and the futures we create together.
Register on Eventbrite ↗Explore the schedule ↓Venue details are being finalized. Check back for updates.BSAM
LA 26
LA 26