This archive is an act of oral history. A conversational space to connect the linage of Black creatives & creativity in San Francisco

The stories collected here serve as love letters & reflected memories on what was or what we hope can be

The Podcast

An opportunity to join in on the conversation and learn about more about the journey’s, practices and lived experiences of Black creatives with connections to San Francisco.

  • Sasha Kelley is a multidisciplinary artist using visual arts, publishing and social engagement to explore the topics of intimacy, collective archives and collaboration with black/brown/queer communities.

    Sasha Kelley has exhibited at Sonoma County Museum, Somarts Cultural Center and Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive . Their work is featured in the permanent collection at BAMPFA and has been published in Fader, Umber Magazine, The Black Aesthetic III and Black Futures.

  • Sydney β€œSage” Cain (she/them), is a visual artist born and raised in San Francisco, CA. Their work reflects encounters with unseen realities.

    Current works with printmaking, powdered metals and sculpture mine personal archives, their family’s genealogy, and the intersections of urban renewal and displacement on the psychic, spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing of marginalized communities. 

  • Red Corvette, from San Francisco, CA, is a DJ, Music Director, and one half of the brilliant minds behind Women Sound Off. With a 10-year journey as a top-tier DJ, she's rocked at many festivals, nightclubs, and branded events, leaving her mark across Cali and NYC's hottest spots. From spinning for top-tier artists like Rayana Jay + Zyah Bell and curating DSP playlists with Tidal, Apple, and Spotify to dazzling the likes of Springhill, Will Packard Media, YouTube, and most recently Essence Festival of Culture - Essence Stage, Red Corvette's music direction game is pure fire, a true multi-format DJ with real-time troubleshooting skills. Red thrives in the chaotic environments of the DJ world. Trust me, you're in for an unforgettable musical experience with Red Corvette at the helm.

  • Pablo Circa is a photographer living and working in Oakland, California. He is driven by a deep intuition to explore the complex emotions and stories that exist beneath the surface of his subjects. Drawing on his own experiences of loss and confusion, he seeks to capture the raw, unfiltered truth of human existence through the lens of the camera.

    After a tragic and career-ending acrobatics injury in 2015 he found solace and purpose in photography. Through this medium, he has been able to channel his pain and use it to create something beautiful and meaningful.

    His work is characterized by an intense focus on the emotional depth and complexity of his subjects. Whether it's a snapshot of a stranger on the street or a carefully composed portrait in a studio, he seeks to capture the essence of the human experience in all its raw, unfiltered glory.

     Ultimately, his goal as a photographer is to connect with the viewer on a deep and visceral level, inviting them to see the world through his eyes and to feel the same sense of empathy and compassion that drives his work.

  • Mason J. (he/they) is a Blaxican-Indigenous Sephardic Jewish literary & visual artist, historian, and community organizer based on Ohlone Land (San Francisco). As a 3rd generation Black San Franciscan queer writer, artist, and disability justice advocate, Mason amplifies marginalized voices through photography and poetry. They served as interim Executive Director of Radar Productions 2021-2023, contributing to events like the world-famous SFPL Show Us Your Spines residency and teaching for the Queer Ancestors Project. Mason’s work reflects their commitment to challenging societal norms through projects with Still Here SF, SFBATCO, Queer Rebels, GLBT Historical Society, University of Victoria Trans Archive, Gender & Sexuality Studies @ Cornell, Spoken Arts @ SF SOTA, SFPL Hormel Center + countless academic, public health, queer empowerment orgs

  • Fourth-generation San Francisco native Auttrianna Ward. Founder of Auttrianna Projects, a Creative Firm and Publishing House dedicated to cultivating artistic expression, fostering cultural exchange, and empowering creators from diverse backgrounds. With a focus on publishing, programming, creating grants for filmmakers, and collaborating with artists and designers, we are dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and driving social impact.

  • Etecia Burrell (nΓ©e Etecia Brown), is Black, queer, a wife, a mother, and 4th generation San Francisco native. She is the founder of Letthemflourish, a birthing temple & center for holistic wellness. Etecia has curated a life centered around social justice and is in a constant process of sharpening her skills and developing the tools necessary to create a sustainable transformative ecosystem.

    Etecia and her wife Stephanie Burrell are the co-founders of The Sanctuary, a brick-and-mortar apothecary, apparel, and home goods boutique in the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, CA.