A graphic used by The Black School for their tarot cards and other items (image courtesy The Black School)

Faced with the ubiquity of white supremacy in US culture, some are seeking new, radical ways to shift the conversation to center Black consciousness as a way to combat the poison of white supremacy. Two artists and educators, Shani Peters and Joseph Cullier, founded The Black School to confront such realities. Hyperallergic editor Jasmine Weber spoke to the pair about the role of radical Black education and the “Black art world,” in a special interview that comes on the heels of their residency and exhibition at the New Museum in New York. One of the things they discuss is the group’s tarot cards, which can be purchased in the group’s online shop.

A view of The Black School’s tarot deck, which can be purchased at theblackschool.bigcartel.com (image courtesy The Black School)

Then Jasmine and I were joined by editor and critic Seph Rodney and contributor Shirine Saad to talk about the new Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power exhibition that opened at the Brooklyn Museum last weekend.

And finally, we have our last segment. Earlier this week, LA-based writer Matt Stromberg reported on the “pause” artist lauren woods pressed on her American Monument project at Cal State Long Beach’s museum. The action comes after the museum director Kimberli Meyer was fired. American Monument — a multi-media installation addressing police brutality and the killing of African Americans by police officers — was a project Meyer helped realize, so woods decided that a pause was a necessary act of solidarity in light of the news. Stromberg recorded the roughly 28-minute speech, and we have the recording for those who want to hear it first hand.

A special thanks to Dried Spider for the music to this week’s episode. You can visit driedspider.bandcamp.com, for more information.


This and more in the current episode of our weekly Art Movements podcast.

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Hrag Vartanian is editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hyperallergic.

One reply on “What Does a Black Radical Art Education Look Like?”

  1. Fail to see how a ‘Black Art Movement’ is ‘radical’. I think it’s a great idea, but Black Artists have been around for centuries, what makes this ‘radical’?? Is the subject material ‘radical’?? Because if you’re trying to suggest that Black Artists are ‘radical’ I would have to disagree. What I’d like to see a piece that depicts Black politicians take over the Republican Judicial system! Show a big black man raping TRUMP! THAT would be RADICAL! I look forward to REALLY RADICAL art from Black folks and I hope they make it TRULY RADICAL!

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