Join us for these current or upcoming talks, performances, workshops and exhibitions – each one showcasing the power of art to illuminate and inspire important forces for social change.
Please check back for information about events in fall 2023.
Arts & Activism Event Sponsors
- Academic Senate
- Asian American and Asian Studies Department
- Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA)
- California History Center
- De Anza Latinx Association (DALA)
- De Anza Student Government (DASG)
- English Department
- Equity and Engagement Division
- Euphrat Museum of Art
- Foothill-De Anza Foundation
- Higher Education for AB 540 Students (HEFAS)
- Latinx Empowerment at De Anza (LEAD)
- Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education
- Political Science Department
- Pride Center
- Social Science and Humanities Division
- Sociology Department
- Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy and Action (VIDA)
- Women's Studies Department
Previous Events
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Spring 2023
June 6: Queer and Now Conference
Queer & Now is the annual LGBTQ+ conference that focuses on the larger and local LGBTQ+ community, student success, equity, intersectionality and social justice concerns.
This year's keynote speaker is Honey Mahogany – performer, activist, small business owner and founding queen of Drag Story Hour. The conference theme is "Be Unapologetically You." We'll have a workshop from Bay Area Queer Zine Fest, a panel discussion featuring local drag kings and queens, and drag performances – plus, food!
June 5: Pride and Trans Flag Raising Event
Gather in the Main Quad for brief remarks by students, faculty members and community leaders, before raising the Pride and Trans flags to honor and support the LGBTQ+ community. Join us afterward at the Pride Center (Library 138) for light refreshments, tours and conversation.
April 24-May 26: Not Your Masi's Generation
"Not Your Masi’s Generation" is a multidisciplinary interactive solo exhibition that explores the East African Gujarati diaspora and the impact of the 1972 exile on future generations. Join the artist Asha Sudra on her quest to honor ancestors while confronting the challenges of dreaming beyond the past’s limitations.
The exhibition will be hosted by the California History Center in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Staff Association (APASA), the Language Arts Division and the Pride Center.
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Winter 2023
March 25: A Taste of History
This special event was co-hosted by the California History Center and the Euphrat Museum of Art, featuring author Anne Marie Todd and singer, songwriter and pianist Jackie Gage. Proceeds support after-school art classes for at-risk youth, and De Anza student multimedia projects that preserve and share our local history. 
San José native Jackie Gage, with guitarist Kevin Goldberg, performed original songs about San José, the Santa Clara Valley and California. Author Anne Marie Todd spoke about sense of place in the Santa Clara Valley including excerpts from her new book, "Valley of Heart's Delight."
Jan. 26-March 25: Spaces of Belonging
The winter exhibition at the Euphrat Museum of Art featured four local artists who have been instrumental in creating "spaces of belonging" and inspiring new beginnings.Artwork included hand cut paper poems, large-scale abstract ceramics and woven sculptures, a local nature haiku installation, and silkscreen prints about indigenous ceremonies.
March 9: Meet Artist/Author ASHA
The multidisciplinary artist, poet and educator known as Asha visited the Pride Center to talk about her book, “Not Your Masi’s Generation,” as a healing text for those who live with mental health disorders or face generational
trauma. A child of the East African Desi diaspora, Asha self-identifies as queer and disabled and strives to use art to create radical change.This event was hosted by the De Anza Pride Center in partnership with the California History Center, the Language Arts Division and the Office of Equity, Social Justice and Multicultural Education, in celebration of International Women’s Day.
“Not Your Masi’s Generation” will also be featured as a multimedia exhibition at the California History Center from April 24-May 26, hosted in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Staff Association (APASA), the Language Arts Division and the Pride Center. A welcoming reception will be held on Thursday, April 27, from 5-7 p.m. at the California History Center.
Feb. 27: The Power of Connection – How a 94-Year-Old Filipino Matriarch and Her Unemployed Grandson Became Illustrators Together
Seated side-by-side at their kitchen table in San Jose, 94 year old Crescenciana Tan and her grandson, Kenneth Tan, got to work. Crescenciana made watercolor paintings and Kenneth drew her memories
on top of them. They called themselves The Lola x Kenneth Collaboration. When Crescenciana passed, she left behind all of her paintings, and Kenneth decided
he would finish everything she started. In this talk, Kenneth will share how he and
Crescenciana worked together, how they self-published their book, and how Crescenciana’s
past lives through his present. This Momentum Series event is co-sponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Division and the Foothill-De Anza Foundation.
Feb. 7: Anti-Racist Organizing – In Dialogue with Steve Phillips
Steve Phillips is a political activist and the bestselling author of "Brown Is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority" and the newly
released "How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good." This event is cosponsored by the Social Sciences and Humanities Division, Foothill-De Anza Foundation and the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA).
Feb. 3: First Thursday
The February First Thursday focused on Black History Month and related themes.Come together for an evening of spoken word performances, hosted by McTate Stroman II and the Euphrat Museum.
If you'd like to perform, please email argabritediana@deanza.edu
Jan. 26: Silicon Valley Reads Kickoff
Mercury News columnist Sal Pizarro kicked off this year's Silicon Valley Reads campaign by moderating a panel discussion with this year's featured authors:- Tommy Orange
- Amanda Skenandore
- Kai Harris
Those attending in person can also view the Euphrat exhibition, "Spaces of Belonging," starting at 6 p.m. or during the book-signing afterward
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Fall 2022
Dec. 1: First Thursday – Open Mic
First Thursday is an evening of spoken word performances, hosted by McTate Stroman II and the Euphrat Museum. This month's featured guest was Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour, a spoken word poet and hip-hop artist from the Midwest, now living in Santa Cruz.
LaCour and his partner, fellow artist Rica Smith De La Luz, formed Sacred Poets to share their work through books, prints and apparel. He's a member of the Legendary Collective and co-curator of the Santa Cruz Word Church, a weekly poetry event at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
Oct. 25-Dec. 17: Hamsters, Hedgehogs and Hummingbirds
The fall exhibit at the Euphrat Museum of Art explored how humans relate to, imagine and interact with animals. This exhibition included a large-scale, raptor-inspired sculpture made from recycled tools, paintings of wild animals in human environments, a Huichol beaded jaguar with a colored tape floor installation, beloved pet portraits, and ceramic and found-object works that reflect on how we view and impact the animal world.
Nov. 3: First Thursday – Open Mic
This hour of spoken word performances was hosted by McTate Stroman II and the Euphrat Museum.
This month's featured guest was ASHA, a queer, disabled, multidisciplinary artist, abolitionist activist and educator who was a 2021 honorary Santa Clara County Poet Laureate.
Oct. 18: UndocuQueer Mental Health Day
HEFAS and the Pride Center joined forces for a day of art-making and workshops that will center on mental health and wellness, intersectional identities, and anti-capitalist self-care.
This event was part of the Undocumented Student Week of Action, when community colleges across California held activities in support of undocumented students and their families.
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Spring 2022
June 9: Solidarity: An Art Exhibition
This was an afternoon of performances and solidarity-themed art pieces.
- Submissions must be related to the solidarity theme
- Painting, sculptures and photos highly recommended
- Poetry and music performances encouraged
This event was hosted by Ricardo Sanchez, scholar activist intern in the Office of Equity,
May 31: Asian Representation in the Media
Join a conversation with Rena Wei, a Chinese-American NYU writer for MiscalculAsian magazine, and Kleigh Balugo, Pinay founder of Kindergarten magazine and the "Being Asian in White Spaces" podcast.
This event was hosted by Claire Albis, scholar activist intern in the Office of Equity, with funding from De Anza Student Government (DASG)
April 27-May 31: Unframed – Spring Student Art Show
"Unframed" was a special project of the Euphrat Museum of Art with the Fine Arts League of Cupertino
This exhibition featured student artwork in a variety of media – from paintings and drawings to photography, digital art and sculpture.
The works include reflections on the pandemic, the healing powers of nature, and finding resilience.
May 7: A Taste of History – Metamorphosis
Join De Anza College President Lloyd Holmes for a special event co-hosted by the California History Center and the Euphrat Museum of Art.The featured performer will be the jazz pianist, composer and bandleader, Jon Jang.
Proceeds from the Taste of History support after-school arts classes for at-risk youth, and De Anza student multimedia projects that preserve and share our local history.
May 5: Open Mic Event – First Thursday
This open mic, spoken word performance event was hosted by McTate Stroman II and the Euphrat Museum.This month's featured guest was Shihan Van Clief, a Tony Award-winning HBO Def Jam poet and co-founder of Da Poetry Lounge (DPL) – the longest-running open mic event in the United States.
April 30 + May 1: Pop-Up Mural – Migration, Kindness and Resilience
This pop-up mural was created by designer Megan Jerbic, a De Anza alum and Cupertino artist, who incorporated artwork from De Anza students,
members of the Fine Art League of Cupertino, and fifth-graders from West Valley Elementary School.- Inside the Quinlan Community Center, 10185 N. Stelling Road, during the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival
- Special hands-on art activity for kids on Saturday, April 30, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
April 7: First Thursday
In this open mic, spoken word performance event sponsored by the Euphrat Museum, host McTate Stroman II welcomed Tshaka Campbell, the Santa Clara County Poet Laureate for 2022.
Campbell is a writer and musician who curates "Beautiful Black Books" for Poetry Center San José.
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Winter 2022
March 16: Latinas in Politics
This special Women's History Month event, sponsored by the Office of the President and the Equity and Engagement Division, featured a panel discussion with local elected officials on the topic: "Latinas in Politics – Challenging Narratives of Belonging and Inclusion." This March 16 event was moderated by instructor Rosanna Alvarez and featured:
- Sylvia Arenas, San José Councilmember
- Yvonne Martínez Beltrán, Morgan Hill Councilmember
- Magdalena Carrasco , San José Councilmember
- Maya Esparza, San José Councilmember
March 3: First Thursday with Gary Singh
This open mic event, hosted by the Euphrat Museum, featured host McTate Stroman II and guest Gary Singh, an award-winning journalist, poet, photographer and painter who’s also a long-time columnist at Metro Silicon Valley. Gary was a Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing at San José State University and recently published his second book, "Silicon Alleys: Selected Metro Columns, 2005-2020." He has a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s in interdisciplinary studies, combining music theory, new media art and creative writing.
Nov. 1-Feb. 17: "common ground"This exhibition at the Euphrat Museum of Art was developed in conjunction with this year’s Silicon Valley Reads campaign.
"common ground" features artwork that examines constructed and unseen borders and boundaries, which speak to our shared needs for respect and dignity, kindness and resilience.
Artists include Thomas Kiefer, Hector Dionicio Mendoza, Nye' Lyn Tho, Fortune Sitole and Fatima Kazi.
Feb. 17: Conversation with Reyna GrandeBestselling author Reyna Grande spoke with student moderators about her work and her experiences as an immigrant and first-generation college student, during a special online appearance hosted by De Anza College as part of this year’s Silicon Valley Reads campaign.
Grande’s memoir, "A Dream Called Home” is the story of a first-generation college student, and her struggles in pursuing her dream of becoming a writer.
Feb. 3: First Thursday open micThis event hosted by the Euphrat Museum featured Tyanna (Tee) Braswell, a De Anza alum and spoken word poet with a passion for equity.
She's also an early childhood educator who believes that equipping children with proper resources will give them the opportunity to defy all odds.
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Fall 2021
Dec. 2: First Thursday open mic
The Euphrat Museum invites you to this monthly open mic event hosted by McTate Stroman II. The featured guest for Dec. 2 was Poetri – a Tony, Emmy and Cleo Award winner who has been a writer and producer on Def Poetry Jam and Broadway.
Nov. 22: Writing As a Way of Learning and Becoming Together
Nate Mickelson, clinical associate professor at New York University, will explore how writing can provide
a way to learn about ourselves and our relationships with people and places around us. Drawing from emerging research, he will propose that taking time to do writing together,
even in short spurts, can help us build the kinds of communities and futures we aspire to. This workshop is part of the Social Sciences and Humanities Division's Momentum Series.
Nov. 4: First Thursday Open Mic
The Euphrat Museum invites you to this monthly open mic event hosted by McTate Stroman II.
The featured artist for Nov. 4, from 7:30-8:30 p.m., will be Anouk Yeh, a 17-year-old journalist, organizer and Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate, who believes "the role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible."
Oct. 28: Alicia Garza – "One Book, One College" Author Event
Oakland-born Alicia Garza, a longtime organizer and co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter Global Network, is the author of this year's featured book for the One Book, One College, One Community program at De Anza. She spoke about her book, “The Purpose of Power," which she wrote as "an essential guide to building the type of movements that can address the challenges of our time." Garza adds: "Hashtags don’t start movements — people do."
Oct. 26: We Are Still Here – How Indigenous Art and Activism is Challenging Colonial Narratives and Power
Artist and change-maker Barbara Mumby-Huerta uses the arts to engage community, address historical trauma and move policy. She spoke with Maristella Tapia, instructor of Sociology, and Elvin T. Ramos, dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, about her work, including her efforts to support Indigenous communities and communities of color as they identify, assess and dismantle white supremacy in public art. This event was part of the Social Sciences and Humanities Division Momentum Series.
Oct. 20: "Nurse Unseen" – Filmmaker Conversation
Documentary filmmaker Michele Josue discussed her new project, "Nurse Unseen," which tells the stories of Filipinx nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. This event was presented by the Women, Gender and Sexuality Center and cosponsored by De Anza Student Government (DASG) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Division, with support from the departments of Asian American and Asian Studies and Nursing. For questions or accommodations, email caparasfrancesca@deanza.edu
Oct. 18-22: Undocumented Student Action Week
The students of HEFAS organized this event series in solidarity with our diverse immigrant community.
- Monday, Oct. 18: HEFAS Open House and Launch: Kick off the week by learning about the work of the HEFAS Center at De Anza.
- Tuesday, Oct. 19: Be Scared and Do It Anyway – Art and Fear: Create your own digital poster with artist Griselda Madrigal Lara
- Wednesday, Oct. 20: Nurse Unseen – Documentary Filmmaker Michele Josue: Join a conversation with Emmy award-winning maker of a new film that highlights the challenges faced by Filipinx/a/o nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Thursday, Oct. 21: HEFAS Open Mic Night: Share your poems, spoken words, songs or art relating to the theme of "Going Back To Your Roots."
- Friday, Oct. 22: Unpacking the Fight for Citizenship with Denise Panaligan: Learn about the history of citizenship and how to create a new meaning for contemporary times.
For more information, visit the HEFAS and Undocumented Resources webpages.
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Spring 2021
June 3: First Thursday Open Mic
Spoken Word at the Euphrat!This month's event featured Moody Black, an award-winning hip-hop artist, storyteller and TEDx performer, and an open mic session hosted by McTate Stroman II.
If you're interested in performing, please email argabritediana@deanza.edu
May 20: Taste of History: Hope Takes Shape
The final event of this year's "Taste of History" series will feature Asian American
and Pacific Islander musicians, poets and artists – celebrating the power of the arts and humanities in sharing and preserving our diverse stories and languages, and giving us opportunities to hear one another.The program will include a "Hoisan-Wa Talk Story" performance with the award-winning Del Sol String Quartet and poets Genny Lim, Flo Oy Wong and Nellie Wong.
More highlights include
- Singer-songwriter Lolah – presenting original songs in Vietnamese and English
- Musicians Satish and Ashish Tare – performing a tabla percussion piece
- Artist Juliana Kang Robinson – previewing the "Hope and Solace" public poetry project with Cupertino Poet Laureate Jing Jing Yang and youth poet Alaina Gupta
There will also be a special message from musician Michael Franti, and we’ll remember longtime college and community supporter Jim Jackson.
May 20: Terisa Siagatonu Writing Workshop
The Jean Miller Resource Room is hosting this performance and writing workshop with Samoan American poet and educator Terisa Siagatonu.This event is designed to uplift and amplify the voices of our Pacific Islander community and provide a space to explore our voices through creative writing.
For more information on upcoming events with an LGBTQ+ focus, please visit the Jean Miller Resource Room website.
May 13: Queer Storytelling: Drawing Workshop with Trinidad Escobar
LGBTQ+ stories matter! The Jean Miller Resource Room for Women, Genders and Sexuality is hosting a drawing workshop that will highlight the importance of telling our stories through visual art.This workshop will provide a space to tap into our powerful stories, calm our inner critics, and express ourselves through art in a gentle and loving way. It will be led by queer Pinay artist, illustrator and educator Trinidad Escobar.
For more information on upcoming events with an LGBTQ+ focus, please visit the Jean Miller Resource Room website.
May 6: First Thursday Open Mic
Everyone is welcome at this online open mic event, hosted by McTate Stroman II with this month's special guests- Lailani Africa, singer and songwriter, De Anza alum
- Poetess Kalamu Chaché, youth advocate, poet laureate of East Palo Alto
- Matt Sedillo, author of "Mowing Leaves of Grass"
- Uncle Todd, comedian, former Comedy Store host
This event is sponsored by the Euphrat Museum of Art and De Anza Student Government (DASG).
May-June: Student Art Show at the Euphrat
The spring Student Art Show features animations, drawings, digital art, graphic design, photography and sculpture
created by De Anza students during the 2020-21 academic year.Many of these pieces represent students’ responses to, or reflections on, the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent events – and the search for hope and resilience.
April-June: Witnessing History – Marching for Justice
(Image credit: Fred Stone)
Fred Stone was in college when he photographed the arrival of civil rights marchers in Montgomery, Alabama, in the spring of 1965. Now retired, he shared his photos with the California History Center at De Anza College."Witnessing History" is an online exhibition of those historic photos, accompanied by historian David Howard-Pitney's compelling account of the struggle for voting rights before and since the march. Howard-Pitney is a member of the CHC Foundation Board of Trustees.
April 1: Virtual First Thursday
Everyone is welcome to join us online for this monthly open mic event, hosted by McTate Stroman II, with special guests including
- Roni Walters, spoken word trailblazer
- Jarvis Subia, poet and performer
- Jeff Turner, musician
If you'd like to perform, please email argabritediana@deanza.edu.
This event is sponsored by the Euphrat Museum of Art and De Anza Associated Student Body (DASB).
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Winter 2021
Feb. 11 – April 22: The Art and Activism of Renee Tajima-Peña
Join South Bay scholars, artists and activists for a series of online screenings and
conversations with filmmaker, producer and activist Renee Tajima-Peña, who explores immigration, race, gender and social justice in work that includes
the films “Who Killed Vincent Chin?,” “My America … or Honk if You Love Buddha,” “Skate
Manzanar” and “No Más Bebés.”- Feb 11: Screening of “Who Killed Vincent Chin”
- Feb 17: Discussion with Tajima-Peña, Mae Lee and Chesa Caparas
- March 4: Screening of “My America … or Honk if You Love Buddha”
- March 10: Discussion with Tajima-Peña, Susana Gallardo, Lindsey Leong and Melissa-Ann Nievera-Lozano
- April 5: Screening of “No Mas Bebés”
- April 7: Discussion with Tajima-Peña, Rosanna Alvarez and Soma De Bourbon
- April 15: Screening of "Asian Americans”
- April 22: Discussion with Tajima-Peña, Yvonne Kwan and Joanne Rondilla
This film and discussion series is co-sponsored by the De Anza Asian American and Asian Studies Department, Women’s Studies Department, and the Jean Miller Resource Room for Women, Genders and Sexuality. (Image credit: Cassandra Chen)
March 8, 11, 15 and 25: Riot Grrrl Event Series
The Jean Miller Resource Room sponsored a punk-tastic series of events for Women’s Herstory/Womxn in Power Month. This series focused on
the role of punk and the Riot Grrrl Collective in late 20th-century feminism, and how they apply today.Monday, March 8: “The Punk Singer” Watch Party – 6 to 8 p.m.
- On International Womxn’s Day, we'll learn about riot grrrl legend Kathleen Hanna by watching “The Punk Singer,” a documentary about her life.
Thursday, March 11: Riot Grrrl Dance Party – 6 to 8 p.m.
- Hang out and listen to JMRR staff picks around punk feminism. Folx are welcome to discuss the songs or just socialize and listen.
Monday, March 15: Punk Rock Open Mic – 6 to 8 p.m.
- Poets and artists will share their talents around the theme of punk resistance to oppression.
Thursday, March 25: Zine-Making Workshop – 6 to 7 p.m.
- We'll make zines themed around intersectional feminism and equity. Please contact spielmannalexander@deanza.edu for more information.
Feb. 26: Poetry Night With Queen D
Danee Black immersed herself in poetry after losing her father, 1972 Olympic gold and silver medalist Larry Black. Using this art form as means for self-reflection and healing, she began touring
and performing at open mics until she made her first national poetry slam team which
included Amir Suliaman, Georgia Me, Prentice Powell, Vivian Green and Ainsley Burrows.Now performing as Queen D, she had the honor of appearing on Season 3 of TVone's award-winning show "Verses and Flow." In 2020, she published "What’s In Your Heart? Coloring Journal," a therapeutic adult coloring book to help people recharge, reconnect and rediscover themselves through self-care.
This event was sponsored by the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network as part of Black History Month.
Feb. 23 and 25: Global Issues Conference – Unforgetting: Family, Migration, Healing
The annual Global Issues Conference is an opportunity for students to share research and ideas in a collaboration between
LEAD (Latinx Empowerment at De Anza) and the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action (VIDA). Tuesday, Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to noon – Screening of the film "Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America," followed by a discussion in community.
Thursday, Feb. 25, 1:30-3:30 p.m. – Online talk by Roberto Lovato, journalist and author of "Unforgetting: A Memoir of Family, Migration, Gangs and Revolution in the Americas."
Feb. 4 – Dreaming and Imagining
This livestreamed event was an exploration of history through ancestral foodways,
stories, song and daily practices that strengthen the power of dreams. Featured participants
included- Pōkā Laenui – a writer, lawyer and activist for Hawaiian indigenous rights. Pōkā Laenui has been recognized at the U.N. as one of five pioneers in indigenous rights.
- Jocelyn Jackson – an artist and lawyer with a passion for food and social justice. Jocelyn Jackson is the founder of Justus Kitchen in Oakland and a member of the Peoples Kitchen Collective.
- Jen the Rainmaker is an entrepreneur, speaker and native medicine and wisdom carrier of indigenous Chichimeca and Toltec descent.
- Melissa-Ann Nievera-Lozano is a scholar, community organizer and co-editor of the Pilipinx Radical Imagination Reader
- Gregg Castro is an Ohlone and Salinan writer and activist on cultural preservation, protection and education.
This event is part of the year-long Taste of History series hosted by the Euphrat Museum of Art and the California History Center
January – April: Sources of Solace
Be sure to catch Sources of Solace, the winter art exhibition hosted by the Euphrat Museum of Art. This online exhibition includes four virtual galleries of work by local artists, including De Anza faculty members, exploring what makes us feel connected in challenging times.
The show was developed in conjunction with this year’s Silicon Valley Reads community reading program, which is featuring books on the theme of “Connecting.”
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Fall 2020
Dec. 3: Virtual First Thursday – Open Mic
First Thursday is an evening program of hip-hop, spoken word and more – with emcee McTate Stroman II and special guests
- Venus Jones
- Lindsey Leong
- Mighty Mike McGee
- Jeff Turner
Please email Diana Argabrite if you'd like to perform at the next Virtual First Thursday. She's at argabritediana@deanza.edu
This event was sponsored by the Euphrat Museum of Art and the De Anza Student Body (DASB).
Nov. 10: W.E.B. Du Bois – Lessons for His Future, Our Present
In this online talk, historian Eric Porter examined the work of W.E.B. Du Bois – civil rights leader, educator, author and poet – and his influence on today's Black Lives Matter movement.
Du Bois was the first Black student to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard, writing his 1895 dissertation on the American slave trade. He also founded the protest group known as the Niagara Movement, co-founded the NAACP and edited "The Crisis," an influential magazine that published young Black writers and advocated for civil rights.
Porter is a professor in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz; he also teaches Critical Race and Ethnic Studies.He has written and edited several books including "New Orleans Suite: Music and Culture in Transition," "What is This Thing Called Jazz: African American Musicians as Artists, Critics, and Activists" and "The Problem of the Future World."
Nov. 4: Alejandro Jimenez – Poetry As the Means We Need!
Alejandro Jimenez is a spoken word and performance poet and educator, avid distance runner and soccer
fanatic from Colima, Mexico. He came to the United States as an undocumented immigrant and was a farm worker in Oregon for more than 10 years. He also has worked as a youth organizer, adviser, counselor and restorative justice coordinator.Jimenez is a firm believer that words can transform, heal and take people to places never thought imaginable. He understands the power of words and the liberation of speaking for oneself, instead of being spoken for.
This writing workshop, performance and Q&A was sponsored by First Year Experience, FLOW, LEAD (Latinx Empowerment at De Anza), Puente and Umoja.
Oct. 22: Reclaiming Our Humanity
This online celebration of the arts and humanities was hosted by the Euphrat Museum of Art and California History Center as the first event in this year's Taste of History series.
Featured guests included
- Janice Lobo Sapigao, current Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County
- Melanie Cervantes, visual artist and cultural worker
- David Howard-Pitney, musician and historian
- McTate Stroman II, spoken word artist
- Flo Oy Wong, visual artist
- and more!
Oct. 20-21: Lingua Franca
The Jean Miller Resource Room hosted a watch party followed by an online conversation about “Lingua Franca.” The film tells the story of an undocumented Filipina trans woman who works as a caregiver as she tries to secure a green card. Director and star Isabel Sandoval is a trans immigrant herself.
After the watch party on Oct. 20, students joined an online conversation on Oct. 21 with film and entertainment producer Jhett Tolentino, winner of three Tony awards and a Grammy.
Oct. 20: Know Your Ballot!
Reading about ballot propositions can be dull. This online gathering was a chance to learn about ballot measures through poetry, visual images and other creative methods.
Students participated by presenting information and arguments, pro and con, in engaging and unexpected ways.
This interactive and creative activity is co-sponsored by Latinx Empowerment at De Anza (LEAD) and the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action (VIDA).
Oct. 13: And She Could Be Next
Sociology instructor Steve Nava screened a 40-minute segment of “And She Could Be Next,” a documentary miniseries about women of color who are transforming politics.
After the screening, Nava moderated a Q&A about art, education and politics with Grace Lee, who directed/produced the series with director/producer Marjan Safinia and producer Jyoti Sarda.
This event is a collaboration with POV, the award-winning PBS nonfiction film series: www.pbs.org/pov