African American Arts & Culture Complex (AAACC) Spring 2015

March 2^nd, 2015

Hello, my name is Sasha Kanji and I am majoring in Finance at University of San Francisco. I was thrilled to be selected to intern at the African American Art and Culture Complex because I completely support and believe in their mission. They run a city owned building and uplift the local community through afro-centric expression and programming. The building has fantastic facilities including an art gallery, 2 dance studios, event halls, and a recording studio. The building also houses several local organizations’ offices.

The staff has been excellent to work with; they are knowledgeable and fun to be around. My community assistant, Tamika, has been amazing and has gotten me quickly adjusted and incorporated in many different tasks. I work directly with the staff on important events and spend very little time doing the standard intern work that most people think of. Mohammed, the executive director at AAACC, has made time to meet with me and talk about future responsibilities and ideas that I have for events or improvements. The administrator, Michelle, keeps me busy and also makes sure my workload is manageable. The program director, Jason, has put me in on the frontlines during events so I am constantly interacting with the community, which is a situation I feel I can thrive in. He goes over budgeting and grants with me to supplement my Finance Major, and it is fantastic to be able to apply some of the concepts I have learned in classes.

I actually started volunteering prior to my formal start date as an intern because the staff was so fantastic when I first went in to meet everyone. I volunteered to work at a photography opening at their gallery. The photographer, Jeffery Blankfort, is a world-renowned photojournalist who is famous for his captivating images of the Black Panther Party. More recently, he is known for capturing intense images of the Israel Palestine conflict. Former original Black Panther Billy X. Jennings was also in attendance, and it was amazing to meet such admirable people on my first day! After the reception, they had a very interesting discussion panel that addressed many difficult societal issues. Hearing about things from new perspectives was fantastic, and I look forward to the rest of my time here at the AAACC.

The AAACC, complete with amazing Murals.

Marlin Brando and Bobby Seale at Bobby Hutton’s Memorial, taken by Jeffery Blankfort.

 

 

March 23^rd, 2015

My first month at the AAACC has been great and I have had no trouble adjusting to the new responsibility of having my internship. The staff has become a sort of extended family and has showed me an immense amount of compassion since I started working here. I could not be more appreciative of they way they have treated me, and try to show that through my work ethic. The training wheels have been taken off, and now I am being handed actual responsibilities left and right. I feel like an actual member of the team instead of just an understudy, and it has been fantastic for my development. I feel like my project management skills have gone through the roof and my business skills are actually put into practice.

I worked and help planned aspects of another art show called Moros y Cristianos by Pablo Soto Campoamor. He is a Cuban American artist who captures the influence of different cultures on Cuba, including various traditions that originated from Africa. Meeting the artist was a great experience, as he took time to talk to me about his ideas about how art reflects society unlike any other medium. We also talked about his past experiences in the street art world and how that affected the style of his art. The opening was very well attended and extremely lively. I helped in many areas; I even got to help sell a piece of art!

On the daily, I am assigned entirely different roles depending on what the Complex requires. I don’t get bored with mundane tasks; instead I try different things everyday which results in diversification of my skillset. Working on budgets with Jason and invoicing with Tamika has really allowed me to learn more about Finance and apply different concepts from my business classes. Frequently being put in positions to interact with the community improves my people skills immensely. This combination has really allowed me to improve myself, and I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Here are some examples of Pablo Soto Campoamor’s work:

 

April 13^th, 2015

Things at the AAACC are still going great, I thoroughly enjoy working here and am now working on projects that will come to fruition after my internship period is over. I am taking a role in the AAACC’s annual Legacy Festival that occurs in August, so obviously I intend to stay after my PSIP duties are fulfilled and completed. I have really gotten into hands on work with budgeting with Jason and Ayana (who started working here after I did). It has been great to help the Complex manage its’ resources and offer my own input on how things should be managed. I have gotten to know a lot of people who frequent the building and feel right at home when I come in for my shifts.

I got the opportunity to work and attend a Jazz Dance performance called Whispering Tenderness, about the life of Burial Clay, the famous African American playwright. It featured original music from renowned musician Idris Ackamoor, who also performed live during the performance. It was an amazing experience, and being able to talk to the performers about their motivations and goals was enlightening. I talked to many members of the local community about the Complex and how it positively affected their lives. It feels so great to know that the AAACC’s work has reached so many different people from all different walks of life.

I have really grown as a person since getting this internship, and I really notice a difference in the way I conduct myself. My business skills have been tested and refined, and I believe I have learned skills that are unable to be acquired within the confines of a classroom. The staff’s continued support has really helped me grow, and Tamika has been nothing short of phenomenal. I have never been in a work environment that feels so genuinely special, and the sense of satisfaction I receive here is unparalleled. The Public Service Internship Program provided me with an opportunity to help the community while gaining work experience, which I feel is the best possible thing I can do for my future.

Idris Ackamoor performing Whispering Tenderness