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Blackgold: Stories Untold


  • Marin County, 94941 (map)

This summer, the FOR-SITE Foundation presents its highly anticipated new project, Black Gold: Stories Untold at Fort Point National Historic Site, running from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, November 2.  

Opening weekend features an afternoon of public programs on Saturday, June 7, from 12 to 4 p.m. No registration is required, but by RSVPing you’ll help us plan for the event.  

Activities will include: 

12 – 2 p.m.  

Artists Showcase 

In this series of short talks, Black Gold artists Adam Davis, Cheryl Derricotte, Trina Michelle Robinson, Bryan Keith Thomas, and others share the inspirations for their works in the exhibition.

12:30 – 1 p.m.  

Artist Trina Michelle Robinson in Conversation with Fort Point Park Ranger Erick Cortes 

Robinson and Cortes will discuss how the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers – African American U,S, Army regiments active from the Civil War until the 1950s – have shaped the creative and interpretive work they do in their respective fields. 

1 – 2 p.m. 

Living History Performances 

Writer/Director Rotimi Agbabiaka and a cast of actors will embody the historic figures highlighted in Black Gold, performing monologues within the exhibition spaces. Cast will feature Sam Ademola, Michael Asberry, Edris Cooper, Khary L. Moye, Dedrick Weathersby, and Courtney Williams.  

3 – 4 p.m.  

Musical Tour with Banjo Player Hannah Mayree  

Mayree, founder of the Black Banjo Reclamation Project, will lead the audience through the exhibition with a live performance responding to the artworks, ultimately inviting the audience to join together in song.

Photo Credit: Yinka Shonibare, CBE

About Black Gold: Stories Untold 

This innovative exhibition invites 17 contemporary artists and collectives to reflect on the resilience, struggles, and triumphs of African Americans who lived in California from the Gold Rush to the Reconstruction period following the Civil War (c. 1849–1877). Through newly commissioned and recent artworks, the exhibition highlights important but lesser-known figures and narratives from California’s history, exploring the presence of slavery and the struggle for legal rights within this “free” state, the successes of Black entrepreneurs, and the experiences of African American Army regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers. 

Black Gold was inspired in part by Gold Chains: The Hidden History of Slavery, a public education campaign produced by the ACLU of Northern California, one of FOR-SITE’s community partners. The exhibition is presented in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  

Earlier Event: June 7
Gold Cup Event: ¡Día de Fútbol!
Later Event: June 7
Peggy Sue Car Show & Cruise