Join MoAD and Black Joy Parade for an evening of reflection, dialogue, and celebration of Black resilience, joy, and liberation. This special event kicks off with a public reception, setting the stage for a powerful panel discussion featuring Key Jo Lee, MoAD’s Chief of Curatorial Affairs; Elisha Greenwell, founder of Black Joy Parade; and Ericka Huggins, activist, educator, and former Black Panther leader. Together, they will explore the intersections of Black joy, liberation, and resistance—examining how art, activism, and community shape movements and sustain cultural pride.

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Don't miss this opportunity to engage with dynamic leaders at the forefront of Black cultural expression and liberation!

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About the Speakers

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Ericka Huggins (@ericka_huggins) is an educator, Black Panther Party member, former political prisoner, human rights advocate, and poet.

For over 50 years, Ericka has used her life experiences in service to community. From 1973-1981, she was director of the Black Panther Party’s Oakland Community School. From 1990-2004 Ericka managed HIV/AIDS Volunteer and Education programs. She also supported innovative mindfulness programs for women and youth in schools, jails and prisons.

Ericka was professor of Sociology and African American Studies from 2008 through 2015 in the Peralta Community College District. From 2003 to 2011 she was professor of Women and Gender Studies at California State Universities - East Bay and San Francisco.

She currently curates conversations focused on the individual and collective work of becoming equitable in all areas of our daily lives. Additionally, she facilitates discussions and workshops on the benefit of self care in sustaining social change.

Ericka is co-author, with photographer Stephen Shames, of the book, Comrade Sisters-Women of the Black Panther Party, published in fall 2022.

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Elisha Greenwell (@leeshag) was born and raised in Northern California, earned her B.A. from UC Santa Barbara and her M.F.A. from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Throughout her 20 year marketing career she has developed award-winning, community-centric brand strategy for Nike, Target, Intel, Starbucks, Verizon and more recently Abbott Labs.

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Elisha has received national recognition and awards for her work on Black Joy Parade, a 501c3 she founded in 2018 that is dedicated to providing her Black community with live experiences that celebrate its influence on cultures past, present and future. She currently lives in Oakland, Ca with her husband and daughter, where she runs Black Joy Parade, while serving on the board of the Huey Newton Foundation, and consulting brands on how to be a positive presence in underserved and overlooked communities.

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Key Jo Lee (@keyjolee) is chief of curatorial affairs and public programs at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco. In this role, Lee oversees the strategic direction for the museum’s exhibitions and programs; leads globally on identifying and promoting emerging artists from the African diaspora; and works to expand MoAD’s reach and influence locally, nationally, and internationally.

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She is responsible for the overall management and execution of the museum’s curatorial vision, including its exhibitions, publications, and public and educational programs, and plays an important role in the organization’s outreach, communications, and digital strategy. Lee has a master’s degree from and is PhD candidate in History of Art and African American Studies at Yale University.

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Her first book, Perceptual Drift: Black Art and an Ethics of Looking, was published by Yale University Press and The Cleveland Museum of Art in January 2023.

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This program is presented in conjunction with the Black Joy Parade held in Oakland, CA on Sunday, February 23, 2025.