Hasaan Kirkland: “I am Black, an artist, and my life matters”
Black history month is both a celebration and a shame for Hasaan Kirkland (’99 MFA), an art professor at Seattle University and Seattle Central College.
It is a celebration in the sense that there is a lot to honor about African American history, African history, and the myriad of complex contextual relationships that bind the two together.
Kirkland, who previously served as chief curator of the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle and before that as a studio fine art professor at Johnson C. Smith, a Historically Black College and University, knows this better than most.
He readily admits he could talk for days about the historical contributions of local Black artists and scholars as well as the lives of prominent national icons such as Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Lois Mailou Jones, Dr. Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and the late David Driskell to name a few. “Black History Month is a celebration because it gives us this time and the due elevation to show some relevant love, gratitude, perspective, acceptance, and profound respect to the contributions of Black people historically and today,” Kirkland said. “But at the same time, I think it is a weak offering and a dismissive compliment to note the contributions of Blacks in America and in the world in a month of time.”
After all, Black people were making significant political, cultural, agricultural, civic, scientific, and evolutionary contributions to the world before America was colonized and well before 1976 when February was administered as a month to be honored.
“Black History month is not enough,” Kirkland said. “It is with perspective, grace, and mercy that it is received, but it is with honor, respect, and accountable gratitude that it should exist and be celebrated.”
Kirkland’s artwork often straddles the line between art and history, weaving the two together to bring exposure to the systemic racism and political, educational, economic, medical, and societal neglect Blacks have faced and continue to face today.