A Better San Jose Peaceful Rally

On Tuesday November 2, 2021, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 861 West San Carlos at the Incarceration Nation Billboard Art Installation, A Better San Jose (ABSJ) held a peaceful rally. It provided information regarding: San Jose's homeless youth and returning citizens, the power of Education through High School Graduation, Trades, and University Degrees.

Another one of ABSJ concerns, was the lack of a credible response from local elected officials, from San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, the San Jose City Council members and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. These elected officials received email invitations to attend, and either did not respond, or said there was a scheduling issue.

However, friends of Santa Clara County Public Defender Sajid A. Khan did attend the rally. Khan, 38, is looking to unseat three-term Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen during the June 2022 election.

Pamphlets and other materials, including the contact information of the elected officials were handed out to attendees.

Raw footage from the November 2nd, 2021, A Better San Jose Peaceful Rally.

Cupertino High, San Jose State University grad, Paralegal and Silicon Valley Fine Art and Real Estate Broker Anna D. Smith, who is based in San Jose, brought to the Bay Area's Silicon Valley the "Look Up!" Art Exhibition, October 17th - November 16th, 2021. See article in Eventbrite. Look Up! is a term for a Billboard art installation.

The art exhibit featured the 2017, Graphite and ink on paper, Incarceration Nation by California prison artist Donald "C-Note" Hooker. The London Daily Post calls him the world's most prolific prisoner artist. The drawing was inspired by the August 19th, 2017, Washington DC and national event, Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March.

The exhibition was the first in a series of "Look Up!" art exhibitions to take place during each of the four seasons. The inaugural Fall of 2021 "Look Up!" took place at 861 West San Carlos Blvd in San Jose. The series of billboards will lead towards the Santa Cruz Mountains.

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I am bringing these exhibitions to San Jose, the Crown Jewel for many, because I want to bring HOPE and BEAUTY," states Smith. "HOPE is Dreams dilute as dreams often do. BEAUTY through the works of Donald “C-Note” Hooker, the world's most prolific prison artist whose Art is for the voiceless and everyone who enjoys beauty. When disillusioned, I find Hope and Beauty are the redeeming qualities that all people can relate to honestly.

The piece, Incarceration Nation includes red stick pins that represent the locations of a list of names on the Work who suffered State-sanctioned deaths. The names include: Travon Martin in Florida; Michael Brown in Missouri; Sandra Bland in Texas; Philando Castile in Minnesota; Freddie Gray in Maryland; Ezell Ford, Wakiesha Wilson, Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) & Oscars Grant in California; and Charleen Lyles in Washington State.

To some, the addition of the stick pins do not make any sense, but to C-Note, they are two sides to the same coin, the end result of having come into contact with law enforcement.

The social justice implications of the exhibit spawned a community organization, A Better San Jose (ABSJ). On November 2nd, ABSJ held a two hour rally, A Better San Jose Peaceful Rally. The rally addressed youth and parolee homelessness, education and the lack of leadership on these issues from the local elected officials.

A Better San Jose Peaceful Rally Interview

Hip Hop Artivist Min King X Aka Pyeface interviews an attendee at the A Better San Jose Peaceful Rally on November 2nd, 2021, located at the "Look Up!" Billboard Art Exhibition, 861 West San Carlos Blvd., San Jose, CA.

The rally addressed youth and parolee homelessness, education and the lack of leadership on these issues from the local elected officials.

From October 17 - November 16, 2021, in San Jose, California, the largest city in the Silicon Valley, there was a Billboard Art Exhibition featuring Incarceration Nation, the 2017 Work by California prison artist Donald "C-Note" Hooker, to whom they call the "Billboard Banksy."

To learn more about A Better San Jose, email us: abettersanjose2@gmail.com