Tarika lewis biography

Joan Tarika Lewis

American visual artist, musician, author and political activist

Joan Tarika Lewis

Born

Joan Angela Lewis


(1950-02-01) February 1, 1950 (age 75)

Oakland, California, U.S.

Other namesMatilaba, Tarika Matilaba, Tarika Lewis
Occupation(s)Visual artist, musician, author, political activist
Known forThe first woman to join the Black Panther Party

Joan Tarika Lewis (born February 1, 1950;[1]néeJoan Angela Lewis; pseudonymMatilaba, also known as, Tarika Lewis, Tarika Matilaba), is an American visual artist, musician, author, political activist. She was the first woman to join the Black Panther Party.[2] Joan is the aunt of James Todd Smith (LL Cool J)

Early life

Lewis was born Joan Angela Lewis on February 1, 1950, in Oakland, California, to John Henry Lewis and Florence (Reid) Lewis.[1][3] Lewis grew up in Oakland during the Civil Rights Movement, when it was a hub for civil unrest due to the high prevalence of police brutality, and the continued segregation

Ericka Huggins, Emory Douglas, Tarika Lewis
CC SA-NC Black HourJoan Tarika Lewis (born ?) was the first woman to join the Black Panther Party, in 1967.

Music

Tarika Lewis is also a talented violin player.

Tarika Lewis performs My Life as a Black Panther:

Links and References

Joan Tarika Lewis

Biography

Joan Tarika Lewis, also known as Matilaba,is an American visual artist, accomplished violinist, author, and political activist. She was the first woman to join the Black Panther Party. Ms. Lewis’s art includes portrait, landscape, still life, fashion illustration, greeting card design, stagecraft construction, prototype design, fictional character development, and mural design.[1] Even while honing her visual art skills and pursuing a career as a jazz violinist, Lewis maintained an active role in helping women and children in her community and those traumatized by substance abuse. 

Born Joan Angela Lewis in Oakland, California, she grew up in Oakland during the height of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Her father, John Henry Lewis, was the first Black man to become the light heavyweight boxing champion of the world, a title he held from 1935 to 1939.[2] Her mother, née Florence Reid, was a homemaker who played piano, was a voracious reader, and enjoyed art and drawing. She inspired her children to seek a higher educat

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