Mural Unveiling & KOO Open House
Kingmakers Of Oakland
1035 7th St, Oakland
Nov. 12, 2025
A gloom and chill hung in the air, gray but bright, with rain threatening to spoil the gathering at any moment. Thankfully, it held off just long enough for the Kingmakers of Oakland (KOO) to welcome a small crowd to share in community, a mural unveiling, plans for a future (smaller) mural of local figures indoors, and self-guided tours of their new digs.
After students tidied up, found chairs for elders, and prepped the stage and all important political parties had arrived—District Councilwoman Fife and Mayor Lee truly are boots, or sensible heels and bedazzled flats, respectively, on the ground—KOO Chris Chatmon took the mic. Created to uplift, nurture, and support, the organization “celebrates Black brilliance, builds generational wealth and power, and creates conditions where Black boys are seen, heard, and prepared to lead.” Their new home, with the addition of the eye-catching new murals, serves to do just that.
Designed by Chris Herod and Refa One and painted by AeroSoul crew members Refa One, Madzoo, and Beau, “Divine Masculine” is comprised of three tableaus: “The Mantle”, “The Trinity”, and “The Covenant”. “The Mantle depicts a young prince, his throne supported by past generations of freedom fighters, his poise and strength an embodiment of their continued legacy, a visual representation of his ”prophetic authority and divine calling”. The trinity in question is family: the union is “the ultimate harmony of natural forces, affirming one another as co-creators in the continuum of life in the universe,” their family unit the very foundation of humanity, and their offspring a symbol of renewal. The third and final panel, “The Covenant," shows another form of family, and one of particular import at this location: brotherhood. The two figures mirror one another across universes and time, a “visual articulation of unity, accountability, and Black self-determination,” their shared gaze an eternal vow: I am my brother’s keeper.
(L) Lee and her painted counterpart.
The final mural-to-be came as a surprise to guest of honor Lee. Intended for the Oscar Wright Educational Community Room, it will feature three “giants of Oakland schools”: Marcus Foster, the city’s first Black superintendent, Oscar Wright creator of the African American Honor Roll, and Mayor Lee herself. She expressed gratitude at the honor and pride to be featured in Fife’s district.
Following a few more short words, attendees were invited in—and back out—side of the building for self-guided tours and heavy snacking in the courtyard. Studios formerly used by fledgling, or not so fledgling, musicians in pre-pandemic days now are home to these high schoolers, and it certainly seems like they are putting the equipment to good use. Along with two recording studios, the program also boasts animation and fashion labs, all decked out with professional gear and managed by local working artists, including Senay Alkebu-Lan of local cult favorite Futurisme Studios (no fewer than three folks were sporting his designs that day, and his take on the panther graphic feels near-escapable around town).
Safe spaces, explicitly built to teach, uplift, and nurture community like this one, have always been essential, and it should come as no surprise just how dire the need is right now. Mere hours earlier, across town, Skyline High School had suffered a shooting by a minor, and the following day, a Laney College coach would be fatally shot by a former student. Honoring cultural champions like Foster (also lost to gun violence), Wright, and Lee, sharing food and art across generations, and simply gathering among neighbors on a weekday afternoon are reason enough to celebrate.
Check out Fred Noland’s recent coverage of an AeroSoul mural bike tour led by Refa One here.
