Casper Banjo was considered disabled, black, and gifted. Born in Memphis, TN, Banjo often faced racism growing up in the forties and fifties, which was one of the inspirations for using a brick background in his artwork. Casper Banjo would eventually make Oakland his home until his sudden death in 2008.

Casper obtained an Associate of Arts from Laney College and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1973 and a Master of Fine Arts in 1975 from the San Francisco Art Institute. His artwork was published in various publications, such as Black Artists on Art, Vol. 2 and The International Review of African American Art, Vol. 17, No. 4.

Later in life, Banjo put together shows in Oakland. He taught homeless artists printmaking, contributed his artwork to the Street Sheet, and contributed to the annual art auctions for the Coalition on Homelessness. Also, he assisted the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame with creating prints. Other than lending his expertise to social justice causes, he contributed to the book Black Artists in Oakland.

Unfortunately, Casper Banjo was shot dead by the Oakland Police Department on March 14, 2008. The seventy-one-year-old, long-time Oakland resident was around the corner from his East Oakland subsidized home and was some weeks short of moving to a board and care facility.

“His master’s level of beauty and clarity is evident in an intricate, haunting 2004 print titled ‘Life and Death.’’’
How We Got Here (Banjo’s Death)
Angela Woodall, East Bay Times
March 22, 2008

Haunts:

  • Banjo’s residence, 69th Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94605.
  • Laney College, 900 Fallon Street, Oakland, CA 94607.
  • Eastmont Mall, 7200 Bancroft Avenue, Oakland, CA 94605, the location where Banjo was shot to death by police.

~ by Cassandra James ~

External Links:

Woodall, Angela. “Family of slain man asks: ‘How did we get here?’” East Bay Times, 22 Mar. 2008, https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2008/03/22/family-of-slain-man-asks-how-did-we-get-here/.

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