04/14/2026
A revolutionary. An artist. A lineage of care. 🎻✊🏾
At the Mothers of Gynecology Conference, we witnessed the brilliance of Joan Tarika Lewis (Matilaba) — the first woman to join the Black Panther Party at just 16 — expressing resistance, healing, and legacy through the violin.
Her presence is a reminder that Black liberation has always been multidimensional. It's strategy and creativity. It's protest and art. It's care in every form.
As a founding member of the Oakland Black String Ensemble and a visual artist for the movement, she brought a necessary perspective — one rooted in Black womanhood, storytelling, and truth.
At BLKBRY, we honor this lineage.
Because reproductive justice, community care, and cultural preservation are all connected.
This is what it looks like to carry the work forward — with intention, with artistry, and with us at the center. 🤎✨