Happy Heavenly Birthday Oscar: An Exhibition by 1-800 Happy Birthday
An Exhibition Honoring Black and Brown Lives Killed by Police
Presented by WORTHLESSSTUDIOS
Created by Artist Mohammad Gorjestani and Even/Odd
Opening Reception February 1, 6-9 pm
On View February 1 - February 28, 2026\
View Resource Library.
On February 27, 2026, Oscar Grant III would have turned 40. Join us in honoring his life at Happy Heavenly Birthday, Oscar. An exhibition that honors the lives of Black and Brown people lost to police violence by returning to what is most human: the act of celebration. Through voice, image, and shared ritual, the project creates space to speak names, tell stories, and mark birthdays that continue even after loss.
The killing of Oscar Grant belongs to a long and unbroken history of police violence against Black communities. In 1967, when Denzil Dowell was killed by sheriff’s deputies in North Richmond and the state refused accountability, the Black Panther Party intervened by investigating the murder, educating the community, and arming residents as an act of self-defense and collective protection. The assassination of 17-year-old Panther, Bobby Hutton, in 1968, days after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., forced the Panthers to reckon with how to sustain a revolution under constant threat, deepening their commitment to Survival Programs and the preservation of Black life. Decades later, the filmed killing of Oscar Grant revealed the same violence to a new generation, affirming the enduring necessity of resistance rooted in both self-defense and radical love.
This exhibition is part of 1-800 Happy Birthday, a project by filmmaker and artist Mohammad Gorjestani.
About 1-800 Happy Birthday
1-800 Happy Birthday is a multi-format project and living memorial that celebrates the heavenly birthdays of the Black and Brown lives killed by police violence, created by filmmaker and artist Mohammad Gorjestani in deep collaboration with their families. The project is produced by creative studio Even/Odd and the NYC arts non-profit WORTHLESSSTUDIOS in partnership with the social justice non-profit Campaign Zero.
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