Happy Heavenly Birthday OscaR

An Exhibition by 1-800 Happy Birthday

Presented by WORTHLESSSTUDIOS
Created by Artist Mohammad Gorjestani and Even/Odd

Opening Reception February 1, 6-9 PM
On view February 1- 28, 2026

On February 27th, 2026, Oscar Juliuss Grant lll would have celebrated his 40th Birthday. Oscar’s Mother, Rev. Wanda Johnson reflects, “Oscar was a young man who liked to help people. He was about to pursue his dreams and goals. He was excited to be a father and expecting to raise his daughter.” 

1-800 Happy Birthday’s Happy Heavenly Birthday Oscar exhibition at The Black Panther Party Museum allows us to take a holistic view at Oscar’s life and legacy while also asking the audience to ponder a very simple question, “Have You Ever Wondered Who Oscar Grant Would Have Been Today?”

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.

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

Donate to THE FAMILY FUND

All donations are processed through WORTHLESSSTUDIOS, a New York–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and are periodically distributed to the participating families.

Your contribution supports the families of Dujuan Armstrong, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Stephon Clark, Fred Cox, George Floyd, Derrick Gaines, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Xzavier Hill, Donovon Lynch, Sean Monterrosa, Tony Robinson, and Mario Woods, honoring their lives and providing direct support to their loved ones.