The legacy of Oscar Grant, fatally shot by a transit police officer in , continues to resonate through art and activism. A new multimedia installation, “1-800 Happy Birthday,” is currently on display at the Black Panther Party Museum in Oakland, California, commemorating what would have been Grant’s on .
The exhibit, which runs through , centers around a phone booth where visitors can listen to voicemail messages submitted by loved ones and community members sharing their memories of Grant. Intimate family photos and birthday balloons further contribute to the installation’s deeply personal atmosphere. A screening of the film Happy Birthday Oscar Grant, Love Mom, documenting how Grant’s family and friends have celebrated his birthday since his death, is also part of the exhibit.
The project was conceived by Mohammad Gorjestani, filmmaker and co-founder of Even/Odd Studio, who recalls being “infuriated” by Grant’s death as a young person. Gorjestani’s initial inspiration stemmed from a desire to remember Grant beyond the news cycle. He began collecting birthday messages for Grant in , initially receiving 100 voicemails, which evolved into the broader “1-800 Happy Birthday” project.
“1-800 Happy Birthday” isn’t solely focused on Oscar Grant. It honors fifteen individuals lost to police violence, allowing visitors to leave birthday messages for Fred Cox, Xzavier D Hill, Sean Monterrosa, Derrick Gaines, Michael Brown, Tony Robinson, Stephon A Clark, Donovon Lynch, Dujuan Armstrong, Mario Woods, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, George Floyd and Eric Garner. The project aims to humanize those lost and acknowledge the ongoing grief experienced by their families.
The installation at the Black Panther Party Museum is the latest iteration of a project that received $1 million in funding in , primarily from the Mellon Foundation and California-based partners. This funding will enable a national tour throughout and , with planned stops in New York City for Eric Garner’s birthday on and a midwestern expansion in the summer of .
The exhibit is a collaboration between Even/Odd Studio, Worthlessstudios, and Campaign Zero. Benjamin McBride, the curator and Worthlessstudios curatorial fellow, hopes the exhibit prompts visitors to consider what Grant’s life might have been like today. “That question holds so much possibility,” McBride said, “but it’s also the reality of the situation that we won’t ever really find that out.” He emphasizes that the project aims to present these individuals as “much more than what the headline would suggest,” offering a space to remember their stories and acknowledge that birthdays continue even after death.
Dr. Xavier Buck, founding director of the Black Panther Party Museum, sees the project as aligning with the organization’s historical mission to combat police brutality. Grant’s death deeply impacted Buck, who himself experienced incidents of police brutality while attending college in New York. “Oscar Grant’s story is all of our story,” Buck stated.
Oscar Grant’s mother, Rev. Wanda Johnson, has consistently honored her son’s memory since his death, hosting an annual fundraiser and gala on his birthday. She expressed a desire for a return to simpler times, recalling a New Year’s Eve celebration with Grant where they shared gumbo and laughter. “Oscar, I wish we had that time when we had gumbo and was able to laugh and hug again,” Johnson said. She also noted that she was recently able to cook gumbo again this year, a significant step in her healing process.
Johnson’s work extends beyond remembrance. Through the Oscar Grant Foundation, she provides educational programs for youth, including STEM classes, monthly support sessions for grieving mothers, and college scholarships. In , the foundation awarded $40,000 in scholarships to sixteen students and conducts “know your rights” trainings. Johnson emphasizes the ongoing need to address systemic injustices and prevent further senseless loss of life. “It’ll be 17 years since Oscar has been killed, and we’re still pressing to ensure and to work towards these types of injustices not occurring,” she said. “We are pressing to ensure that all have an opportunity to life, and that life not being taken senselessly.”
Gorjestani views the project as a way to highlight systemic injustices and the failures of current public safety measures, particularly in light of recent fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in . He believes the project’s strength lies in its ability to connect with people on a human level, reminding them that each individual lost had dreams, struggles, and a life beyond the headlines. “This project’s job is to ask people to meet at the most human level,” Gorjestani explained. “We can all relate to a birthday. And I think when you listen to these voicemails, you’re transported into the internal universe of who these people were.”
