Author Talk feat. Alex Werth w/ Derwin Deon Brown II @THPS
A Function of The Break Room
2026-12-05 15:00:00
2026-12-05 17:00:00
America/Los_Angeles
Author Talk feat. Alex Werth w/ Derwin Deon Brown II @THPS
The Black American Sound System is joining forces with the Berkeley Public Library to transform its branches into vibrant hubs of Black musical culture and community memory.
Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch - THPS Branch Meeting Room
Saturday, December 05
3:00pm - 5:00pm
Tarea Hall Pittman South Branch
THPS Branch Meeting RoomThe Black American Sound System is joining forces with the Berkeley Public Library to transform its branches into vibrant hubs of Black musical culture and community memory.
Artist in residency Derwin Deon Brown II, founder of Black American Sound System, will be in conversation with Alex Werth, author of On Loop: Black Sonic Politics in Oakland.
The concept of the Black American Sound System—ranging from mobile DJ setups at block parties to bass-heavy car stereos cruising down International Boulevard—serves as the literal and political engine driving Alex Werth's On Loop. While traditional studies of sound system culture often center on Jamaican reggae and dub, Werth maps this phenomenon onto Oakland's unique Black geography, illustrating how local sound systems function as autonomous, mobile zones of liberation. In On Loop, these sound systems intersect with municipal politics because their heavy bass and high volumes intentionally claim public space, piercing through the geographic boundaries of gentrification. The "loop" manifests when these sonic assertions of Black presence and joy are repeatedly targeted by the city's "war on nuisance," where white residents and city planners weaponize noise ordinances and overpolicing to silence the literal machinery of Black cultural survival.
Come here these themes discussed and examined
The Berkeley Public Library's In the Stax is collaborating with artist Derwin Deon Brown II, founder of the Black American Sound System (B.A.S.S.) in bringing Black American music into the library.
This partnership will feature a sound exhibit titled The Break Room with two activations called The People's Sonic Park and 7th Street Cafe which will be on display at the Central Library's 2nd and 5th floor September-December 2026. This collaboration will also feature public programming across all five of our locations where the community will be able to interact with the exhibit, learn the rich history and current scene of Black American music in the Bay Area as well as live music events and workshops.
Learn more about The Break Room exhibit and other programs here.
EVENT TYPE: | Cultural & Heritage | Authors, Books & Writing |
Wheelchair accessible. Request sign language interpreter, real-time captioning, materials in large print, braille, or other accommodations by calling 510-981-6195 (Library) or the 510-981-6347 (City of Berkeley TDD line). Please refrain from scented products during public programs.
Many library programs are funded by the generous support of the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library. Thank you, Friends!
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