Black Panther Party Museum Honors Oscar Grant with New Exhibit

The 'Happy Heavenly Birthday, Oscar' exhibition celebrates Grant's life and the ongoing struggle for justice.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 12:31am

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The Black Panther Party Museum in Oakland, California is opening a new exhibition called 'Happy Heavenly Birthday, Oscar' to honor the life of Oscar Grant III, who was killed by a transit police officer in 2009. The exhibition is part of the '1-800 Happy Birthday' project, which serves as a living memorial for Black and Brown people killed by police violence. The exhibition will feature sound, imagery, and participatory rituals to engage with Grant's life and legacy within the broader history of police violence against Black communities.

Why it matters

The killing of Oscar Grant became a flashpoint for national conversations about police violence and accountability, reverberating across generations of movement building. This exhibition situates Grant's life and legacy within that ongoing history, while insisting that remembrance must remain human, communal, and grounded in care.

The details

The exhibition will be on view from February 1 to February 28, 2026 at the Black Panther Party Museum in downtown Oakland. It is part of two Bay Area activations of the '1-800 Happy Birthday' project, which was created by artist and filmmaker Mohammad Gorjestani in collaboration with the families of the project celebrants. Rather than centering tragedy, '1-800 Happy Birthday' reclaims birthdays as sites of love, memory, and resistance.

  • The exhibition will open on February 1, 2026 and run through February 28, 2026.
  • Oscar Grant III would have turned 40 years old this year.

The players

Black Panther Party Museum

A museum dedicated to preserving and promoting the true legacy and ideals of the Black Panther Party, located in Oakland, California.

Oscar Grant III

A man killed by a transit police officer in 2009, whose death became a flashpoint for national conversations about police violence and accountability.

Dr. Xavier Buck

The founding director of the Black Panther Party Museum.

Mohammad Gorjestani

An artist and filmmaker who created the '1-800 Happy Birthday' project, which serves as a living memorial for Black and Brown people killed by police violence.

Campaign Zero

A data-driven organization started by activists to provide information and tools to end police violence.

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What they’re saying

“The killing of Oscar Grant belongs to a long and unbroken history of police violence against Black communities.”

— Dr. Xavier Buck, Founding Director, Black Panther Party Museum (sfbayview.com)

What’s next

The opening reception for the 'Happy Heavenly Birthday, Oscar' exhibition will take place on February 1, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and is open to the public.

The takeaway

This exhibition reflects the Black Panther Party's tradition of honoring life while confronting the conditions that make remembrance necessary. It transforms grief into collective witness and reflection, connecting past and present struggles for liberation.