Nationally Syndicated African-American Cartoonist
Keith Knight
Hits Campuses, Festival & Conferences in 2015
With Special Appearances and His Slideshow
They Shoot Black People Don’t They:
A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality
Featuring Two+ Decades of Humorous & Controversial Comics

LOS ANGELES, CA – January 16, 2015 – As angry protestors across the country demand an end to police brutality, nationally syndicated African-American cartoonist Keith Knight has increasingly become a sought-after speaker on U.S. race relations, a frequent topic in his storytelling cartoons. Knight, the creator of three comic strips, The Knight Life, The K Chronicles, and (th)ink, is scheduled for a number of U.S. speaking engagements in 2015, including a special guest presentation on police brutality at the inaugural Black Comix Arts Festival in January and a civil rights panel discussion at the California School Library Association Conference in February. In his provocative speaking engagements, a unique blend of lecture, activism, and comedy, Knight addresses issues of race, politics, media, censorship, and the importance of social activism. The cartoonist plans to take his presentation, They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality, on tour to all 50 states over the next two years. Please see details and links below. Additional information on Knight and his work can be found at www.kchronicles.com.

“I’ve been creating comics on these issues for over 20 years, but nothing has really changed,” says Knight. “After the events in Ferguson, I thought to myself that it might be a good idea to put a slideshow together in order to engage people in these topics… to explore why these incidents keep happening.”

Upcoming U.S. Tour Dates –
Mon. 1/19/15 (noon) – Black Comix Arts Festival
Creativity Theater, 221 4th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
• presentation of They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality

Sat. 2/7/15 (4:00pm) – California School Library Association Conference
Hyatt Hotel, 1333 Bayshore Hwy., Burlingame, CA 94010
• 50th Anniversary of Civil Rights panel discussion

Sat. 2/7/15 (8:00pm) – Revolution Books
2425 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
• presentation of They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality

Fri. 2/20/15 (1:00pm) – University of Arkansas
Main Library, Walton Reading Room, 365 N. McIlroy Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701
• presentation of They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality

Lots more TBA…

Each event will be followed with a Q&A session and book signing. All events are free and open to the public.

Keith Knight – Gentleman Cartoonist
A Mini Doc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBYlqiMXhYg

They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality –
Created by award-winning indie cartoonist Keith Knight, a selection from 20+ years of his socio-political cartoons is presented in a PowerPoint-based slide show called They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality. The cartoonist’s funny and informative material takes a look at police brutality in the African-American community, from the 1991 beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, MO police officer this past summer, and, more recently, the shooting of 12-year old Tamir Rice by an emotionally unstable police officer in a Cleveland park.

Recent German Tour –
Knight recently completed a successful tour of five German universities, in November 2014, where he presented They Shoot Black People Don’t They: A Cartoonist’s Look at Police Brutality. Knight’s German tour included stops at University of Siegen, University of Bremen, University of Osnabrück, University of Bochum, and Free University of Berlin.

Keith Knight –
LA-based Keith Knight is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose three comic strips, The Knight Life, The K Chronicles, and (th)ink, can be found currently in over 50 daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers, magazines, and websites worldwide, including Washington Post, Daily KOS, San Francisco Chronicle, MAD Magazine, AlterNet.org, and Medium.com.

While his work is humorous and universal in appeal, it deals with complex political, social, and racial issues.  His comic musings on race have garnered accolades and stirred controversies, prompting CNN to tap him to grade America on its progress concerning issues of race. 90% of the material in his work is based in fact, says Knight, adding, “Whenever I lose a limb or make money, it’s usually made up.”

Knight’s The K Chronicles  won the Harvey Kurtzman Award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip as well as multiple Glyph Awards for Best Comic Strip. He was also presented an Inkpot Award
for career achievement at the 2010 Comic-Con in San Diego.

Previous speaking engagements have included a diverse spectrum of venues including Hollywood Improv, American Library Association National Conference, Alameda County Juvenile Hall, the Cartoon Art Museum, San Diego Comic-Con, Afropunk National Tour, Google Headquarters, and the Brooklyn Book Festival.

In addition to creating his ongoing comics and touring, Knight is also working on a graphic novel about his brief career as a professional Michael Jackson impersonator while he was in his teens. He also appeared in The Marginal Prophets, a hip-hop band. Previously a resident of San Francisco, in 2007 he moved to Los Angeles. He was raised in the Boston area.

“I’m hoping my work makes people laugh and/or think,” says Knight, “If I can make them do both at the same time, that’s great. If I can get them to re-think something, that’s the best.”

~ Praise for Knight’s November 2014 German University Tour ~

“The presentation was searing, moving, poignant, and, somehow, very funny! The students were quite moved and the presentation really helped to historicize and to contextualize for them what happened in Ferguson and New York this year.”

– Prof. Aliyyah I. Abdur-Rahman, PhD, Brandeis University

“Keith Knight’s slide show presentations are a poignant and stirring mixture of lecture, activist essay, and stand-up comedy. Our students especially appreciated Keith’s entertaining and charismatic delivery that still never lost sight of the seriousness of his material. This show is a must-see for anyone trying to better understand race relations, police brutality, and the cultural climate for African Americans in the United States.”

– Prof. Dr. Peter Schneck, Institute for English and American Studies,
Dean of the School for Languages and Literatures, Osnabrück University

“In times of dying newspapers and dwindling opportunities for artists to be published, Keith Knight’s slide show tour is a refreshing approach to reaching new audiences. His sharp analyses of current political events, American culture, and the ups and downs of everyday life are presented with the seriousness and, simultaneously, with the ridicule they deserve. Hilarious and depressing, fast-paced and thoughtful, entertaining and enlightening; Keith Knight’s presentation will stick with me for quite some time.”

– Jens Bonk, PhD Student, Osnabrück University

“Keith Knight’s slide show on police brutality made a real difference in our class discussions about race in contemporary American culture. Sadly edifying and entertaining against all odds, it introduced students to the political potential of visual media and cartoons. It was a powerful and memorable event.”

– Prof. Dr. Frank Kelleter, Free University of Berlin

Links –
• Official Site – www.kchronicles.com
• Tour Calendar – www.kchronicles.com/calendar
• Facebook – www.facebook.com/keefknight

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For more information, photos, or to schedule an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.