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| About Solwazi Kehinde |

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Kehinde born in 1941 in Memphis -Tennessee, is one of the Twins. The other being the firstborn is his sister Versie. He grew up in Kirkwood, Missouri, where he met his wife Kemisole, who is from Brentwood, Missouri. Kehinde is the father of one son named Chuma and the grandfather of four. Kehinde’s overall love is for African people. He is inspired by everyday village and city life both here and in African Diaspora.

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In 1962, Kehinde attended the Harris teacher’s College in St Louis, MO with a Ford Foundation scholarship.

Kehinde earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Art Institute of Chicago with emphasis on drawing, painting, and printmaking in 1967, and his Master of Arts Degree in Fine Arts with emphasis on Black Expressionism in the woodcutting technique at San Diego State University in 1972.

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As an artist, Kehinde finds inspiration from the Orthodox Spiritual Systems in Ethiopia and some of his earlier work, from the Vietnam War. He is mainly motivated by America’s Glorification of War. As an educator, Kehinde is the Father of the Black Studies program at Fresno City College. For almost 40 years, Kehinde taught, facilitated, and built a strong program, both as the former Chair of the Culture Studies at the College and as full-time faculty with the social sciences division at Fresno City College.

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As an elder, Kehinde has contributed to established strong community ties among the African American community in the central valley, while actively serving in various organizations such as the Black Political Council, United Black Men-UBM, Fresno City College Black Faculty Association. As an Emeritus professor, Kehinde retired from the teaching desk honorably after establishing the African American studies program and a scholarship in his name. Today, the “Kehinde Solwazi's scholarship” stands as his legacy and love for supporting and empowering young black students. yet, Kehinde is gearing up to be an artist again.

“I love to paint, now that I’m retired, I can do all the drawing and painting I wish”.

He said.

This portal is a testimony of Kehinde's new beginnings in his passion which is producing “Art”.

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