AMIR “DR. KNUCKLEHEAD ESQ.” WHITAKER
Amir is an educator, author, human rights lawyer, and artist. He is the founder and director of Project KnuckleHead, a nonprofit organization empowering youth through music, art, and educational programs since 2012.
Often referred to as “Dr. KnuckleHead,” Amir was introduced to the criminal justice system as a child when he visited both his mother and father in prison. At age 15, Amir himself was arrested and entered the juvenile justice system. Problems at school eventually led to him being expelled. Despite these hardships, Amir went on to complete five college degrees. As a lawyer referred to as a “civil rights and education stalwart” by the Daytona Times, Amir has negotiated settlements and policy changes that have improved the lives of youth across the country. Amir is currently a senior policy attorney with the ACLU of Southern California. He has taught varying grade levels and in different educational settings for over a decade, and has held teaching certifications in Florida, California, and New Jersey. He has written for publications like TIME Magazine and Washington Post. Amir's autobiography, “The KnuckleHead’s Guide to Escaping the Trap” has been featured on ABC News and in The New Yorker. As an artist, Amir has collaborated with musicians around the world while studying and teaching styles of music and dance of the Afro diaspora. His art has been displayed in galleries, libraries, and billboards around the world. He is the co-founder of Afro Unidad, a Black cultural kinship movement with 50+ ambassadors across 14 countries. He received his doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, juris doctorate from the University of Miami, and his bachelors from Rutgers University. His resume/CV can be downloaded here.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Art is a form of freedom, and freedom is a process. Healing is a critical aspect of freedom and liberation. My art is a reflection of the interconnected journeys towards freedom and healing. As a lifelong educator and learner, I also use my art tool to activate consciousness. Lastly, I use my art to unite and ignite, and this is informed by my path as an organizer and human rights lawyer.
I am a multi-instrumentalist composer/producer with roots and heavy influence from my home village of P-Funk/Plainfield, New Jersey. A decade of living in Los Angeles and traveling through 40 countries has also influenced my sonic expression. My visual art technique and tactics earned me the name “Dr. KnuckleHead” from my students. I experiment with digital collages, freehand, stencils, and mixed media techniques along with spraypaint. Through my non-profit Project KnuckleHead, I’ve painted 70+ bucket drums that are used at protests and designed banners hundreds of square feet of abolitionist mural banners that have draped city hall rallies. Most of my art education comes through teaching and creating for Project Knucklehead over the past decade.
I use my art to challenge systems of state violence while highlighting connections across the Afro diaspora. My work often displays Black freedom fighters around the world with subtle imagery of African culture and spirituality. As an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, I founded an Arts Justice movement that advocates for arts as a civil right. I work with students and artists to use are as a call-to-action that has been attached to statewide petitions and local school board resolutions. My art inspiration comes from street artists and muralists like Emory Douglas, Brandan BMike Odums, Osa Seven, and Shepard Fairy. My musical influences include golden-era hip hop, freedom songs, Trap, and funky soul music. I attribute the radicalization and audacity of my art to the students who have taught me so much over the years.
FROM THE GROUND UP PODCAST
TOUR #1 SUMMARY