Antoine Hunter, Purple Fire Crow
Purple Fire Crow
[ID: A headshot of a Black and Indigenous person who has almond-shaped eyes with long lashes, dark brown skin, full beard, and long black locs tied in a low braid. The individual is wearing a brown shawl and smiling.]
Portrait photo by Mark Kitaoka.
Oakland, CA
2023 USA Fellow
This award was generously supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
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Oakland native Antoine Hunter aka Purple Fire Crow is an award-winning internationally known African-American, Indigenous, Deaf, Disabled, choreographer, dancer, actor, instructor, speaker, producer, and Deaf advocate. Hunter creates opportunities for Disabled, Deaf, and hearing artists; produces Deaf-friendly events; and founded the Urban Jazz Dance Company in 2007 and the Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival (BAIDDF) in 2013. Awards include the 2022 Disability Futures Fellowship, the 2021 Dance Teacher Award, the 2019 National Dance/USA Fellowship recognized by the Mayor of Oakland, the 2018 inaugural Jeanette Lomujo Bremond Humanity Arts Award, and the 2017 Isadora Duncan (Izzie) for the BAIDDF.
Hunter’s work has been performed globally, and he has lectured across the US including at the Kennedy Center’s Office of Accessibility and VSA, Harvard University, Duke University, and the National Assembly of State Arts as an ambassador for social change. Hunter utilizes his company’s artistic talents to engage with audiences; empower Deaf and disabled communities; and advocate for human rights and access, working to end discrimination and prejudice.
Hunter’s shoe company DropLabs and Susan Paley released an innovative haptic product to help people feel music. Hunter curated Bay Area Deaf Arts at SOMArts; is a 2021 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts YBCA 100 honoree; is on the production team of Signing Animation actively working on inclusive films; and serves on the boards of Dance/USA, Bay Area Black Deaf Advocates, and Museum of Dance; and councils for Intrinsic Arts and CalArts Alumnx.
In response to COVID-19 in July 2020, Hunter founded #DeafWoke, an online talk show that amplifies BIPOC Deaf and Disabled stories as a force for cultural change.
Deaf’s IMPRISONED. Choreographed and performed by Urban Jazz Dance Company and directed by Antoine Hunter. Photo by Robbie Sweeny.[ID: A group of dancers are dramatically lit on a stage. They wear matching dark blue scrubs and imitate the motions of the man standing in front of them. He faces the dancers, away from the camera, with his arms and hands shielding his face.]