Phuti Sepuru – Lecturer in Jazz, University of Pretoria Nduduzo Makhathini is a prolific South African pianist, improviser, healer, educator, scholar and storyteller. He possesses a gift that enables him to…
Rashad Shabazz – Associate Professor at the School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University It’s been six years since Prince’s death, but fascination about the artist, the man and his…
Nick Lehr – Arts + Culture Editor To commemorate African-American Music Appreciation Month this June, Vice-President Kamala Harris released a Spotify playlist with songs spanning genres and generations, from TLC’s “Waterfalls”…
Peter Dreier – E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, Occidental College In our new book, “Baseball Rebels: The Players, People, and Social Movements That Shook Up the Game and Changed…
Lisa D. Tinsley For as long as albums have existed, they have offered listeners wonder, hope, truth and reality concerning the state of the human condition. This is achieved through a…
Aram Goudsouzian – Bizot Family Professor of History, University of Memphis In the summer of 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. introduced the keynote speaker for the 10th-anniversary convention banquet of…
Jabari Evans – Assistant Professor of Race and Media, University of South Carolina Before he was arrested in December 2011, Chief Keef was a 16-year-old budding rap star. He’d released…
R&B singer R. Kelly was found guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges on Sept 27, 2021, having been exposed as the ringleader of a decades-long scheme to recruit girls, boys and…
For months, fans were relegated to watching their favorite singers and musicians over Zoom or via webcasts. Now, live shows – from festivals like Lollapalooza to Broadway musicals – are officially back. The songs…
In ‘Rumors,’ Lizzo and Cardi B pull from the ancient Greeks, putting a new twist on an old tradition
Grace B. McGowan – PhD Candidate in American Studies, Boston University It isn’t often that a pop star releases a music video that aligns so well with my academic research. But…