Simone Leigh makes mixed media-sculptures and installations, as well as videos, through which she foregrounds the beauty and complexity of blackness. Claiming to “continue to revel” in her own identity as an African-American woman, she unflinchingly explores how black bodies have been discussed and displayed throughout history. Clay, in the form of terra cotta and […]
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Get down with such legends as Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer, the Jackson Five, Diana Ross, James Brown, and Chaka Khan in this collection of largely unseen images from the golden age of soul, R&B, and funk. This XL volume gathers all of the glamour and groove captured by photographer Bruce W. Talamon. Bruce W. Talamon saw it all during the golden age of […]
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Lorraine Hansberry was born on May 19, 1930, in Chicago, Illinois. Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun was the first drama by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway. Widely acclaimed, it helped pave the way for other black playwrights. She completed only two plays in her short life but left unfinished […]
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Zanele Muholi was born in Durban, in 1972, and lives in Johannesburg. She co-founded the Forum for Empowerment of Women in 2002, and in 2009 founded Inkanyiso, a forum for queer and visual (activist) media. Muholi’s self-proclaimed mission is ‘to re-write a black queer and trans visual history of South Africa for the world to […]
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Adeyemi Michael is a Grierson and Al Jezeera New Horizon award-winning filmmaker/artist. An MA Directing graduate from the NFTS; made a Broadcast Hotshot in 2014, his breakout film Sodiq gained several accolades including premiering at Sheffield Doc Fest along with nominations from the IDA (US) to RTS (UK) awards (read more) Adeyemi Michael’s film “ENTITLED” […]
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Kimberly M. Becoat is a contemporary mixed media artist whose work is a stylistic abstraction with a conceptual investigation of new materials and visual experiences with social commentary. She uses a variety of art materials including acrylic paint, Sumi ink, and watercolor as well as less conventional items like sand, tar paper, foil, candy wrappers, and […]
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It was a Saturday afternoon when I walked into the sacred space of RA MA East located in the West Adams area of Los Angeles. I was there to meet and do a piece on Kimberly Durdin, who is a Los Angeles based IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant), Doula, Childbirth Educator and Student Midwife. […]
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Every now and again you come across a photographer that makes you want to be in front of his or her camera, Joshua is one of those artists. I met him some years ago and I have had the pleasure of working with him. His kind and gentle nature make him a person you want […]
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African American art in the era of Malcolm X and the Black Panthers In the period of radical change that was 1963–83, young black artists at the beginning of their careers confronted difficult questions about art, politics and racial identity. How to make art that would stand as innovative, original, formally and materially complex, while […]
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“I am a Choreo-Photolist – where theatricality, choreography and photography meet in a single or series of images In the 1970’s, I stumbled across the films, music, and voices which spoke to me in pictures. For me art was a means to set up hyper-realities, conversations, and to curate my curiosities. I’ve been inspired […]
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What can I say about this most amazing artist? He is at the forefront of music and film. His accomplishments speak for themselves. I have followed his work for some time and I have to say I have always been drawn to his pages (social media etc) both for the sounds of his music and […]
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Patrick Dougher was born and raised in Brooklyn. He is an artist, musician, and educator with over 30 years’ experience as a fine artist and drummer/percussionist and over 20 years’ experience in working for community-based arts and social justice organizations. He has worked as an Art Therapist at Kings County Hospital, a youth counselor and […]
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Recently Ramulas and I sat on my couch and talked about life and I rambled on about my 11-year-old starting middle school. He listened and quietly took in all that I had to say. That is the kind of soul he is, a listener, a caring and thoughtful person. Ramulus is strong and unapologetically determined […]
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Yes, I made it to CAAM (California African American Museum) earlier this month for their LIVE PERFORMANCES to catch one of my favorite artists to date, Paul Beaubrun He made his way toward the stage with such a calm and humble manner it made me rest easy and look forward to what was to come. There […]
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Yes, I know this guy and proud of it. We have shared stages and shared non-conversational moments of the poetic kind. I have respect and admiration for the continuous presentation of his gifts. He speaks in ways that hold us accountable as human beings. He is in your face with that confident wordsmith kinda power. He […]
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These two young ladies “ALIXA + NAIMA are at the forefront of using art to speak, to inspire and to share thoughts on the state of affairs in the world at large. They have inspired me for a few years now. As a poet and mother of a young lady, I am thrilled to share the […]
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I found this story in the LA Times to be fantastic. Dancers using dance to protest. Read more here: LA Times The seeds for street dance activism were planted with the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin. After Bell learned Martin’s shooter George Zimmerman was able to walk free, she immediately headed to L.A.’s hot spot […]
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So, as usual, I was perusing the internet for stories when I stumbled upon an article talking about these brilliant Black men making an impactful change on the world and society at large. The article is entitled: “Sean John and This Company Are Working to Change the Perception of Black Men” read more HERE I visited […]
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A rockstar…a healer…the embodiment of love blowing into any room. Her fiery forward nature is what makes Neycha a force to be reckoned with. She is transformation coupled with empowerment. A much-needed feminine force unto the world. For 18+ years, K. Neycha Herford, the founder and CEO of The ReMixed Life™ and creator of TheCrossfade™, has […]
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Few people in the world bring something different, stamped with an originality that can’t be compared. I guarantee you’ve never seen or heard anything like the presence and sound of Haitian artist Val Jeanty known as VAL-INC. She has been mesmerizing audiences around the world for some time, her RESUME is long, her artistry […]
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NevahBlackDown 