The celebrations that marked 50 years of hip-hop in 2023 were a reminder of the undeniable influence of Black culture, innovation and style on music in the U.S. and globally. This year, our celebration of Black History Month will focus on that musical legacy.
From the birth of jazz among the legendary brass bands of New Orleans to the origins of hip-hop through the melding of cultures, sounds and lived experiences of African American, Afro-Caribbean and Latino urbanites, Black music is quintessentially American music.
In addition to the resources below, the Diversity Programming Board is hosting two special events in February to share and celebrate this musical legacy:
- “Summer of Soul” Movie Screening – Thursday, Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Redwood Campus Student Center. Open to all.
- Music as a Tool for Justice: A Reflective Conversation – Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. at Riverside Campus (HEC-129). Open to students, faculty and staff. Limited to 25 participants. Registration required.
“Summer of Soul” is an award-winning documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival, a celebration of music held in New York City in the summer of 1969. The film features amazing performances from influential Black musicians recorded but never before seen by the public. Through interviews with concertgoers, the film also captures a poignant moment in this transformative and tumultuous era, just over a year after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The struggles, protests and calls for justice coming out of the 1960s in New York were channeled by musical pioneers into the new genre of hip-hop, the topic of our reflective conversation facilitated by The Conversation Project from Oregon Humanities.
We hope you can join us and we invite you to learn more about this uniquely American musical history!
Resources
- Interactive Map: The Roots of Jazz (PBS/Ken Burns)
- Article: African American Jazz Meets Latin Rhythm (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
- TED Talk (Isabel Wilkerson, 17 minutes): The Great Migration and the Power of a Single Decision
- Documentary: Robert Johnson, The Father of Rock N’ Roll (video, 33 minutes)
- Podcast: 50 Years of Hip-Hop (50 episodes)
- Article: The Technology of Hip-Hop (National Museum of African American History & Culture)
- Article: Exploring the Transformative Influence of Hip-Hop on the Field of Social Work (Columbia University School of Social Work)
If you have questions, email Lucia Bartscher at lbartscher@roguecc.edu.