WRIIT - KOLUMN Magazine

Jimmy Heath, 93, Jazz Saxophonist and Composer, Is Dead | The New York Times

January 29, 2020January 29, 2020African American Music, Jazz Music

Jimmy Heath, a tenor saxophonist whose sharp and lively compositions became part of the midcentury jazz canon — and who found new prominence in middle age as a co-leader of a popular band with his two brothers — died on Sunday at his home in Loganville, Ga. He was 93. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] His grandson Fa […]

African Fabrics Connect to Form Quilted Portraits of Black Figures by Bisa Butler | Colossal

January 28, 2020January 28, 2020African American Art

Brooklyn-based artist Bisa Butler (previously) uses brightly colored cotton, wool, and chiffon fabrics with bold patterns to piece together quilts featuring detailed portraits of Black people. The materials and themes connect American subjects with their African roots and tell visual stories of history and culture. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] Butler is a New Jersey-born African American artist […]

Heard but Not Seen | Slate

January 28, 2020January 28, 2020African American Music, Hip Hop

Black music in white spaces. . [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] Away from home, I walk into unfamiliar spaces with my shoulders hunched and tight. Instinctively, I scan my surroundings, stretching every sense around the corners of the room until it feels safe. What the eye see? What the ears hear? What the nose smell? It’s Sunday afternoon […]

Program Teaches Prisoners How to Code So They Can Get Tech Jobs Once Released | BlackNews.com

January 28, 2020January 28, 2020Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Reform

San Francisco, CA — The Last Mile, a prison rehabilitation program based in San Quentin, California, offers prisoners free training on how to code. This equips them with the training they need to get a job more easily once they are out of prison. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] “At The Last Mile, we are using technology to […]

The Story of Josiah Henson, the Real Inspiration for ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ | Smithsonian Magazine

January 28, 2020January 28, 2020African American History

Before there was the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a formerly enslaved African-American living in Canada wrote a memoir detailing his experience. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] From its very first moments in print on March 20, 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin was a smashing success. It sold 3,000 copies on its first day, and Frederick […]

Ofentse Pitse, first black South African woman to own and conduct an all-black orchestra | Face2Face Africa

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020African Art

With little formal training in music, Ofentse Pitse is the first female black South African to own and conduct the first all-black orchestra (Anchored sound). [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] Many music maestros start playing instruments from a tender age but Pitse’s first experience with an instrument was at age 12. She picked up on the skills from […]

Danielle Johnson Will Launch the First Black Woman-owned Digital Radio Station in Boston | Black Enterprise

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020African American Entrepreneurs

People of color in the media industry face many challenges when trying to get their foot in the door. There is a certain way that you must look, carry yourself, and speak. In fact, everything from appearance to professional nature can be found in many media professionals contracts when working for major publications and outlets. […]

Music Sermon: Hip-Hop Vs. The Grammys: 30 Years of Fighting The Power | Vibe

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020African American Entertainment, Hip Hop

Rap’s relationship with the Grammys started with a boycott when the Best Rap Song category was introduced 30 years ago, and it’s been rocky ever since. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] Hip-hop and the Grammys have beef. The genre has always been marginalized by the Recording Academy, even as it grew into a superpower. This year, Kendrick Lamar, […]

Cobb County high school cellist heading to Carnegie Hall | Fox5 Atlanta

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020African American Art, African American Music

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. – The first time 16-year-old Khalil Payne picked up a cello, he says he felt an instant connection. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] “I’m going to try to find a good analogy,” Payne says. “It’s like, for the first time, when you finally find your favorite flavor of food.” Payne was a rising sixth-grader then […]

Cicely Tyson Is Giving Advice We All Need In New ‘Cherish The Day’ Trailer | Essence

January 27, 2020January 27, 2020African American Cinema, African American Film

Cecily Tyson doesn’t let up. After popping up in Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film, A Fall From Grace, premiering Friday, the 95-year-old actress’ new role is in Ava DuVernay’s new romantic drama, Cherish The Day.. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″] The very first trailer for the OWN series, which premieres next month, was released Thursday and is getting […]