Tag: African diaspora

(Audio Interview+) Ritual and Recall: A Discussion with Anthony McKissic

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In this interview with Anthony McKissic, we talk about ritual and recall in Black art and Black spaces. A resident of Baltimore, Maryland, McKissic was born and raised in Washington, DC. A part of his cultural upbringing is rooted in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Morgan State University and the Maryland Institute College of Art. McKissic is currently pursuing a doctorate in English from Morgan State University while continuing to teach with Baltimore City Schools.

recently photographed at a Holly Springs, Mississippi juke joint [photographer, Anthony McKissic]

McKissic talks up Blues artists Jr. Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside, and Cotton Patch Soul Blues a form of Blues music with roots in Mississippi.

Included here are links to a couple of the Blues artists that McKissic is inspired by:

R.L. Burnside and family. R.L. Burnside on guitar, Burnside’s grandson on drums. Song title, “Boogie Instrumental”

[source: YouTube, Alan Lomax Collection]

“I Came to Praise His Name” by Leo Bud Welch [source: YouTube, Easy Eye Sound]

Today’s Google Doodle: Cartoonist, Jackie Ormes

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The work of cartoonist, Jackie Ormes

Jackie Ormes is today’s #googledoodle – an African American cartoonist, this clip from “One tenth of a nation. Achievements” highlights Jackie Ormes’s career.

”One tenth of a nation. Achievements” video includes Eslanda of Eslanda’s Bridal Services (Washington, DC); Verna Hickman of Golden State Insurance Company (Los Angeles, CA); food editor for Ebony Magazine, Freda DeKnight, and others.

Charles County, Maryland’s Josiah Henson is one of many Recommended for the National Garden of American Heroes

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Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s response to ”Executive Order on Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes”

On July 3, 2020, the Trump administration issued the “Executive Order on Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes.” State Governors and county officials were asked to give recommendations for a park that will feature historically significant Americans. Breonna Taylor, Rosa Parks, and John Lewis are some of the names that have been recommended.

The Department of Interior has a public database in which you can view the recommendations submitted by your local and state representatives. (see link in bio).

Cover of ”In Search of Josiah Henson’s Birthplace: Archaeological Investigations at La Grange Near Port Tobacco, Maryland”

Pictured above is a report of archaeological findings performed at the birthplace of Josiah Henson. Born in Charles Country, Maryland, Josiah Henson was an abolitionist that escaped to freedom. Half brother of explorer, Matthew Henson. A distant relative of actress, Taraji P. Henson.

The archaeological study and report was prepared by St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Josiah Henson is one of the historical figures recommended by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan.

For more on this story, check out:

Executive Order on Monuments

State and local recommendations for American Heroes Monument

Garden of American Heroes by Amanda Jackson

List of Cultural Resources Honoring the Life and Legacy of Shirley Chisholm

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On August 11, 2020, Joe Biden announced that Senator Kamala Harris would be his 2020 presidential running mate. Making her the first Black female candidate for Vice President. Today, we highlight and celebrate Shirley Chisholm with our curated list of landmarks, exhibits, and other cultural resources established in the late Congresswoman’s honor. 

Shirley Chisolm was born in New York to Caribbean parents in 1924. She spent a part of her formative years living with her grandmother in Barbados. She returned to New York and went on to graduate from Brooklyn College in 1946 followed by Columbia University. Chisholm became the first African American woman elected to U.S. Congress before running for the 1972 Democratic nomination for Presidency, becoming the first African American to do so.  

The 37th stamp in the U.S. Postal Service’s Black Heritage Series commemorates the legacy of Shirley Chisholm. Here, you will find additional cultural resources established in Shirley Chisholm’s honor.

#UnboughtandUnbossed #WomenInPolitics #BlackHistoricSites #BlackWomenInPolitics #ShirleyChisholm #USCongress #USPostalService #VisitBlackHistory

(Photo) Bedford-Stuyvesant Ecologist, Hattie Carthan

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Post originally appeared on @crownheightsseedplanter Instagram page:

History to remember! The Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Hattie Carthan. A resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Mrs. Carthan was among the nation’s first African-American, community-based, ecology activists. Her pioneering efforts brought a variety of “green” programs to her neighborhood during the early emergence of the grassroots and environmental education movements

#BelikeHattie #BrooklynLove @visitblackhistory @historybeforeus #steward #thepowerofplantaseed

(Photos) Preservation of a Site Related to Georgia Midwife, Beatrice Borders

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Preservationists in early stages to preserve Georgia Williams Nursing home and historic site related to the legacy of Georgia midwife, Beatrice Borders

Post originally appeared on Ethos Preservation Instagram page:

Preservation in action! Today this group kicked off a Preservation Plan for the Georgia B. Williams Nursing Home in Camilla, Georgia! Here, Beatrice Borders, a third generation African-American midwife, operated a nursing home from 1941 to 1971, delivering over 6,000 babies! Providing an essential service through segregation and the Jim Crow era, Beatrice provided a safe place for expectant mothers, and “birthed a city.” #thisplacematters#PreservingHope @thegeorgiatrust#preservationplanning @visitblackhistory#grassroots #kickoff