Weekend Playlist

“The way I start a piece is that the materials turn me on . . . I find an object and then it hangs around and it hangs around before I get an idea on how to use it.” -Betye Saar, artist. Apollo Magazine interview, November 2019. https://youtu.be/t0dK7lMODss https://youtu.be/Hk69XY5wkPo https://youtu.be/aEvbBFV3zB4 https://youtu.be/zfbtjvi9oro https://youtu.be/96rGRVSAgFM

“The syntax of a sentence equals the structure of your consciousness." -June Jordan. From her essay, “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan.” In June Jordan’s university course, “The Art of Black English,” Jordan and her students explored Black English as a unique living language, “a system constructed… Continue reading

Starting Off the 70s with Mavis Staples

“Only For the Lonely” Released in 1970, Mavis Staples’ “Only For the Lonely,” signaled the coming of a revolution in pop music. Women artists would take center stage. They’d tell stories about their lives reflecting the cultural and political power they were beginning to realize. From Roberta Flack, Carole King, Aretha Franklin and Carly Simon… Continue reading Starting Off the 70s with Mavis Staples