EVENT ALERT: The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Apollo Theatre and The Opera Philadelphia Team up to Celebrate CHARLIE "BIRD" PARKER

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

Just received this from Sparkie Martin - and wanted to make sure you were aware of the upcoming symposium on CHARLIE "BIRD" PARKER, which takes place on Tuesday, March 15 - and followed by an amazing series of tributes in his honor.  There is so much to this that   I'm reposting it in its entirety. I'm sure all my fellow Jazz lovers will be there front and center for this series.  As you can see, it's going to be monumental:

A CELEBRATION OF CHARLIE “BIRD” PARKER Series of Events Will Engage Community, Scholars, Legendary Artists and Historians in Advance of The New York Premiere of CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD Including THE SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR RESEARCH IN BLACK CULTURE SYMPOSIUM A Free Panel Discussion on the Life and Legacy Of the Influential Saxophonist, Featuring Jazz Scholars and Artists Robert O’Meally, Terrance McKnight, Bridgette Wimberly and Sheila E. Anderson Tuesday, March 15, 2016 

The Great Charlie "Bird" Parker 

CHARLIE PARKER HARLEM TOUR Led by Harlem Historian John Reddick Saturday, March 26, 2016 The APOLLO WALK OF FAME INDUCTION of Jazz Saxophonist Charlie Bird Parker Ceremony to Include Legendary Saxophonist Jimmy Heath and more Wednesday, March 30, 2016 

The New York Premiere of CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD Friday, April 1, 2016 & Sunday, April 3, 2016 New York, NY, February 29, 2016 – 

In anticipation of the New York premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, a co-production between the Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia, the Apollo has announced today that it will offer related cultural events for the public at the legendary Theater as well as other community institutions. The premiere marks the Apollo‘s expansion of its programming by introducing opera and is a continuation of the Theater‘s robust education and community offerings. 

Activities will include: a free panel discussion, at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, on Parker‘s music and legacy featuring jazz scholar and historian Prof. Robert O’Meally of Columbia University; Terrance McKnight, a host on New York City music station WQXR; poet and playwright  Bridgette Wimberly, the librettist behind Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD and the host of WBGO-FM‘s Weekend Jazz After Hours Shelia E. Anderson, also the host of the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Harlem (March 15); 

A Charlie Parker Harlem Tour led by Harlem historian John Reddick (March 26); 

The Apollo Walk of Fame induction of the influential saxophonist with presentations by Parker contemporary, Jimmy Heath and more (March 30);

 And a special dress rehearsal of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD for community and education groups. 

This series of events has been partially underwritten by OPERA America: The Opera Fund. ―We are so excited to bring YARDBIRD to the Apollo and, leading up to the New York premiere of the production, we hope that these events will provide context and a fuller picture of the creative genius that was Charlie ̳Bird‘ Parker and a better understanding of the YARDBIRD opera. Before people walk through the doors to see the show, we want them to understand the essence of ̳Bird.‘ 

"From the Walk of Fame induction to the symposium at the Schomburg Center, each event is designed to celebrate and explore Parker‘s brilliance, his legacy in the jazz community and his relationship with the Apollo," said Mikki Shepard, the Apollo Theater‘s Executive Producer. "―Also, through these programs, the Apollo celebrates the importance of its community - artists, audiences and students. As a cornerstone for the Harlem community, we always strive to find ways to bring them into dialogue through our artistic programming, and this celebration of Parker is in line with our mission."

 Please see below for the full schedule and description of events 

Tuesday, March 15, 2016; 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm 

Schomburg Center Symposium Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture - 515 Malcolm X Blvd, Harlem, NY 10037 Robert O’Meally, Zora Neale Hurston professor of English and Comparative Literature, and founder of the Center for Jazz Studies, moderates this panel discussion on the life and legacy of Charlie Parker. Panelists scheduled to participate include: Terrance McKnight, the WQXR-FM weekday evening host. He also hosts WQXR‘s All Ears with Terrance McKnight, a Saturday evening program about musical discovery, which was honored with an ASCAP Deems Taylor Radio Broadcast Award, in 2010. Bridgette Wimberly, a librettist, an award-winning poet and author of eight plays who has been commissioned and produced by several theaters Off-Broadway and across the country, including Opera Philadelphia (Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD). Sheila E. Anderson, host of WBGO-FM‘s Weekend Jazz After Hours, Columbia University Community Scholar and host of the annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Harlem. The evening will also feature a performance by T.K. Blue, composer of Latin Bird, a Latin Jazz- themed Charlie Parker tribute CD. Mr. Blue has performed with many jazz artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Randy Weston, Pharoah Sanders, Regina Carter, Bobby McFerrin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito D‘Rivera and Jimmy Scott. This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is strongly suggested. For registration information visit https://www.apollotheater.org/bird_celebration. 

March 26, 2016; 12 pm – 2 pm

This event takes place at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, located at 515 Malcolm X Blvd. between 135th and 136th Streets. Charlie Parker Harlem Tour Saturday,  Led by Harlem historian, lecturer and architect, John Reddick, this historic tour will visit Harlem landmarks associated with the legendary musician‘s life and career - from Minton‘s Playhouse, where Parker performed jam sessions early in his career to Abyssinian Baptist Church where his funeral was held. Other stops will include: the Cecil Hotel, Mt. Morris Park, Dewey Square Hotel, Dan Wall‘s Chili House, Clark Monroe‘s Uptown House, the Savoy Ballroom and Small‘s Paradise. At the height of his talent and popularity, ―Bird as Parker came be known, would perform at Harlem‘s most distinguished venues including Small‘s Paradise, the Savoy Ballroom and the world famous Apollo Theater. Harlem also served briefly as Parker‘s home base where he resided at the Dewey Square Hotel on 117th Street and later, upon his death, Harlem would host his funeral at Abyssinian Baptist Church with a service officiated by Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Each year since 1993 the community has celebrated his talent, artistry and Harlem association with the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Marcus Garvey Park. This event is free. Limited space. Pre-registration is strongly suggested. For registration information visit https://www.apollotheater.org/bird_celebration 

March 30, 2016; 5 pm – 6:45 pm 

Apollo Walk of Fame Induction Wednesday, Preceding the New York premiere of Charlie Parker‘s YARDBIRD, the Apollo Theater will celebrate its jazz legacy by inducting the legendary and influential jazz saxophonist, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker, into the Apollo Walk of Fame. The ceremony in honor of Parker will include presentations and remarks by Apollo President & CEO, Jonelle Procope; renowned instrumentalist, composer, arranger and educator Jimmy Heath, who played with Charlie Parker; Opera Philadelphia President and General Director, David B. Devan and YARDBIRD star Lawrence Brownlee. Additionally, the Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia leadership will make a major announcement. The Apollo‘s Walk of Fame honors legendary performers who have helped shape the American music landscape and built the Apollo into one of the world‘s most enduring cultural institutions. The plaques will be installed underneath the Apollo‘s marquee on 125th street, alongside plaques for numerous Apollo legends including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson, and Patti Labelle, among others. Parker had a rich history with the Apollo and performed at the Theater many times, beginning in 1943 with the Earl Hines Orchestra—which included Dizzy Gillespie. During his many engagements at the Apollo, Parker further developed his bebop style and also experimented with classical and other musical forms. The Apollo Theater led the way in introducing a broader audience to bebop when, in 1943, Theater owner Frank Schiffman booked the experimental bebop band The Earl Hines Orchestra,  including Little Benny Harris, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie ―Yardbird Parker. Parker and Gillespie would perform their new style of music at the Apollo as well as at other jazz clubs and after-hours venues, ushering in a new era that resulted in the transformation of big band swing to bebop. Parker was widely considered one of the architects of the bebop sound and conducted bold musical experiments during his engagements at the Apollo. Parker realized a lifelong dream in 1949 to record with string instruments, and in 1950, the first live performances of his cutting edge Charlie Parker with Strings—a recording which bridged the gap between jazz and classical music—was presented at the Apollo. 

Thursday, March 31, 2016; 2 pm – 4 pm

Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD Open Dress Rehearsal  A special dress rehearsal of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD for community and education groups. 

Friday, April 1, 2016; 8 pm Sunday, April 3, 2016; 3 pm 

Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD (Performances) Featuring: Lawrence Brownlee, Angela Brown, Will Liverman, Tamara Mumford, Rachel Sterrenberg, Chrystal E. Williams, Elena Perroni and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra The Apollo Theater and Opera Philadelphia partner to present Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD in its New York premiere. The co-production will mark the first time an opera will be performed on the Apollo Theater stage, and the first time Opera Philadelphia will play New York. Set in the famed Birdland jazz club on March 12, 1955, the day Charlie Parker died, the opera invites audiences directly into the mind and heart of the great saxophonist as he composes his final masterpiece, and revisits the inspirations and women who fueled his creative genius. The New York premiere reunites Lawrence Brownlee, the ―energetic, bright-voiced tenor (The New York Times) in the lead role as the legendary jazz saxophonist—a role crafted around the effortless, improvisational style that has made him one of opera‘s most sought-after tenors— with much of the original cast alongside Maestro Corrado Rovaris and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra, who performed the work‘s world premiere to five sold-out audiences in June. Soprano Angela Brown appears as his mother, Addie Parker, and baritone Will Liverman debuts as jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie. With music by: Daniel Schnyder; Libretto by: Bridgette A. Wimberly; Director: Ron Daniels; Set Designer: Riccardo Hernandez; Costume Designer: Emily Rebholz; Lighting Designer: Scott Zielinski. 

Tickets for Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD are $30 - $125. Tickets will be available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com. 

Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD is sponsored by Merrill Lynch. Leadership support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support from OPERA America: The Opera Fund, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Pat and Al Zollar, and many other generous donors. The Apollo's 2015-2016 season is made possible by leadership support from Citi, Coca-Cola, Troy and Keisha Dixon, Ford Foundation, The Howard Gilman Foundation, Robert K. Kraft, The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, Merrill Lynch, The Parsons Family Foundation, the Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation, JoAnn Price, Earl W. and Amanda Stafford, Time Warner Inc., the Reginald Van Lee Fund for New Works, the Apollo Board of Directors, and many other generous donors. ‪#‎YardbirdApollo‬ ‪#‎bebop era‬ 

Follow the Apollo Theater: Facebook.com/apollotheater Twitter.com/apollotheaterYouTube.com/apollotheater Instagram.com/apollotheater 

Follow Opera Philadelphia: Facebook.com/operaphila Twitter.com/operaphilaYouTube.com/operaphila Instagram.com/operaphila 

ABOUT APOLLO THEATER The legendary Apollo Theater—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging talents and launching legends. Since its founding, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world. With music at its core, the Apollo‘s programming extends to dance, theater, performance art, spoken word initiatives, and more. This includes the October 2014 premiere and 2015 international tour of the dance celebration project James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, the annual Africa Now! Festival, Apollo Club Harlem, and the upcoming New York premiere of the opera Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD. The Apollo is a presenting organization that also produces festivals, large-scale dance and music works organized around a set of core initiatives: Apollo Music Signature Programs—Amateur Night, Salon Series, Apollo Music Café; Legacy Series— work that celebrates and extends the Apollo‘s legacy through a contemporary lens; Global Festivals including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival and Breakin’ Convention, international and U.S.-based artist presentations focused on a specific theme; and Special Projects, multidisciplinary work with partner organizations. 

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms, and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres—including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are D‘Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, D‘Angelo, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder; and the Apollo‘s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. The Apollo Theater is a not-for-profit organization and currently in the midst of fundraising for its 21st Century Apollo Campaign, created to extend the institution‘s role in fostering artistic innovation and in building appreciation of American culture around the world. For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org. 

ABOUT OPERA PHILADELPHIA Opera Philadelphia is committed to embracing innovation and developing opera for the 21st century. Described as ―one of the leading instigators of new work in the country‖ by Opera News, Opera Philadelphia was the only American finalist for the 2015 International Opera Award for Accessibility, a category that recognizes innovative ideas that broaden access to opera. The company is charting a bold new path to September 2017, when Opera Philadelphia will open its 2017-2018 season with an immersive, 12-day festival featuring seven operatic happenings in six venues throughout the city. The first festival, ―O17, will feature three World Premieres, plus the exclusive East Coast appearance of Barrie Kosky‘s groundbreaking production of Mozart‘s The Magic Flute, and a recital by superstar soprano Sondra Radvanovsky. Opera Philadelphia will continue to present a spring season each year, including three additional productions in February, March, and April, making it the only U.S. opera company producing an annual opera season that begins with a dynamic festival. For more information, visit www.operaphila.org. ### 

CONTACTS For Apollo Theater Nina Flowers Cynthia Tate 212.531.5334 212.531.5340 nina.flowers@apollotheater.org cynthia.tate@apollotheater.org Isabel Sinistore (Resnicow and Associates) Anne Wilson (Resnicow and Associates) 212.671.5175 212.671.5163 isinistore@resnicow.com awilson@resniFor Opera Philadelphia Frank Luzi 215.893.5902 luzi@operaphila.org 

As I mentioned in the beginning, this is going to be MONUMENTAL!!! BE THERE - THIS IS TRULY BLACK HISTORY IN THE MAKING.

Stay Blessed & 

ECLECTICALLY BLACK

Gloria 

EVENT ALERT: Daughter of Malcolm X joins with NY- NAN to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of His Assassination + Other Events in His Honor

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

Tomorrow, February 21, 2015 should be considered a high holy day among Black people - it was 50 years ago that brother Malcolm X was assassinated in front of his wife and family and died at 3:10PM at the Audubon Ball Room at 168th Street and Broadway in Manhattan - directly across the street from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.  

Our brother - our Black Shining Prince - despite the warnings and forebodings, despite the attacks on him and his family by person or persons unknown, was preparing to address the Black community and lead them in the process of long overdue self-liberation.  He was dedicated to his people to the end, and paid the ultimate price with his life.  No greater love has a man than that he lay down his life for his fellow man.  Malcolm X loved his people.  And we love Malcolm X.

Tomorrow, one of his six daughters - Ilyasah Shabazz - will join Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of her  father's assassination.  If you are in NYC, make it your business to be there to pay homage to this wonderful brother and the sacrifice he made for us. 

Thank goodness his words, wisdom and shining example of Black manhood still remains as an inspiration to us all.  

Long live the memory of Brother Malcolm X - and love peace and longevity to his family.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK

THESE ARE SOME OF THE EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN HIS HONOR:

J

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Talks at the Schomburg: Malcolm X On the World Scene:A Special 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Assassination of Malcolm X

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Saturday, February 21, 2015, 6:30 p.m.

Program Locations:

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Langston Hughes Auditorium

Partially accessible to wheelchairs

Free - Reservation required at schomburgcenter.eventbrite.com Register

This evening is co-presented by The Malcolm X Museum, the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial & Education Center, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The evening will focus on Malcolm X’s legacy and impact from an international perspective with special  remarks by selected guests and dignitaries, a conversation and a multimedia presentation. The talk will be moderated by Les Payne with panelists, Dr. Saladin Ambar, Stephen Page, Dr. Azizah al-Hibri, Dr. Ahmed Osman, and Dr. Hisham Aidi. 
Watch live via Livestream

________________________________________________________

The Malcolm X 50th Anniversary Memorial

Date: Feb 21, 2015	Time: Afternoon	Price: Free
Location: 3940 Broadway @ Dr. Betty Shabazz Way, NY NY 10032
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The Shabazz Center will recognize the 50th commemoration of the assassination of El-Hajj Malik Shabazz on February 21, 2015.
Date/Time: Saturday, February 21 | 2:00PM. This moment will also be live streamed online. Please visit www.ebony.com/MalcolmX50thMemorial-221 to view on 2/21/15 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. 
Please note that tickets to attend in person are no longer available. 

 

 

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Woodie King Jr. to produce the late Amiri Baraka's"The Most Dangerous Man in America" using KickStarter funds

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

Woodie King Jr., one of my personal living heroes, never ceases to amaze me.  He's always ten jumps ahead of whatever is next.  So it was no surprise when he announced, last Thursday,  January 15, 2015 - the actual birthdate of the fallen Black hero and Civil Rights Leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - that he was doing two productions in honor of Brother Amiri Baraka, who just joined the ancestor/angels a year ago on January 9, 2014: DUTCHMAN (which opens February 5th at the Castillo Theatre),  and THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA.

THE LATE GREAT POET LAUREATE OF THE BLACK WORLD AMIRI BARAKA

Everything Woodie touches history, either makes history, or has some historical basis in fact (or all of the above).  So selecting the Schomburg Library - a mecca for Black historical research and cultural/ historical events - to launch his first ever KickStarter campaign to raise the necessary funding for the production of Baraka's THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA - his last play about the McCarthy-era trials of W.E.B. DuBois - was totally fitting and in keeping with who Woodie King, Jr. is - Woodie King, Jr., producer, founder of the New Federal Theatre; star-maker, artivist, creator, writer, and way-maker extraordinaire.

WOODIE KING JR., FOUNDER NEW FEDERAL THEATRE

He has enjoyed a  nearly fifty-year friendship and business relationship with the late Amiri Baraka, that has seen plays, record albums, poetic readings - collaborations that have expanded the cultural landscape of Black theatre and literature.  So, the  Kick Starter Campaing to raise the balance of the funds needed - $40,000 -  to  produce the last play this prolific poet had written:  "THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA,"    would be an homage to Baraka; but it is just as much an homage to Woodie as well, for all that he has done and contributed - and continues to do - for  us all.

Gathered were media from across the spectrum of the Black media, as well as those of the mainstream press.  Having already raised an initial $60,000 of the $100,000 needed to produce the play, which is slated to open at the Castillo Theatre on West 42nd Street, May 28, 2015, the KickStarter fundraiser would offer incentives for those who made contributions of $10.00 or more to underwrite the costs.    

According to Bernice Green, publicist for the event, the launch, which took place on Friday, January 16th, has found wide reception already, having raised nearly $13,000 in one day's time! "It's so exciting to be a part of this and see how enthusiastic people are about making this happen," she stated.

Khalil Gibran Muhammad, grandson of Elijah Muhammad, and Executive Director of the Schomburg,  spoke glowingly of the historical significance of launching the Kickstarter Campaign at the Schomburg, the largest repository of Black literature and center for research on Black history and culture.  "This is an historical moment, and we are proud to be a part of it."

KHALIL GIBRAN MUHAMMAD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SCHOMBURG CENTER FOR BLACK CULTURE, NYC

On hand to show support, was none other than actor, artist, activist Danny Glover (FBM and personal hero of mine as well), who is featured in a clip, along with Glynn Turman, that will be seen by millions, soliciting support for the campaign.  The clip and the campaign will run until the financial goal is realized.

DANNY GLOVER - ACTOR, ACTIVIST, PRODUCER

Glover - who is always coming from somewhere going to somewhere else, took time out of his schedule to be part of the press conference because of  his lifelong friendship and relationship with Baraka.  He spoke at his Homegoing Ceremony in Newark, NJ last year.  Gover stated that Baraka was the inspiration behind his becoming an actor - as well as the activist he is today:  "W.E.B. DuBois wrote a statement that we will live in challenging times at the age of 64, when most people at the age of 64 are already self retired.  W.E.B. DuBois was alive all the time - every moment of his lie.  To be born 3 yeas after the Civil War, and die on the eve of the March on Washington, and you notice an important period of transformation - your evolution evolving."

The play pinpoints a time in DuBois' live, when, at age 81, he was persecuted by US Senator Joseph McCarthy, during the days of the McCarthy era witch hunts, where any one who had any independent thought whatsoever was branded as being a member of the Communist Party, and therefore an enemy of the US.  Among those that McCarthy hauled into Congress and excoriated were DuBois, Paul Robeson (whose passport was suspended and was not allowed to perform in the US or travel outside), Edward G. Robinson, Robert Ryan, and other artists, Black and white.  What was particularly heinous was the fact that those who were hauled in to testify against them were often so terrified of experiencing the same fate that they would lie and present false testimony to avoid persecution (by the way neither McCarthy or those of his ilk knew the difference between persecution and prosecution - so if you were hauled in, you were pretty much doomed).  Many lives were ruined during this dark period of American History.  The House Unamerican Activities Committee, was probably more unAmerican than they people they investigated. 

William Edward Burghardt (WEB) DuBois -age 81 During McCarthyism Trials

DuBois, who was one of the original founders of the NAACP in 1909, had decided in 1931, a major turning point in his career, to resign from their board in realization that Black people were never going to achieve equality and respect in America.  After having penned the first sociological study ever - THE PHILADELPHIA NEGRO - which was published in the 1890's and still considered one of the most definitive, indepth research pieces of all times - it became more evident that things were not getting better for Black people, but progressively worse, as whites aggressively pursued Jim Crow laws, segregation, lynching and so many other heinous acts against Black people.  The founder of Crisis Magazine stepped down and began to more actively research what, if anything, Black people could do to extricate themselves from the stranglehold they found themselves in, in a post-slavery society. It was then that he declared himself a socialist.

W.E.B. DuBOIS CO-FOUNDER NAACP AGE 36

Glover continues, "When I think about Dr. DuBois, I think about Amiri who I met for the first time as a 20 year old student in 1967.  It was I think at San Francisco State College, spring of 1967.  We invited him there to develop a community communications program.  That's what it was about.  And the use of art as a means of revolution - and I'm saying for me that period was the beginning of my own process - I didn't see myself as an artist.  I was majoring in economics - but the idea of bringing the community and allowing the community to be the vessel for that expression was an important part of that relationship.  And I remember just how his presence not only galvanized artists with in the community, but it also transformed the Black Student Union.  The Black Student Union, and I often mention as I talk with fellow members of the Union - it was the catalyst for  all the things that happened after that in the Ethnic Studies Program, along with that period of being in the Bay area - with the Black Panther Party, the Black Student Union, remnants of SNCC - the more radical elements of SNCC - for us who were young students at the gime and young citizens; and those who saw themselves as revolutionaries, Amiri's presence was essential.  At the time we were called his protoges.  He talked about art and the use of art as a means of revolution.  And for me, that period was the beginning of my own process of transformation.  I didn't see myself as an artist.  And we all came to believe that it was important to believe that we have the capacity, and that it was important to think as he did.  It was essential to understand the dialectics of the movement articulated in 1967.  Understand the Newark Riots..." 

Glover goes on to say that it was what set off the student strike of 1968, which later established the Ethnic Studies Department, which still exists today at San Francisco State University - the only one remaining in a major university - some 45 years later: "I remember helping him campaign for election to Newark City Council.  I remember the last time he called and said 'Hey, I want you to help my son campaign for mayor."  And I said sure, anything you want me to do.' And I think somehow in Amiri's mind he had this picture of this actually happening."

NEWARK MAYOR RAS BARAKA - SON OF AMIRI BARAKA

Ras Baraka, who is now mayor of Newark, NJ had planned to attend the press conference, but had to change schedule at the last minute to handle some municipal issues - Ras, who gave the stirring eulogy at his Dad's homegoing service, "Have You Ever Seen Black Fire?" is truly the culmination of his father's vision of Newark becoming a city that work

Glover, who is great for pointing out things most other people tend to overlook, made a profound statement:  "The play, THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA, will reflect that, but I would also pose that Amiri Baraka is the most dangerous man in America too."  The audience exploded in applause.

Woodie chronicled his nearly fifty year friendship/partnership with Amiri Baraka, stating that they had collaborated in one form or another on many major productions over the course of their lives: "Amiri intended to bring the life and spirit of DuBois out of the shadows and onto center stage, sending a message to artists and audiences about the pursuit of truth as a pathway to self- empowerment."   

Beginning in the 60's, Woodie King, Jr began producing Baraka's plays, including GREAT GOODNESS OF LIFE (a Coon Show), SLAVESHIP, THE TOILET - and NATIONTIME-BARAKA for Motown Records.   States King: "We both looked on W.E.B. DuBois and his words as a major influence on African American scholars."  

The play which takes place in the courtroom, with vignettes from Harlem where people express their opinion at the time, and intercut with footage of what was happening in the streets and the communities around the world at the time, will give a more complete texture to the egregious nature of the redbaiting that was the order of the day in America.  It was, in fact, the reason DuBois eventually left the US entirely and settled in Ghana to live out the rest of his days.  (In fact, in reality, DuBois made a profound apology to Marcus Garvey's memory for having opposed his Back to Africa Movement some 40 years prior - ironic isn't it?  I'm just saying, imagine where we'd be if he and Marcus Garvey had united instead of divided?)

Woodie King Jr. has selected Art McFarland - yes, that Art McFarland!! We remember him as co-anchor  WABC-TV News in NYC!! - to portray W.E.B. DuBois.  Actress  Petronia Paley will play his second wife, Shirley Graham DuBois.  McFarland's mellifluous voice fairly filled the room as he spoke of having once been an actor, and having dreamed of once again returning to his first love.  After having retired from the news department in 2014, he had initially imagined that he would do some bit parts to get his feet wet.  "Never did I imagine that I would be playing the most iconic man in Black history, or that I would be doing it with one of the most important theatre groups in New York City - or the world - the New Federal Theatre; this is a big jump start to my dream.   Now the opportunity to work with Petronia Paley, is even more awesome.  So here we come with THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA, and I hope everyone will come along for the ride."   

ART McFARLAND - FORMER WABC-TV ANCHOR TO PLAY W.E.B.DuBOIS

 He later explained that when Woodie King Jr. approached him to play W.E.B. DuBois he thought the was pulling his leg.  He didn't see any resemblance between himself and DuBois.  Most photos of DuBois were in black and white or sepia tones and didn't really indicate the true texture of his skin tone- which almost perfectly matches that of McFarland.  William Edward Burghardt DuBois (pronounced du-boyz) was of "French Huguenot" extraction, which meant his skin tone was decidedly lighter than most would be able to detect from the Black and whites.  I had met and interviewed his son, David Dubois years ago in Jersey City at Jersey City University, when he came to do a presentation for Black History Month.   It was really interesting how much of a resemblance he had with his late father, and how they both bore an uncanny resemblance to Art McFarland - which Woodie King, Jr. also realized in making McFarland the lead in the performance. 

W.E.B. DuBOIS in GHANA, WEST AFRICA (90 YEARS OLD)

Petronia Paley, who had been collaborating with Woodie King for quite some time in bringing this play to the stage spoke briefly of being honored to play Shirley Graham DuBois.  An accomplished and award winning actress, she just completed a one-person work entitled ON THE WAY TO TIMBUKTU, which she wrote and produced - and for which she received an AUDELCO AWARD. 

PETRONIA PALEY to PLAY SHIRLEY GRAHAM DuBOIS

Ralph Carter - remember him as Michael from the Norman Lear sitcom, Good Times? - is as engaged in Black cultural expression now as his youthful character in the long running TV show was then.  On hand as a supporter, he engaged the audience in an original song "I'M A FIGHTER" and spoke of the absolute necessity of the community coming together to support their own theatre and culture. 

RALPH CARTER - Actor, supporter, activist (photo above from Good Times)

 


For those of you unfamiliar with KICKSTARTER, this is how it works according to Karimah, a fantastic  playwright and staff writer for New Federal Theatre: "An organization usually signs up with Kickstarter for fundraising online, whereby a specific dollar amount is set as a goal, along with the delineation of the specific project or use for the funds.  Individuals will log on to www.kickstarter.com/New Federal Theatre/The Most Dangerous Man in America(amiribaraka) - and select which amount they care to donate.  Along with donation a description of the incentive or gift will be shown.  The amounts can range from $10.00 to $2,000.00 - and the gifts are reflective of the amount pledged.  Kickstarter can be accessed via the internet or via an app on your cell phone.   But it's an all or nothing situation - if the solicitation does not meet the goal, then your credit card is not charged - there is a specific deadline set for the funding to reach the specific amount - if the individual succeeds, the credit card is charged - and the individual receives a statement that can be used for tax purposes. 


 "The mission of Kickstarter is to help creative people -- artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers and the like -- fund their own creative projects. Art, after all, costs money. In fact, in the 15th century, the wealthy Medici family of Florence acted as patron to great artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Today, creative people are more likely to receive funding from private studios and galleries, non-profit arts organizations or government agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)." But arts grants like these are very difficult to secure and are rarely available for smaller sums of money. Kickstarter is revolutionary because it turns average Internet users into patrons of the arts -- sometimes for $5 or less.Kickstarter is the leading example of an exciting idea called crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a twist on crowdsourcing, in which an organization uses the talents and time of hundreds, thousands or millions of people to create or improve a product or service," stated Karimah, thus concluding what she called her 'Kickstarter for Dummies' overview.  

NOTE TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW:  {Of course, truth be told Kermit Eady's Black United Fund of New York (BUFNY) started raising funds for Black people using the same principles and was to exclusively underwrite Black organizations, businesses, scholarships, homes, etc. nearly 30 years ago, after having won a lawsuit against the United Way who didn't want Black people to have their own fundraising program.  The difference being, that instead of BUFNY  being just project based, it was an ongoing microfunding resource in which thousands of  donors (primarily Black) utilized their regular payroll deductions, and pledged to contribute as little as  $1.00 to as high as they wanted to go on an ongoing basis for each pay period, into a mutual fund.  BUFNY had managed to raise $111 million  a year which was then turned back into the Black community via  grant programs, homes, community improvement, etc.  They also utilized incentives to reward donors - the funds were all tax deductible as part of a contribution to a charitable organization. It was demolished by persecutor/and former governor Elliott Spitzer, who falsely alleged there was misappropriation of funds because Eady did not take federal dollars.  He wanted to be able to help any and all Black concerns that needed it.  Spitzer deliberately set out to destroy the organization rather than allow it to continue to help the thousands of Black New Yorkers who had been served well by this great program! Now they call it "Crowd funding...go figure.}

KERMIT EADY FOUNDER BLACK UNITED FUND OF NEW YORK (BUFNY) the original Crowd Funder!

One of the great things about the concept of utilizing KickStarter to fund the program is that it also raises awareness of the greatness of DuBois, Woodie King, Art McFarland and the New Federal Theatre, and gives the community "ownership" or involvement - so to speak - in the successful production of a play that has as much to do with unity in the community and support for the Black Theatre as it does with the production itself.  

Amsterdam News columnist/reporter/friend and colleague,  Herb Boyd, urged the media to read the script from THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA themselves, if they weren't familiar with Baraka's take on this homage to what is called Baraka's "Third World Marxist Period." Baraka wrote the play so that others could also become more integrally involved with the ideas and philosophy that made DuBois a target,  "...and the character assassination of DuBois, with the purpose of discrediting him and everything he stood for.  For the most part the play provides an aperture to the heat and intensity of the Cold War of the fifties, McCarthyism (witch hunts and persecution of anyone affiliated with the Communist party), and the unflagging determination and commitment of DuBois and his consort, and later wife, Shirly Graham Dubois, and the incomparable Paul Robeson, and their struggle for world peace," stated Boyd.  

HERB BOYD OF THE AMSTERDAM NEWS

While I totally agree with Herb, I would also take it beyond that and urge the media and my readers to read everything DuBois has ever written - including SOULS OF BLACK FOLK, THE PHILADELPHIA NEGRO, THE NEGRO, BLACK RECONSTRUCTION, DARK PRINCESS, SUPPRESSION OF THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, JOHN BROWN, AFRICA...There are many of us who either never had the pleasure of reading DuBois, or were never really taught about his true impact during your formative education.  And there are those of us who need to "refresh our recollection of who and how impactful DuBois was and is.  (I'm guilty of this - time to relearn what I've forgotten too).

The fact that he was just as sharp at 81 as he was at 40 or 50; the fact that he still had the moxy to get up and leave the US, relocate to Ghana where he lived out the rest of his days in peace, when most would have resigned themselves to their fate and stayed in the US under hostile circumstances, speaks volumes about what kind of man he was, and his intrepid spirit even in the face of blatant racism.  He existed at a time when there were no cell phones, social media, limited TV coverage in the home, and little to no favorable newspaper coverage, save that of the Black Press - but he prevailed.

Something we need to borrow from in our current circumstances, with police brutality, repuglycon dominated congress, blatant economic and educational deprivation - right?

That said, I know you are definitely going to want to be part of the KickStarter campaign to bring THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA's production to fruition.  So log on to www.kickstarter.com/NEW FEDERAL THEATRE,  and start supporting now - today.  

Below are some of the more than 200 rewards for your consideration.  Some are one of a kind, others can be replicated these are a few of t gifts offered for contributing to KickStarter,:

"DOLLS" - Original Art by Amiri Baraka

Black Spirits – Baraka and 15 poets - Album

In the Shadows of the Great White Way (photos) by Bert Andrews

David Levering Lewis’ W.E.B. Du Bois, Biography of Race (1868-1919)

Original Broadway poster – "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuff" by Paul Davis

Hirschfeld's Harlem - a book of lithographs by Al Hirschfield

W.E.B. Du Bois, Louis Massiah’s two hour film on DVD

Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois

Right On” – The Original Last Poets - Album

Tales of the Out and the Gone (short stories) by Amiri Baraka

Melvin Van Peebles’ Broadway cast album, - Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death 
                       (by the way, just saw Melvin at Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Wall Street
                         Project 2015 - still flirting after all these years - and I definitely made sure I collected
                         my share of hugs and kisses from this great ICON).

Somebody Blew Up America (a poem) by Amiri Baraka

For additional information, contact www.newfederaltheatre.com, or call 212.353.1176; or check them out  and like them on FaceBook.   Share this information with family and friends, but most importantly, go on KickStarter, make your donation, select your gift.   I know you'll want to be a part of this wonderful, historical production.  So let's make it happen!!!

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson 


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EVENT ALERT: HOUSING AS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT” Harlelm Tenants Council Annual Conference at Schomburg October 15 & 16

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All:

I just received this press notification and thought it would be of great interest and urgency to those who are concerned about the dwindling numbers of affordable homes in New York (specifically Harlem), and the almost nonstop assault on Black families, communities, education by the media, police, city administration, etc.

If there was ever a time to show up at the Schomburg, this is is. Time to pack the joint. Be there and be prepared to be involved. No more time for sidelining and philosophizing; now is the time for action. Take this and pass it on. Moves being made are calculated, we have to be the same -- but we have to also utilize our Black solidarity in conjunction with all the legal forces we can bring to bear to stop them dead in their tracks. We built this city, we built this country. We will remain. And we will have decency, quality of life, and all the goods, services, peace and freedom in our communities that are accorded to other non-Black areas. GDW


Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Join us at the upcoming Housing Conference of the Harlem Tenants Council Annual Housing Conference  Friday, October 15th - Saturday, October 16th 2010
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
525 Malcolm X Blvd @ 135th Street
ADMISSION is FREE

Conference Theme: “WE DEMAND HOUSING AS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT”

On Friday, October 15th and Saturday, October 16th at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture located at 525 Malcolm X Blvd at 135th Street the Harlem Tenants Council will host its Annual Housing Conference.

Our program will kick off on Friday, October 15th from 6 to 9 PM with a solution driven panel on Youth & Gun Violence: Harlem and the National Crisis moderated by Iesha Sekou, founder of Street Corner Resources with a diverse panel that includes community activists, parents who lost children to gun violence and youth members of Hip Hop Culture.

Following this panel we will screen the recently released documentary, "The Vanishing City" with an introduction by co-Director Fiore Derosa.

Glen Ford, Executive Editor of Black Agenda Report will deliver the keynote of the evening, The Crisis of Capitalism & Its Impact on Working People (Jobs, Housing, Education, Health Care) moderated by Jon Jeter, author of "Flat Broke in the Free Market: How Globalization Fleeced Working People. Panelists: Dr. Anthony Monteiro (Institute for the Study of Race & Social Thought at Temple University), Margaret Kimberley, Senior Columnist for Black Agenda Report and Author/Journalist Herb Boyd on "The Other Harlem, No Boom!'

On Saturday, October 16th from 8:45 AM to 5 PM we will have a series of workshop: Here are some of the highlights:

Workshop I:  9 - 10:30 AM: Know Your Rights (Housing activist Tom Siracuse takes on the New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal sued by rent control tenants.) Other panelists to be announced.

Workshop II: 10:30 AM to 12 Noon: Our Struggles are Interconntected moderated by Attorney Joan Gibbs (National Conference of Black Lawyers) will panelists Mark Torres, Co-Chair of Coalition to Save Public Education; Dr. Mathews Hurley on the community struggle to preserve quality health care at Harlem Hospital; Chino Hardin of the Institute for Juvenile Justice Reform on the prison industrial complex decimating Black & Latino Communities; and  Christine Gauvreau (United National Anti-war Movement), We Demand Butter Not Guns!

The afternoon session of workshops under the title of " Communities Struggle Against Gentrification & Displacement"  from 1 PM to 4 PM and the Closing Plenary 4 to 5 PM.

Workshop III: 1 - 2:30  PM:  Columbia University's "Land Grab" & Its Impact on Harlem & Beyond: A case Study of Power, Greed & Corruption moderated by Nellie Hester Bailey (Harlem Tenants Council) with panelists Attorney Norman Siegel, Challenging Columbia University's eminent domain seizure of private property in the US Supreme Court; Christina Walsh (The Institute for Justice), The Abuse of Eminent Domain in New York State; Tom DeMott (Coalition to Preserve Community) The People Struggle Against Columbia University; Attorney Ruth Eisenberg, Environmental Racism: The Dangers of Columbia University's Proposed Bio-Research Laboratories and John Fisher, founder of Tenant.net, The Hype and Realities of Community Benefits Agreements.

Workshop IV: 2:30 - 4 PM: "Tenants: Battles Won and Struggles Ahead" moderated by Dr. Rosemari Mealy (District Council 37 Education Fund) with panelists Attorney Kim Powell (Buyers & Renters United), Challenging Predatory Equity Landlord in Federal Court; Attorney Seth A. Miller (Collins, Dobkins & Miller LLP), The Legal Impact of Roberts versus Tishman Speyer Properties; Filiberto Hermandez (Movement for Justice in El Barrio), Connecting the Local to the Global: How an immigrant led multi-issue organization defeated multi-national real estate corporation Dawnay.

Closing Plenary: 4 - 5 PM:
 "Don't Mourn, Organize & Build Communities: BEST PRACTICES: Lawrence Hamm, People's Organization for Progress; Ramon Jininez, Black & Latino Unity: Forging New Political Reaities; Rev Earl KooperKamp, St Mary's Church; Lumumba Bandela, (Malcolm X Grassroots Movement). Others TBA.
 
“The Vanishing City Directed by Fiore Derosa and Jen Senko (approximate time 50 minutes): Global trends in major cities around the world have changed rapidly in the last several decades. As cities become more interconnected, and less dependent on localized economic models, domestic issues of increased class inequality and sustainability have emerged as central components to city planning debates. These trends are perhaps best exemplified in the city of New York. Told through the eyes of city planners, developers, politicians, small business owners, landlords and tenants, the recent development boom in New York City is analyzed through a mix of archival footage, interviews, and personal stories. Issues of class formation, land use, rezoning decisions and the upheaval of longstanding neighborhoods (including Harlem) combine to provide a critical look into the deeply rooted policies of one of the worlds most iconic cities.
 
(*Organizations listed for identification purpose only) All workshops will take place in the Auditorium of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

We appreciate the generous support of Director Howard  Dodson of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for making this conference possible. However, we are faced with cost for technical and staff support for both days. Your donations are appreciated to help defray cost. Please make checks payable to the Harlem Tenants Council (earmarked 2010 Housing Conference). Mail your check to Harlem Tenants Council, c/o Nellie Bailey, 507 West 111th Street, Apt. 23, New York, NY 10025. 
****************************************************************
SAVE THE DATES:
Post Conference Activities

October 26, 2010
7 - 9 PM
 The Maysles Cinema & Institute
545 Lenox Avenue (128th Street)
Screening: "The Rezoning of 125th Street"
Followed by a panel discussion:
"The Gentrification of Harlem: East River to  the Hudson River"

 November 6, 2010
A day in Solidarity With African people
"BEYOND OBAMA:
Seeking Real Solutions to the growing Racial Divide in the U.S"
1st Unitarian Church: Philadelphia
Visit the website:uhurusolidarity.org or call 215-387-0919

Saturday, November 20, 2010
"Let Us Not Forget Haiti"
Teach-in 2 to 5 PM
(Protest March & Rally 12 Noon to 1:30 PM)
St. Mary's Church
516 West 126th Street
(Between Amsterdam Avenue & Old Broadway)

Contact Harlem Tenants Council: harlemtenants@gmail.com/Telephone: 212-663-5248 or visit:harlemtenantscouncil.org We are a not-for-profit organization operating on a shoe-string budget with volunteer support from members of the Harlem community. We are looking for technical support to develop our website. Please contact Nellie Bailey at harlemtenants@gmail if you can offer assistance.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
 

“Molefi Asante the Next Director of The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture?” I Truly Hope So!!

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

I received the above captioned press release recently in reference to the Schomburg Center selection of a new leader; and am reprinting it, with a few editorial notes, for your edification and information.

As I stated some months before, I am, along with so many other brothers and sisters, wholeheartedly support Brother Molefi Asante becoming the next chair of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Brother Howard Dodson, who has had the position for 25 years has left some mighty big footprints to follow; and it would take someone of Asante‘s caliber to come behind him.

Asante, the author of 70 books on African culture, lectures on African history and culture at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, has toured extensively throughout the Motherland, and is actively involved in proactive activities for Africans and African Americans.

More than just a library or a repository of our Black history here in the US, Africa, the Caribbean and other parts of the universe, the Schomburg Center is where Black people gather with the brightest and best amongst us to share information, provide documentation, and expand our knowledge of who we are and who we can become as individuals and as a people. It was started by a Black man for and about Black people. And, even though it is currently under the auspices of the New York Public Library, it must still resonate to the needs and history of Black people, in the same way that museums of and for Jewish History, or American Indian History, or East Indian History would have to do for their people.

And at the present time, while deliberations are being made as to who will follow in Howard Dodson’s foot steps, the consensus of the village -- I.e. Black people -- is that Molefi Asante is their new leader of choice for the Schomburg. As was stated at a recently held town hall meeting, hosted by PR Diva, Terrie Williams, Molefi Asante was and is most logical choice to continue the good work started under Dodson. However, as James McIntosh cautioned the audience, it still rested with the community not to assume that the mainstream would act in the best interest of the community. “We must not assume that they will carry out our wishes just because we held this meeting. We must make sure we stay on top of the issues and stay involved.”

And so it was that recently, on Saturday September 18, 2010, Molefi Asante spoke to a standing room only crowd at the John Henrik Clark House, in Harlem. His topic “Afrocentricity in the Age of Obama.” Anytime Asante comes to the New York community, it is a cause for celebration. Indeed, there is usually a lot of preliminary advertisement about his arrival.

However, this was relatively short notice for his appearance at Clarke House. Asante was actually in New York that Saturday for an interview for the position of Director of the Schomburg. Because it was such short notice, Solomon Goodrich, Chair of the Board of Education for People of African Ancestry, pulled the event together at the last minute. Dr. James McIntosh of CEMOTAP, Omowale Clay of December 12th Movement and Bernard White of Take Back WBAI helped get the word out and the people in.

Unfortunately, yours truly, along with so many others, was in D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus’s 40th anniversary celebration. I would have loved to have been here for that event.

Asante covered the breadth of the African World from the Caribbean to Latin America to Europe and Africa, with a grasp of African history, politics, religion,  literature and folkways that is the hallmark of his career. He also spoke of the difficult time the “Tea Party” is having in believing in, and accepting, a Black leader of the United States Government.

Asante covered the challenges President Obama faces as President of the United States: 1. Fierce and desperate pressure from the right (Teapot Movement) charging under the banner “Let’s take back America,”  2. The structural protections and controls built into the American Governmental System designed to assure that Americas Corporations will ultimately always be the ones essentially in control and 3. Lack of enough pressure from the Black Electorate.

Asante correctly identified the fact that corporate control was so extensive that “the United States Government would actually function even if there were no office of the president. If that had not been the case, the entire government would have collapsed under Reagan (who was virtually not there the entire time he was in office).

Asante made it clear, however, that properly educated, organized and mobilized, African People have the power to determine their own destiny. He said that with enough pressure Obama would be able and would in fact perhaps be “willingly forced” to represent African interests to a greater degree. Asante said there there are right wing websites that have actually accused Obama of being a follower of Dr. Molefi Asante.
 
He asserted that the system that exists in the American Government also exists in the Academic world. Activist and December 12th Movement veteran, Omowale Clay was the first to pick up on the parallel processes suggested by Asante’s lecture. He compared the community struggle to protect our history at the Schomburg to the struggle to protect our political rights. He called for greater efforts to support the Freedom Party and their Black Candidate for New York State Governor Charles Barron. Clay exhorted the crowd to show up in strength at the African American Parade scheduled for the following day.

He made it clear that he wanted the position of Director of the Schomburg and that he is qualified and has a plan that would make the Library serve its stated mission. He said that although he had been interviewed that day he had not (yet) been offered the position and that indeed others were being interviewed soon.  That was not what the crowd wanted to hear.
  
Though Asante never asked the crowd for their support; nor did he say that it was the sort of energy that will be needed to make Library and City officials be fair in the selection process, it was clear that he was moved by their enthusiasm.

To give those of you who are not familiar with Professor Assante’s background, I’m including an overview of his bio below.

Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, Professor of Temple University’s Department of African American Studies, is considered by his peers to be one of the most distinguished contemporary scholars.

Asante’s most recently published books are Maulana Karenga: An Intellectual Portrait, An Afrocentric Manifesto, Encyclopedia of African Religion, co-edited with Ama Mazama, The History of Africa: The Quest for Eternal Harmony, Cheikh Anta Diop: An Intellectual Portrait, Handbook of Black Studies, co-edited with Maulana Karenga, Encyclopedia of Black Studies, co-edited with Ama Mazama, Race, Rhetoric, and Identity: The Architecton of Soul, Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation, Ancient Egyptian Philosophers, Scattered to the Wind, Custom and Culture of Egypt, and 100 Greatest African Americans. The second edition of his high school text, African American History: Journey of Liberation, 2nd Edition, is used in more than 400 schools throughout North America. The comprehensive Encyclopedia of African Religion, co-edited with Ama Mazama, will be published by Sage Publications in December 2008.
Asante has been recognized as one of the ten most widely cited African Americans. In the 1990s, Black Issues in Higher Education recognized him as one of the most influential leaders in the decade.

After graduating from Oklahoma Christian College in l964, and completing his M.A. at Pepperdine University in l965, he received his Ph.D. from UCLA. He chaired the Communication Department at SUNY-Buffalo. While at Southwestern Christian College, Asante met Essien Essien, a Nigerian scholar, who inspired Asante to learn more about Africa.  After completing his undergraduate degree, Smith undertook studies of African languages and literature. He began to visit Africa frequently and spent a year on the continent in 1982, while serving as director of the English language journalism curriculum at the Zimbabwe Institute of Mass Communications.

Dr. Asante later became chair of the African American Studies Program at Temple University where he created the first Ph.D. Program in African American Studies in 1987. He has directed more than 140 Ph.D. dissertations. He has written more than 400 articles and essays for journals, books and magazines and is the founder of the theory of Afrocentricity.

Born one of sixteen children in Valdosta, Ga., Asante is a poet, dramatist, and painter. His work on African culture and philosophy and African American education has been cited by journals such as the Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Communication, American Scholar, Western Journal of Black Studies, and Africaological Perspectives. The Utne Reader called him one of the “100 Leading Thinkers” in America. In 2001, Transition Magazine said “Asante may be the most important professor in Black America.”

His TV appearances include Nightline, Nighttalk, BET, McNeil Lehrer News Hour, Today Show, the Tony Brown‘s Journal, Night Watch, Like It Is and 60 Minutes and as well as hundreds of local and international TV shows.

He has appeared in several movies including “500 Years Later,” “The Faces of Evil,” and “The Black Candle.” In 2002 he received the distinguished Douglas Ehninger Award for Rhetorical Scholarship from the National Communication Association.

The African Union cited him as one of the twelve top scholars of African descent when it invited him to give the keynote address at the Conference of Intellectuals of Africa and the Diaspora in Dakar in 2004. He was inducted into the Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent at the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University in 2004.

Dr. Asante holds more than 100 awards for scholarship and teaching including the Fulbright, honorary doctorates from three universities, and is a guest professor at Zhejiang University.

In 1995 he was made a traditional king, Nana Okru Asante Peasah, Kyidomhene (Chee dom heni) of Tafo, Akyem, Ghana. Dr. Asante has been or is presently a consultant for a dozen school districts.

He is the Chair of the United States Commission for FESMAN III to be held in Dakar, Senegal in 2011. He is the father of the filmmaker and writer, M. K. Asante who teaches creative writing at Morgan State University.

Asante was elected in September, 2009, by the Council of African Intellectuals as the Chair for the Diaspora Intellectuals in support of the United States of Africa. Dr. Molefi Asante believes it is not enough to know the truth, one must act to humanize the world.

Dr. Asante is often compared to the Schomburg’s first Curator Arturo Schomburg. He is also likened to John Henrik Clarke, the man for whom Clarke House is named. Dr. Molefi Asante is a master teacher, thinker, activist, and leader, and a great choice to take the Schomburg to the next level of greatness. Now it's up to us to make sure that we do our part in making our wishes known to the selection committee.

Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson