The camera gave me an incredible freedom. It gave me the ability to parade through the world and look at people and things very, very closely. Carrie Mae Weems, Photographer As an educator, one of my most important jobs is … Continue reading Black Photographers: Decoding America’s History Through the Stills of Black Life
February is Black History Month. The national theme is “African Americans and the Arts,” i.e., visual art, music, literature, film, and more. You might call it an Anthology In Black. This culture brought to America by the force of chains … Continue reading The February Special Black History Month Edition: Anthology In Black
“We Shall Overcome” became the theme song of the Civil Rights Movement. It was the backdrop and battle cry for the fight for equality, and human and civil rights. “We Shall Overcome” motivated the descendants of former slaves and their … Continue reading We Shall Overcome
There is a famous quote that comes to mind when we speak of Anthropology in Black. “One must speak for one’s self if they wish to be heard.” I had the opportunity to review an article by Lynn Bolles, a … Continue reading Black in Anthropology
I was born in Oregon but only spent the first two years of my life here. When I moved back to the state as an adult, one of the first things I noticed was that most people were White like … Continue reading Jacob Vanderpool and Me
Billy Sheldon’s voice is like velvet, rich and smooth even after a lifetime of singing. At 86, his eyes sparkle with the joy of music. He’s lived through the heyday of doo-wop in the 1940s, all while enduring the struggles … Continue reading The Melody Was Sweet, the Journey Bitter: Navigating the Racist South as a Black Musician in the 1940s
What does Black Anthology mean to me? It is not just African “Americans” using their God-given gifts in the field of arts. It is not that waxed poetic ballad that crooned through your radio on Friday nights. Yes, February might … Continue reading My Black Anthology
All my life, my dad would always tell the story of how he came to the U.S. with only $60 in his pocket and didn’t know anyone. He told me about how he had to work three jobs to put … Continue reading “Don’t Tell Me I Don’t Belong Here”
Chameleons have the unique ability to blend into their environments and backgrounds to avoid detection by predators. It’s a mechanism of survival. They can change colors at will and go unnoticed so as not to stand out and draw attention … Continue reading Chameleons for Hire
Three-Fifths 