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1920s Heyday: ‘The Harlem Renaissance Remembered’

The Editors — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 03:12:06 +0000

By Eisa Nefertari Ulen
The Harlem Renaissance Remembered is an innovative compilation of poetry, sound, and substance. Featuring Jonathan Gross, Ph.D., a Professor of English at DePaul University, and musician “Mack” Jay Jordan, who played with Ramsey Lewis and Nat King Cole during a decades-long career that took him around the world, this CD will appeal to jazz enthusiasts and educators, poets and poetry lovers, avid readers and admirers of all things Renaissance.

Legendary Footprints: The Apollo Walk of Fame

The Editors — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:06:45 +0000

By Ralph Richardson
Last month at a gala ceremony in front of the theater on Harlem’s storied 125th Street, six plaques were set in the sidewalk bearing the names of Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Little Richard, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Smokey Robinson.

Many Generations Salute Lady Lena

The Editors — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:06:18 +0000

By TaRessa Stovall When news of Lena Horne’s passing on May 9 zoomed through cyberspace and other news media, I found myself most warmed and inspired by a varied bouquet of tributes from people of different generations whose lives she touched in many ways.

I Got The Feelin’: A Dynamite Soundtrack With The Godfather of Soul

The Editors — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:51:27 +0000

By Mark Lassiter
One summer evening in 1991, I pulled into a gas station at the corner of Ponce De Leon and Piedmont Avenue, in Atlanta. A man, about 5'10”, in a midnight blue three-piece suit, with a pair of blue plastic wrap around sunglasses and a blue silk scarf was paying his bill with cash. What does one say to James Brown?

First the Big Time, Then Hard Time: Hip Hop Stars in Prison

The Editors — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:13:31 +0000

By TaRessa Stovall
Another hip-hop artist is headed to jail, seemingly determined to live out the drama of his own lyrics.

Grammy Award-winning superstar Lil Wayne, real name Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty on October 15 to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon in New York City.