Black History [1920-1970]

released January 1, 2017

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When we set out to create the Black History Trilogy, we had to pinpoint a time period to set things off. We decided to focus on the 20th century and that the first event that we should explore would be the Great Migration. From 1916-1970, 6 million Black folk followed in the footsteps of Harriet Tubman and left the rural South for better opportunities in North. When you think of the term Urban and how it is used today, it’s clear that The Great Migration was a major paradigm shift that forever altered Black Culture and Black History.

#Harlem....The Cotton Club was originally opened by Jack Johnson and called Club Deluxe. Shutdown for illegal liquor distribution and reopened under “new management”, the Cotton Club served as the preeminent whites only establishment for Black Culture and Entertainment. Countless legends such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne and Dorthy Dandridge cut their teeth performing at a venue that would not have them as a customer. This song makes me think of recent statements from artist such as Noname Gypsy concerning the creation of black content that is primarily consumed by white audiences. At the end of the day a check is a check, but at what cost?

#TwentyOneGunSalute
Over one million African Americans fought in World War 2. Many sacrificed their very lives for a country that refused to recognize their humanity. Operating under a militarized version of Jim Crow, Black soldiers were forbidden from fighting along side white soldiers. Nonetheless we salute the Tuskeegee Airmen, The 92nd Buffalo Soldiers and 93rd Blue Helmets all-black divisions.
After the war was over, Black soldiers in Europe got a taste of freedom that they never experienced back home. Their white counterparts were genuinely shock by the number of black soldiers who dreaded their return to the US. Many Veterans of WWII eventually became soldiers for the Civil Rights Movement and took the fight for Freedom from the international stage to the domestic frontlines.

#LeadersOfTheNewSchool

As we closed out the first release of the Black History Trilogy, we needed to reckon with the passing of the baton from the Old Guard to the New School. The 1960s saw us lose Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X to assassination. Those three alone represent a devastating loss of Leadership gone way too soon. But it’s the death of Fred Hampton in 1969 that proves to be the most consequential. At just 21, Fred was the face of the new wave of Black leadership. No Suit and Tie. No ties to organized religion and totally devoid of respectability politics. Fred was the streets and a preview to the world of what was to come.