1619 - 2019: Commemorating 400 Years of African American History
Lift Every Voice and Sing: Celebrating African American Musical Heritage
Throughout the year, events will be held in celebration of the African American experience as expressed through music.
The Johnson Brothers and "Lift Every Voice and Sing"
The Johnson Brothers and Lift Every Voice and Sing
The lyrics to the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" were written by James Weldon Johnson as a poem. The poem was first performed in 1900 by 500 school children at Stanton Institute in Jacksonville, Florida in celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birthday. After being set to music by his brother, John Rosamond Johnson, the song became the official song of the NAACP and is often called the Black National Anthem.
Event Date and Location
September 27, 2019 - Museum MeetUp at the Ritz Theatre and Museum
Resources for Further Exploration
Online Resources
Lift Every Voice and Sing - The text
James Weldon Johnson - A biography and links to other works by the Florida-born poet
"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" - An online exhibit from the Yale University Library that "offers a look at the creation of the song, and at the lives and careers of the brothers who created it."
Till Victory Is Won: The Staying Power Of 'Lift Every Voice And Sing'
‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’: The story behind the ‘black national anthem’ that Beyoncé sang
Books at the SJR State Library
Books may be checked out by community patrons as well as SJR State students faculty and staff. If a title is located at another campus, the book may be sent to another campus upon request.
May We Forever Stand: a history of the black national anthem by Call Number: SAC: ML3561.L54P37 2018ISBN: 9781469638607Publication Date: 2018-02-19"The twin acts of singing and fighting for freedom have been inseparable in African American history. May We Forever Stand tells an essential part of that story. With lyrics penned by James Weldon Johnson and music composed by his brother Rosamond, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was embraced almost immediately as an anthem that captured the story and the aspirations of black Americans. Since the song's creation, it has been adopted by the NAACP and performed by countless artists in times of both crisis and celebration, cementing its place in African American life up through the present day. In this rich, poignant, and readable work, Imani Perry tells the story of the Black National Anthem as it traveled from South to North, from civil rights to black power, and from countless family reunions to Carnegie Hall and the Oval Office. Drawing on a wide array of sources, Perry uses "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as a window on the powerful ways African Americans have used music and culture to organize, mourn, challenge, and celebrate for more than a century." - publisher's description
The Abraham Lincoln Companion: a celebration of his life and times through a selection of remembrances, poems, songs, and tributes by relatives, friends, colleagues, and citizens by Call Number: PAC: E457.15.A153 2008ISBN: 9780780808232Publication Date: 2007-12-20"Contains over 100 primary source selections including essays, proclamations, letters, eulogies, poems, and songs to illustrate Abraham Lincoln's life, presidency, and legacy. Features include a chronology, bibliography, and contact information and web sites for associations, libraries, museums, and historic sites." - publisher's description
James Weldon Johnson by Call Number: OPC: PS3519.O2625Z894 1988ISBN: 079100211XPublication Date: 1989-04-01"A biography of the author, civil rights leader, and co-founder of the NAACP who blazed a trail for racial equality and human rights through his songs, poems, speeches, and other writings." - publisher's description
Along this Way: The Autobiography of James Weldon Johnson by Call Number: PAC: E185.97.J69 1969Publication Date: 1933
In Search of Democracy: the NAACP writings of James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, and Roy Wilkins (1920-1977) by Call Number: eBook - accessible to SJR State students, faculty & staff onlyISBN: 9780195116335Publication Date: 1999-08-05"This collection of writings offers a glimpse into the minds of three N.A.A.C.P. leaders who occupied the center of black thought and action during some of the most troublesome and pivotal times of the civil rights movement. The volume delineates fifty-seven years of the N.A.A.C.P.'s program under the successive direction of James Weldon Johnson, Walter White, and Roy Wilkins. These writings illustrate the vital roles of these three leaders in building a peoples liberation, underscoring not only their progressive influence throughout their time in power, but also a vision of the future as race relations enter the 21st Century. Much of the material, notably "The Secretary's Reports to the Board," is published here for the first time, offering an invaluable resource for those seeking a deeper knowledge of the history of race in America." - publisher's description
Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington Listening Party
Event Date and Locations
April 10, 2019 Celebrating Duke Ellington in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month
St. Augustine Campus Library, room L-112. Stop by from 10:00 - 2:00!
10:00 - 11:00 am Listening Party featuring the music of Duke Ellington
11:00 - 12:00 pm Viewing Party: Duke Ellington Performs at the Cotton Club
12:00 - 1:00 pm Viewing Party: Duke Ellington: The Big Band Feeling
1:00 - 2:00 pm Listening Party featuring the music of Duke Ellington
Palatka Campus, Building A,Valhalla Hall. Stop by from 9:30 - 2:30!
Resources for Further Exploration
Online Resources
Duke Ellington - from The Duke Ellington Society
Duke Ellington - Podcast from the National Endowment for the Arts
Duke Ellington, In Film and Onstage - from NPR
From the Club to the Cathedral: Revisiting Duke Ellington's Controversial 'Sacred Concert'
Duke Ellington on Stage and Screen - from Georgetown University Library
Books at the SJR State Library
Books may be checked out by community patrons as well as SJR State students faculty and staff. If a title is located at another campus, the book may be sent to another campus upon request.
Conversations in Jazz by Call Number: St. Augustine Circulation -- ML394 .G54 2016ISBN: 9780300214529Publication Date: 2016-05-24During his nearly forty years as a music journalist, Ralph J. Gleason recorded many in-depth interviews with some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. These informal sessions, conducted mostly in Gleason's Berkeley, California, home, have never been transcribed and published in full until now. This remarkable volume, a must-read for any jazz fan, serious musician, or musicologist, reveals fascinating, little-known details about these gifted artists, their lives, their personas, and, of course, their music. Bill Evans discusses his battle with severe depression, while John Coltrane talks about McCoy Tyner's integral role in shaping the sound of the Coltrane quartet, praising the pianist enthusiastically. Included also are interviews with Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Jon Hendricks, and the immortal Duke Ellington, plus seven more of the most notable names in twentieth-century jazz. - publisher
Cultural Codes by Call Number: Orange Park Circulation -- ML3479 .B364 2010ISBN: 9780810872868Publication Date: 2009-12-10"No art can survive without an understanding of, and dedication to, the values envisioned by its creators. No culture over time has existed without a belief system to sustain its survival. Black music is no different. In Cultural Codes: Makings of a Black Music Philosophy, William C. Banfield engages the reader in a conversation about the aesthetics and meanings that inform this critical component of our social consciousness." "By providing a focused examination of the historical development of Black music artistry, Banfield formulates a useable philosophy tied to how such music is made, shaped, and functions. In so doing, he explores Black music culture from three angles: history, education, and the creative work of the musicians who have moved the art forward. In addition to tracing Black music from its African roots to its various contemporary expressions, including jazz, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop, Banfield profiles some of the most important musicians over the last century: W.C. Handy, Scott Joplin, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, John Coltrane, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Cultural Codes provides an educational and philosophical framework for students and scholars interested in the traditions, the development, the innovators, and the relevance of Black music."--BOOK JACKET.
Duke : A life of Duke Ellington by Call Number: St. Augustine Circulation -- ML410 .E44 T38 2013ISBN: 9781592407491Publication Date: 2013-10-17An account of the public and private lives of the eminent jazz artist covers his slave heritage, the musical talent that inspired some 1,700 compositions, and his relationships with numerous lovers. - publisher
Ellington Was Not a Street by Call Number: St. Augustine Children's Books -- PZ7 .H3324 E45 2004ISBN: 9780689828843Publication Date: 2004-01-01A tribute to select African American men including Paul Robeson, William Edward Burghardt (W.E.B.) DuBois, Ray Barretto, Earlington Carl "Sonny Til" Tilghman, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, Dr. Kwane Nkrumah, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, Virgil "Honey Bear" Atkins, and the Clovers. - publisher
How to Listen to Jazz by Call Number: St. Augustine Circulation -- ML3506 .G55 2016ISBN: 9780465060894Publication Date: 2016-05-17azz is the great American art form; its very essence is predicated on freedom and creativity. Its sound unequivocally calls forth narratives of past struggles and future dreams. Yet jazz can be as inscrutable as it is mesmerizing, especially to outsiders who don't know what to make of improvisation or unexpected shifts in melody or tempo. How does a casual listener learn to understand and appreciate the nuances between the unapologetic and innovative sounds of Louis Armstrong, the complexity of Coleman Hawkin's saxophone, and the exotic and alluring compositions of Duke Ellington? How does Thelonius Monk fit in alongside Benny Goodman and John Coltrane? In How to Listen to Jazz, award-winning music scholar Ted Gioia presents a lively, accessible introduction to the art of listening to jazz. Covering everything from the music's structure and history to the basic building blocks of improvisation, Gioia shows exactly what to listen for in a jazz performance. He shares listening strategies that will help readers understand and appreciate jazz for the rest of their lives, and provides a history of the major movements in jazz right up to the present day. He concludes with a guide to 150 elite musicians who are setting the tone for 21st century jazz. Both an appreciation and an introduction to jazz by a foremost expert, How to Listen to Jazz is a must-read for anyone who's ever wanted to understand America's greatest contribution to the world of music.- publisher
Music Is My Mistress by Call Number: Orange Park Circulation -- ML410.E44 A3 1973ISBN: 0385022352Publication Date: 1973-11-01
Celebration • Education • Reflection
H.R.1242/Public Law 115-102, the 400 Years of African American History Commission Act, establishes 2019 as a year of "commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Africans in the English colonies, at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619." The commemoration is intended “to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination had on the United States; and to educate the public about the arrival of Africans in the United States; and the contributions of African-Americans to the United States.” In recognition of this commemoration and with the Act serving as a guide, the SJR State Library has organized a year-long series of events that will provide educational experiences and resources to students and the community that celebrate the history and culture of African Americans.
Site created and maintained by Dr. Christina Will. Pages will be added and maintained throughout 2019.
Maintenance will cease at the end of 2019 but this site will remain accessible.