Free Crowns: Beauty, Resistance, and the Politics of Black Hair “As much as India.Arie said, ‘I Am Not My Hair,’ we are also our hair.” That observation from curator Diamond Ashman serves as the foundation of Free Crowns, a group exhibition exploring the relationship between Black hair, identity, culture, and self-expression. Read Article Prince Day Celebration The Prince Day Celebration brought fans of all ages together for an evening of music, memories, and community. Featuring DJ Alkemy,...

June is Black Music Month, also known as African American Music Appreciation Month. It began in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter recognized June as a time to celebrate the impact of Black music on American culture. The celebration was driven by music industry leaders, including Kenny Gamble, Ed Wright, and Dyana Williams, who understood that Black music deserved applause, recognition, protection, and economic power. Black music is one of America’s greatest cultural exports. It gave us...

Rob Base Gave Us Pure Joy In 1988, I left Houston for Howard University and experienced a culture shock I wasn’t prepared for. Back home, my soundtrack was soul, R&B, gospel, and the laid-back drawl of Southern rap. Howard introduced me to East Coast rap, house music, and dancehall. I immediately fell in love with those new sounds because they felt fresh, urgent, and alive. Rob Base’s music sat at the intersection of everything I was discovering. Read Article Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus...