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raymond f. west memorial lecturer

March 5-8, 2007

Bernice Johnson Reagon

Composer, Songleader, Scholar, Producer

About the Speaker

For over four decades, BERNICE JOHNSON REAGON has been a major cultural voice for freedom and justice. An African American woman’s voice, a child of Southwest Georgia, a voice raised in song, born in the struggle against racism in America during the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s, she is a composer, songleader, scholar, and producer. Dr. Reagon is Professor Emeritus of History at American University, Curator Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. Her work has been recognized with the Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities, the Presidential Medal for contribution to public understanding of the Humanities, and the MacArthur Fellowship.

Dr. Reagon’s publications and productions include If You Don’t Go, Don’t Hinder Me: The African American Sacred Song Tradition (2001) and Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, Black American Freedom Songs (1980, 1994). In 2004, Reagon retired after thirty years from performing with Sweet Honey in the Rock, the internationally renowned a capella ensemble she founded in 1973. Perhaps no individual today better illustrates the transformative power and instruction of traditional African American music and cultural history than Bernice Johnson Reagon, who has excelled equally in the realms of scholarship, composition, teaching and performance.

Program

Monday, March 5, 7:00 p.m.
Lecture Demonstration
"Pioneering Gospel Music Composers"
Dinkelspiel Auditorium
471 Lagunita Drive
Stanford University

Tuesday, March 6, 7:00 p.m.
Lecture Demonstration
"Song Culture of the Civil Rights Movement"
Dinkelspiel Auditorium
471 Lagunita Drive
Stanford University

Wednesday, March 7, 8:00 p.m.
Master Class with members of Talisman
Pigott Theater
551 Serra Mall
Stanford University

Thursday, March 8, 12:00 noon
Discussion
"Coalition Politics: Turning the Century"
(Essay to be discussed available at Humanities Center)
Faculty Club, Gold Room
439 Lagunita Drive
Stanford University

 

All events jointly presented by the Stanford Humanities Center and the Institute for Diversity in the Arts

Co-sponsors: The Research Institute of Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, Stanford Lively Arts, and the Aurora Forum

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