Craven Community College, New Bern, NC, Thursday, February 27, 2014
Educational
The educational component of WEJA is a historical survey of jazz and blues with an emphasis on North Carolina’s jazz and blues artists whose contributions helped shape America’s music cultural landscape. Historians Jacqueline B. and Willie E. Atkinson bring their wealth of knowledge, experience and love of the music to their classroom or organizational audience. Please review a list of our lectures and presentations.
“As a constant student of History, and after discovering many positive aspects of African American history, I think it is imperative that United States’ citizens, as many as possible, should become more exposed to scholarly appraisals of the African American’s historical past and its valuable role in the building and development of the American mainstream cultural landscape. I believe one of the best historical tools is the use of an artistic lens to help observe the human experience.
Over time, I have learned the importance and relevance of the many contributions of numerous ethnically diverse artists by examining the development and evolution of Jazz and Blues, considered by many to be America’s classical music. Hopefully, our audiences will also discover its internationally prolific status, and how and why so many of its innovators are excellent specimens to examine and highlight the positive progression of United States history in general and the forever expanding inclusion of African American history in particular.”
…Jacqueline B. Atkinson, Jazz Blues Historian
Over time, I have learned the importance and relevance of the many contributions of numerous ethnically diverse artists by examining the development and evolution of Jazz and Blues, considered by many to be America’s classical music. Hopefully, our audiences will also discover its internationally prolific status, and how and why so many of its innovators are excellent specimens to examine and highlight the positive progression of United States history in general and the forever expanding inclusion of African American history in particular.”
…Jacqueline B. Atkinson, Jazz Blues Historian
In the above photo, Jazz & Blues historians Jacqueline B. Atkinson and Willie E. Atkinson lecture on "A Brief Historical Glimpse into the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the 1964 U.S. Civil Rights Act: Performing Artists and Activists Abbey Lincoln's and Harry Belafonte's Creative Impact On The Modern Civil Rights Movement
Photo credit: Nancy Childs - Craven Community College