Soul Stories: Music and Community through History

Dr. Tyina Steptoe was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She holds a Ph.D. in History and an M.A. in Afro-American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also earned a B.S. in Radio-Television-Film and a B.A. in History from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Steptoe’s work focuses on race, gender, and culture in the United States.

Her book, Houston Culture and Color in a Jim Crow City (University of California Press 2016), examines how the migration of black East Texans, Creoles of color, and ethnic Mexicans complicated notions of race in Houston between the 1920s and 1960s.

Dr. Steptoe also hosts a weekly radio program called “Soul Stories” on 91.3 KXCI Tucson. The show explores the roots and branches of rhythm and blues music. In this interactive presentation, Dr. Steptoe will discuss how her community engagement on KXCI relates to her work as a historian. She will demonstratehow she creates episodes of “Soul Stories”, while showing how music shapes her research and teaching.

Host or Publisher Dr. Jennie Gubner and Sydney Streightiff