They Want Our Rhythm, but Not Our Blues: African American Innovation through Pop Culture

Name: They Want Our Rhythm, but Not Our Blues: African American Innovation through Pop Culture
Start: 2025-02-06T18:00:00-08:00
Location: General OO Howard House, 750 Anderson St, Vancouver, WA, United States, Washington 98661

Schedule

Thu, 06 Feb, 2025 at 06:00 pm

UTC-08:00

Location

General OO Howard House, 750 Anderson St, Vancouver, WA, United States, Washington 98661 | Vancouver, WA

The freedom often denied to African Americans to move and express themselves has meant that they have had to be especially creative in building their culture. The innovations created under oppression are often appropriated by the oppressor—they want our rhythm. And such culture and creativity has been forged from their everyday struggles—but they do not want our blues.
Reflecting on music, sports, language, food, and even hair, this talk calls audiences in beyond the rhythm to recognize the blues that made African American popular culture. It serves as a guide to appreciating the art of Black pop culture by understanding how and why African American culture was created, and when and where it appears across multiple platforms of popular culture—never without a unique artisan style.
This program is offered free of charge, but space is limited. Please click the Tickets link above to reserve your seat.