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Against a backdrop of multiculturalism and Afrocentricity in the intellectual traditions of African-American Studies, this book sets new standards and directions for the future. It is the first book to systematically address the many themes that have changed the political and social landscape for African Americans. Among these changes are new transnational processes of globalization, the devastating impact of neoliberal public policies upon urban minority communities, increasing imprisonment and attendant loss of voting rights especially among black males, the surging of Hispanic population, and widening class differences as deindustrialization, crack cocaine, and gentrification entered urban communities. Marable and a cast of influential contributors suggest that a new beginning is needed for African American scholarship. They explain why Black Studies needs to break its conceptual and thematic limitations, exploring "blackness" in new ways and in different geographic sites. They outline the major intersectionalities that should shape a new Black Studies - the complex relationships between race, gender, sexuality, class and youth. They argue that African-American Studies scholarship must help shape and redirect public policies that affect black communities, working with government, foundations and other private institutions on such issues as housing, health care, and criminal justice. ... Read more

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The Art of the Black Essay unveils the power of the African American essay to bring about a meditative shift in the minds of readers, to catapult them beyond racial ideology - by immersing them in it - and to elicit in them, ultimately, democratic change. ... Read more

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From the earliest years of sound film in America, Hollywood studios and independent producers of "race films" for black audiences created stories featuring African American religious practices. In the first book to examine how the movies constructed images of African American religion, Judith Weisenfeld explores these cinematic representations and how they reflected and contributed to complicated discourses about race, the social and moral requirements of American citizenship, and the very nature of American identity.
Drawing on such textual sources as studio production files, censorship records, and discussions and debates about religion and film in the black press, as well as providing close readings of films, this richly illustrated and meticulously researched book brings religious studies and film history together in innovative ways. ... Read more

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Religions in the US
This is a one-of-a-kind book, placed between U.S. Religious history, African-American traditions, and film history. No other study has articulated what Weisenfeld achieves here. It is a grounded work in articulating African American religious history through a history of film production. This includes both its heyday (a ala Oscar Micheaux and others) and its eventual demise at the hands of the big Hollywood studios. Should be included for all general "Religion in America" courses, as well as "Religion and Film" courses. ... Read more

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This text provides an overview of the concerns surrounding race in art, celebrates the achievements of a number of gifted African American artists, and provides a broad and multi-faceted view of American art and culture. The book contains a portfolio of art and four essays. ... Read more

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African Americans in Art
Great resource for those with an interest, or who would like to study African-American Art (or as I prefer, American Art from the perspective of an African-American artist). ... Read more

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This study examines Vinnette Carroll's contributions to theatre and musical theatre, especially her work as developer of the song play, through her collaboration with composer Micki Grant and her work with Langston Hughes. It focuses on her attempt to revitalize the spirit of African-American theatre by directing, development of the gospel-play, and her innovative administrative style. ... Read more

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"Transatlantic Dialogue" opens an exciting cultural dialogue at the crossroads where Western and African art traditions intersect. Despite diversity of media, technique, and form, these contemporary African and African American art works and the artists who created them are united by a rich network of connections, exchanges, and associations generated from both shores of the Middle Passage. Collected in this book are 24 color reproductions of the art of seven African artists: Skunder Boghossian, Sokari Douglas Camp, Rashid Diab, Amir Nour, Moyo Ogundipe, Moyo Okediji, and Ouattara - and seven African American artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat, John Biggers, Jeff Donaldson, Yvonne Edwards-Tucker, Winnie Owens-Hart, Charles Searles, and Al Smith. Paintings, mixed media, sculptures, and ceramics reflect issues of identity while expressing beauty, pulsating rhythms, and a sense of improvisation among bursts of colour and quieter, more contemplative moments. American artist and scholar Michael D.Harris and Nigerian artist and scholar Moyo Okediji construct a dialogue in companion essays that explore departures and arrivals, connections and distinctions between contemporary African and African American artists. Although the influence of African art on African American artists has received considerable attention, this book is among the first to discuss the influence of African American art on African artists, an exchange that continues to produce art that is both culturally unique and aesthetically rich. Michael D. Harris is assistant professor of African and African American art history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moyo Okediji is assistant professor of art at the University of Denver and assistant curator at the Denver Art Museum. ... Read more

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Lindsey R. Swindall examines the historical and political context of acclaimed African American actor Paul Robeson's three portrayals of Shakespeare's Othello in the United Kingdom and the United States.These performances took place in London in 1930, on Broadway in 1943, and in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959.All three of the productions, when considered together, provide an intriguing glimpse into Robeson's artistry as well as his political activism.

The Politics of Paul Robeson's Othello maintains that Robeson's development into a politically minded artist explicates the broader issue of the role of the African American artist in times of crisis.Robeson (1898-1976) fervently believed that political engagement was an inherent component of the role of the artist in society, and his performances demonstrate this conviction.

In the 1930 production, audiences and critics alike confronted the question: Should a black actor play Othello in an otherwise all-white cast?In the 1943 production on Broadway, Robeson consciously used the role as a form for questioning theater segregation both onstage and in the seats.In 1959, after he had become well known for his leftist views and sympathies with Communism, his performance in a major Stratford-upon-Avon production called into question whether audiences could accept onstage an African American who held radical-and increasingly unpopular-political views.Swindall thoughtfully uses Robeson's Othello performances as a collective lens to analyze the actor and activist's political and intellectual development.

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African American Studies introduces the discipline's rich area of inquiry and scholarship. It reproduces the foundational content, demonstrates the inextricable link between social activism and community service within African American studies, and facilitates an understanding of related global perspectives. The volume also features an exclusive interview with Danny Glover, internationally acclaimed actor, regarding his own relationship with the origins of the African American studies and his related work both as an artist and community activist. A comparative analysis highlights the connections and disparaties between black studies within the United Kingdom and the United States, and topics covered include African aesthetics; African American visual culture; African American womanist literature and theory; and African American religion and philosophy. Current challenges and opportunities for African American studies within predominantly white institutions are addressed, along with important new curricular directions that promise to push the boundaries of black studies.

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While he was still in his twenties, Horace Tapscott gave up a successful career in Lionel Hampton's band and returned to his home in Los Angeles to found the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, a community arts group that focused on providing affordable, community-oriented jazz and jazz training. Over the course of almost forty years, the Arkestra, together with the related Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension (UGMAA) Foundation, were at the forefront of the vital community-based arts movements in black Los Angeles. Some three hundred artists--musicians, vocalists, poets, playwrights, painters, sculptors, and graphic artists--passed through these organizations, many ultimately remaining within the community and others moving on to achieve international fame. Based primarily on one hundred in-depth interviews with current and former participants, The Dark Tree is the first history of the important and largely overlooked community arts movement of African American Los Angeles. Brought to life by the passionate voices of the men and women who worked to make the arts integral to everyday community life, this engrossing book completes the account began in the highly acclaimed Central Avenue Sounds, which documented the secular music history of the first half of the twentieth century and which the San Francisco Examiner called "one of the best jazz books ever compiled." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Dark Tree Flowers
Isoardi's book provides an insightful examination of L.A.'s vibrant African American art's community under the communal aspirations of the Union of God's Musicians and Artists (UGMAA). Most important is Isoardi's understanding of Black music and the chrismatic leadership of the legendary Horace Tapscott. This book provides a great overview of L.A.'s Black cultural history and how art played a profound influence in creating a cohesive community of cultural workers who were concerned with maintaining the tradition of African- American explorative practices, but by also passing these practices on to subsequent generations. There is a CD included with this book that gives readers the oportunity to hear a modest sampling of what emerged. This is an important book and a history we must not forget.

Jazz Review
Interesting, informative, & provocative reading. Facts galore; should be on every jazz enthusiastic's display bookshelf. I will not loan it to anyone for fear of it not being returned. ... Read more

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The notion of Los Angeles as a wonderful place of opportunity contributed to the western migration of thousands of Americans, including African Americans escaping racism and violence in the South. But Los Angeles blacks encountered a white backlash, and the doors of opportunity were closed in the form of housing covenants, job discrimination, and school segregation. African Americans fought for equality, building strength in community and collective identity that became their ongoing Los Angeles legacy. This story, encapsulated here in vintage photographs, encompasses the settlers of African descent, antislavery and antidiscrimination efforts, and their cultural contributions on Central Avenue and in Hollywood. Also shown are important flash points, including the 1965 Watts uprising and the O. J. Simpson murder trial. The story of African Americans in Los Angeles is one of promise, dreams, and opportunity realized through survival, willfulness, and foresight. ... Read more

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Quincy Troupe's candid account of his friendship with Miles Davis is a revealing portrait of a great musician and an intimate study of a unique relationship. It is also an engrossing chronicle of the author's own development, both artistic and personal. As Davis's collaborator on Miles: The Autobiography,Troupe--one of the major poets to emerge from the 1960s--had exceptional access to the musician. This memoir goes beyond the life portrayed in the autobiography to describe in detail the processes of Davis's spectacular creativity and the joys and difficulties his passionate, contradictory temperament posed to the men's friendship. It shows how Miles Davis, both as a black man and an artist, influenced not only Quincy Troupe but whole generations.
Troupe has written that Miles Davis was "irascible, contemptuous, brutally honest, ill-tempered when things didn't go his way, complex, fair-minded, humble, kind and a son-of-a-bitch." The author's love and appreciation for Davis make him a keen, though not uncritical, observer. He captures and conveys the power of the musician's presence, the mesmerizing force of his personality, and the restless energy that lay at the root of his creativity. He also shows Davis's lighter side: cooking, prowling the streets of Manhattan, painting, riding his horse at his Malibu home. Troupe discusses Davis's musical output, situating his albums in the context of the times--both political and musical--out of which they emerged. Miles and Me is an unparalleled look at the act of creation and the forces behind it, at how the innovations of one person can inspire both those he knows and loves and the world at large. ... Read more

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miles and me , and me too .
voila le livre comporte un fabuleux passage où l'on découvre que au delà des critiques les musiciens communiques et son humain et consciens de leurs faiblesse , mais ils ne peuvent se battre contre certaine chose qui sont au-delà de leur seul capacité .
A lire pour le passage stratosphérique sur Mc coy tyner .

Gets just about as close as you can get to a legend.
I just picked up the "Bitches Brew Complete Sessions" on CD. Troupe has a long essay in the liner notes that are seemingly taken right from this book (or vice versa). Given there are so many Miles Davis books out there, I have to say I really like Quincy Troupe's approach because he is not some music professor or cultural critic analyzing or deconstructing Miles and "the meaning" of his music, blah, blah, blah. Rather, Troupe was there with Miles in the same room, in the car, eating dinner, wherever. That's the real value of this book. If you put Miles on that high pedestal you may not want to read the book: Troupe details some incredibly awkward and tense situations with Miles's temper which made everyone run for cover; but there are also moments of showing Miles with his force field down. One can only imagine how fascinating and frustrating it would be to meet, let alone have a friendship with, one of your idols.

An intriguing view of a Legend.
I enjoyed both books written about Miles by Quince Troupe.In my opinion Troupe has the uncanny ability to write from a perspective that allows a reader to see the personal side of his subject.Troupe's "no holds barred" approach permits the reader to form their own opinion and paint their own picture.This book portrays Miles as both a legend and human being who confronts life's challenges in both positive and negative ways.Be sure to read this book with an open mind.Sometimes it hurts to see our heroes, who we've placed on such a high level fail in some areas of life.

Very interesting
I picked up this book not knowing what to expect, hoping mainly to get some insight into one of my favorite musicians. On that level this book delivers. The author was very close friends with Miles through the later stages of his life and the book centers around the time they spent together and Troupe's perceptions of Miles during this time.We learn that Miles, while a brilliant and influencial musician, had his share of flaws and Troupe makes no attempt to cover these up - this book is not for those who cannot conceive seeing their hero portrayed in a sometimes negative light.The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because sometimes the author let his personal views and beliefs get in the way. Personally I would rather read about Miles than Troupe, but oh well, it is his book.

A MUST READ FOR MILES FANS!
I've been a fan of Miles Davis since hearing "Kind of Blue" in1992.Miles legend precedes him and this book helped me gain a betterunderstanding of him as an artist, musician and man.

I especially likedthe way the author used Miles music to recollect his own life--what he wasdoing and how he felt about each new release.For a fan like me, that gaveme a idea of how it would have been to anxiously await each new Miles Davisalbum.

Quincy Troupe was obviously a fan and a friend.I'm glad he wrotethis book. ... Read more

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Lockstep and Dance: Images of Black Men in Popular Culture examines popular culture’s reliance on long-standing stereotypes of black men as animalistic, hypersexual, dangerous criminals, whose bodies, dress, actions, attitudes, and language both repel and attract white audiences. Author Linda G. Tucker studies this trope in the images of well-known African American men in four cultural venues: contemporary literature, black-focused films, sports commentary, and rap music.

Through rigorous analysis, the book argues that American popular culture’s representations of black men preserve racial hierarchies that imprison blacks both intellectually and physically. Of equal importance are the ways in which black men battle against, respond to, and become implicated in the production and circulation of these images.

Tucker cites examples ranging from Michael Jordan’s underwear commercials and the popular Barbershop movies, to the career of rapper Tupac Shakur and John Edgar Wideman’s memoir Brothers and Keepers. Lockstep and Dance tracks the continuity between historical images of African American men, the peculiar constitution of whites’ anxieties about black men, and black men’s tolerance of and resistance to the reproduction of such images. The legacy of these stereotypes is still apparent in contemporary advertising, film, music, and professional basketball. Lockstep and Dance argues persuasively that these cultural images reinforce the idea of black men as prisoners of American justice and of their own minds but also shows how black men struggle against this imprisonment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Un-locksteped understanding
In a nation where the mythology of freedom is so doggedly written in the minds and hearts of its citizens, an unusual gift and talent is required to see beyond the slogans of sublime intentions or constant political artifice. And to further have the courage to staple that vision or idea to the public bulletin boards, where it is sure to provoke harsh criticism from the many who will not be free enough in their minds and thoughts to begin to understand, is honorable.
Lock Step and Dance speaks to the contemporary context of bondage. It shows us the prisons we see and do not see by illuminating the inmates, the wardens, and the governors, and why they are and do what they do. In it we see the struggle for language and representation and the struggle for ownership of one's person.
The book ferries us aptly across a number of cultural enclaves, while explaining the author's position; however, even with the obvious affinity and knowledge shown for areas of Hip Hop, I would like to have seen the issues explored further still through her foray into this significant cultural explosion.
Lockstep and Dance, by examining the modern imprisonment of African American men, and the literal and the unseen "prison writ large," points to the way to make the reality of freedom closer to the cherished mythology. By examining the historical inhumanities of America, it opens us to greater possibilities of humanity. If we have the courage to read with open minds as the author has the courage to write, we may find a deeper meaning in a 21st century obligation to define ourselves as a species that improves upon our transgressions rather than a species that continues to live them out.
I think the book is right on the mark.

Well worth reading
The other review posted so far for this work resorts to ad hominem attacks on Tucker and does readers the disservice of a review so distasteful, they might accidentally hold the critic's words against this text.

Dr. Tucker's insights into such interesting topics as advertising and athletics required extensive research--and her approach is thoughtful and intelligent.Her work will likely strike a cord with anyone interested in the fields of popular culture or African American studies.I sincerely hope that Tucker turns her academic lens toward African American women; such a work would further the strides that _Lockstep and Dance_ makes as it explores what black and white mean in visual and verbal representations in the U.S.

Pure garbage
This woman was an instructor at the Arkansas University where I was also employed. I read portions of this several years ago. It was a tremendous waste of time. Her syllabus read like something out of an asylum. Did a vanity press publish this drivel?? ... Read more