- Created on 11 January 2013
Faheem Majeed: Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden III
"Planting and Maintaining a Perennial Garden III," Faheem Majeed's contribution to the Industry of the Ordinary's collaborative exhibition, uncovers a significant artifact of Chicago art history. Majeed presents a striking but deteriorating mural by Bill Walker from the 1960s, titled "Hate and Confrontation," and contributes a set of bleachers made from repurposed cedar boards from which to survey the work, reports New City.
Bill Walker worked from the 1960s until the eighties and has murals all over the South Side. Many have been destroyed but several have been restored. Walker was an ordinary man who worked in the post office yet did what we might call extraordinary things. He founded the Organization for Black American Culture and participated in the founding of the Chicago Public Art Group. The wall-sized graphic mural depicts a series of receding black profiles lit by the harsh light of anger, recalling representational work by Charles White, Elizabeth Catlett and Margaret Burroughs. It is a stirring, authentic expression of an African-American artist's direct, untheorized engagement with the turmoil of race relations in Chicago, a fragment of social and overlooked aesthetic history, which does not seem at all ordinary.
Read more at New City.
- Created on 09 January 2013
Justice Sotomayor to Discuss Memoir in Chicago
(AP) — Chicago Public Library officials say U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will visit later this month to discuss her memoir.
Sotomayor will attend the free event at the Harold Washington Library Center on Jan. 30.
Her memoir, titled "My Beloved World," recalls her life as a child growing up in a Bronx housing project through her 2009 appointment as an associate justice on the nation's highest court.
She is the first Hispanic and third woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court
Sotomayor credits her mother with instilling a sense of determination and self-confidence.
She was President Barack Obama's first nominee to the Supreme Court.
- Created on 04 January 2013
50 Books That Every African American Should Read
Whether you're traveling on vacation, sunbathing on the beach, or simply lounging in the park, nothing beats a good book in the summertime. Still, with so many options at one's disposal, deciding on a title can prove difficult.
Huffington Post BlackVoices has compiled an extensive book list, featuring a range of genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, science-fiction and the autobiography.
From Ralph Ellison to Jesmyn Ward, many of the authors have been heralded with national awards in the United States. Others, such as Zadie Smith and Tsitsi Dangarembga, have broken literary ground abroad in countries such as Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Uganda. Stemming back to 1789 with Olaudah Equiano's "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," these 50 titles have heavily contributed to contemporary narratives about the black experience across the globe.
Check out the gallery on Huffington Post.
- Created on 08 January 2013
Delta Sigma Theta Celebrates 100 Years
The Chicago Alumnae Chapter is opening their Centennial celebration with Founders Day 2013 on Saturday, January 19, 2013. This year's theme is "100 Years of Sisterhood and Service: Celebrating Our Past...Embracing the Future".
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, 117th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and National Chaplain for Delta Sigma Theta, is the guest speaker.
This event is held annually to highlight the national and local accomplishments of the organization, while also raising awareness of the sorority.
The luncheon will begin promptly at 12:00 noon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago – West Tower, 151 E. Wacker Drive. Tickets are $65 per person or $650 for a reserved table of 10. The public is welcome.
To purchase tickets and for more information, contact Founders Day Co-Chairs, Adrienne Hubbard at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Michelle Mills at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Created on 03 January 2013
Conqo Square Theatre Presents: Mosley on the Square
Walter Mosley is one of America's most celebrated novelists; with critically-acclaimed books and other works that have been adapted for the film, theater and television, the award-winning, bestselling author and playwright remains one of the most popular writers today, reports Gapers Block.
Mosley, who has written over 30 books, achieved commercial fame for his crime fiction novel series starring the character "Detective Easy Rawlins"; from that series, Devil In A Blue Dress, which starred two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, was made for the big screen.
To pay homage to Mosley, the Congo Square Theatre welcomes the author to Chicago with "Mosley on the Square," Thursday, Jan. 17 through Saturday, Jan. 19. This 3-day tribute, with events held at the Harold Washington Library and the Chicago Cultural Center, will feature film screenings, staged readings, book signings and more.
Admission for all events is free; for a complete schedule, visit Congo Square Theatre or call 773-296-1108.
Source: http://gapersblock.com/ac/2013/01/02/conqo-square-theatre-presents-mosley-on-the-square/
