Participants
About
In the spirit of Paul Robeson’s broad musical repertoire and in recognition of Black Music Month, this salon will explore genre, historical context, and legacy.
Nia I’man Smith will present the lecture, “Ancestor Veneration in the music of Nicolas Payton, Melanie Charles, and Kendrick Lamar.” Smith is the creator of THE BLACK CONNECTION, a multi-platform exploration of her interests in the music, visual culture, and Orisa tradition of the Black Diaspora.
Inspired by the work of Zora Neale Hurston, Amiri Baraka, and AfriCOBRA, her independent research seeks to document African cultural retentions and how they inform Black Aesthetic(s). She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Afro-American studies from Howard University, and an Masters of Education in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education.
