Amplifying Black Voices from Past to Present

Iman J. Williams

Hi, I’m Iman, the new Classics for Kids Intern! I am a flutist, activist, and plant enthusiast. I’ve been playing the flute since I was 10 years old! I am excited to share my passion for music and history with the Classics for Kids community!

After World War I, African Americans began traveling North to seek a better life full of economic and social equality at the end of Slavery. Also known as The Great Migration, over 250,000 African Americans had migrated North. Harlem in New York City had become a popular destination for folks to settle down, be free, and be “unapologetically Black”, after years of being silenced.   

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Nina Simone performs at a concert in 1964.
Hulton Archive/Stringer/Getty Images

 

Renaissance meaning to “make new”, the Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s) was the birth and revival of Black contributions! Whether it was in fashion, music, art, or even politics, the goal was for African American artists and activists (persons who push for social change and equity) to regain control over the representation of their culture and their experiences.  

Click the video below to learn more about the Harlem Renaissance

The following video provides more info on the Harlem Renaissance and the impact it had on society: BrainPOP

  The following video provides more info on the Harlem Renaissance and the Impact on Society  

This playlist was created to amplify the Black artists and their contributions to Western Music. This is a living playlist that I will be adding to regularly during my internship with CFK. Check back in for new tunes! 

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Kahvah Whittaker

Amplifying Black Voices from Past to Present

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