Stokely Carmichael

Enjoy this special Carib Nation episode on Stokely Carmichael, an important figure in the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the US, Pan-Africanism, Black Power, the international Black Left, and a Caribbean-American from Trinidad! It's excellent to not forget Carmichael's immigrant roots and Caribbean influences in his politics and outlook.

Francis Johnson and Haiti

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How many people are aware that famed African-American composer and bandleader, Francis Johnson, was an avid believer in Haiti? Like many free blacks of the North, he seems to have looked favorably on Haitian independence. So much so, in fact, that he composed "Recognition March of the Independence of Hayti" after France finally recognized their former colony's independent status. Unfortunately, I have not come across any recordings of this song, but its an interesting case of historical links between Haiti and African-Americans.

Elizabeth Lange

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Lange was a fascinating product of the Haitian Revolution. She moved to Cuba as a result of the Haitian Revolution, then settled in Baltimore where she started the first black sister organization in the Catholic Church (as well as educating black students). Lange's life demonstrates the links connecting different areas of the Black Atlantic, and thus an appropriate historical figure to learn about this month. 

Black History Month: Timbuktu Manuscripts

Though this documentary series is far from perfect (it seems to attribute too much of Timbuktu's history to non-African sources) and ignores the much earlier literary history of the African continent (Egyptian hieroglyphics, Meroitic script, Ethiopic, the Libyco-Berber, etc.), it's worth watching. 

Music, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic

Fascinating discussion with scholars on blackness, nationality, conflict, race, music, and Hispaniola. After listening to this, I intend to finish Largey's Vodou Nation. Music is power, and thus an important area to study in Haitian-Dominican relations, the Caribbean, and identity.

Melody for Melonae

One of my favorite jazz jams, and a musical homage to the Black Freedom Struggle and advances in jazz of the 1960s. I believe "Melonae" is McLean's daughter, but the album title, Let Freedom Ring spoke to listeners on a social and musical level. McLean is embracing more of the volatile changes in the American social landscape as well as avant garde and free jazz for this ambitious song. Check it out!