William Grant Still, an African American classical composer, is June 3 Artist of the day. Information about this talented composer can be found here:
AfricClassical.com: http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Still.html
AllMusic.com: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/william-grant-still-mn0000361592
YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3JnMapsJMo, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7plaFzdrw
Regina Carter, Detroit native, a violinist, and a MacArthur Fellowship recipient, is our featured artist of the day. Information about this prolific artist can be found here:
NPR: http://www.npr.org/2014/03/05/283506847/regina-carters-jazz-genealogy, http://www.npr.org/artists/15237513/regina-carter
AllMusic:http://www.allmusic.com/artist/regina-carter-mn0000386880
PBS: http://video.pbs.org/video/2365205800/
YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDO1SL-gj98, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF4ifBXx-Z8
June is Black Music Month. In honor of all the contributions African Americans have made in the area of music, I will highlight one or more African Americans in music.
Day 1 features Motown Records, founded by Berry Gordy. Information about Motown Records can be found here.
Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/394383/Motown
History about Motown Records from its own website http://classic.motown.com/history/
Motown Museum: http://www.motownmuseum.org/
Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9901/motown.html
On this day, in 1901, Sterling Allen Brown was born. He became a poet, literary critic, editor and more. I curated some resources about Brown on my April 9 Poet of the Day post. For more information about him, check out that post.
Gwendolyn Brooks, a prolific and award winning poet is April 30 Poet of the Day, the last “official” day of Poetry month. Read about this fascinating poet here:
Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/gwendolyn-brooks, https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poems/45683
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/gwendolyn-brooks
Modern American Poetry: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/brooks/brooks.htm
Library of Congress Online Resources: http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/brooks/
Illinois Poet Laureate: http://www.illinois.gov/poetlaureate/pages/brooks.aspx
Voices from the Gap: http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/brooks.php
Lesson Plans from ReadWriteThink: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/many-years-later-responding-1030.html, from Shmoop: http://www.shmoop.com/we-real-cool/, http://www.shmoop.com/bean-eaters/, from EDSITEment: http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/impact-poems-line-breaks-enjambment-and-gwendolyn-brooks-we-real-cool
Amiri Baraka, formerly known as Leroi Jones, is April 20 Poet of the Day. He was a prolific writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays and music criticism. Read about him here:
Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/445
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/amiri-baraka
Modern American Poetry: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/baraka/bio.htm
NPR: http://www.npr.org/2014/01/10/261379770/fresh-air-remembers-activist-poet-amiri-baraka
YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR5pdz2uGFc, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1-2S7baPUU
April 28 Poet of the day is Nikki Giovanni. Read about this award winning prolific poet here:
Poets.Org: http://www.nikki-giovanni.com/, http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19505
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/nikki-giovanni
AfroPoets.Net: http://www.afropoets.net/nikkigiovanni.html
Voices From the Gap: http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/giovanniNikki.php
PBS Interview with Tavis Smiley: http://video.pbs.org/video/2365125112/,earlier interview with Bill Moyers: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02132009/watch2.html
MSNBC Interview with Melissa Harris-Perry: http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/poet-nikki-giovanni-visits-nerdland
NPR: http://www.npr.org/2013/10/29/241605794/poet-nikki-giovanni-on-the-darker-side-of-her-life
Lesson Plan from ReadWriteThink: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/childhood-remembrances-life-intersect-271.html?tab=1#tabs, http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/entering-history-nikki-giovanni-963.html
Cornelius Eady, author of eight poetry books, and co-founder of Cave Canem, a summer workshop/retreat for African American poets, is April 27 Poet of the day. Read about this fascinating poet here:
NPR: http://www.npr.org/2008/05/05/90184195/a-poets-hardheaded-reflection-on-life
PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/uwm/eady.html
Poets.org: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15244,
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/cornelius-eady
Cave Canem: http://www.cavecanempoets.org/
Interview about Cave Canem: http://www.pw.org/content/qampa_eady_sees_cave_canem_success
Jayne Cortez is April 26 Poet of the Day. A poet and performance artist, Jayne was born on May 10, 1934. Read more about this revolutionary poet here:
Additional resources about Jayne Cortez:
Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/464
Modern American Poetry: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/cortez/poetry.htm
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/jayne-cortez
West African Research Association: http://www.bu.edu/wara/warc-black-history-2013-cortez/
The Project for Innovative Poetry (PIP) Blog: http://pippoetry.blogspot.com/2013/01/jayne-cortez.html
5 Points Where Poetry Meets Jazz NPR: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ablogsupreme/2014/04/11/301435058/5-points-where-poetry-meets-jazz
April 25 Poet of the Day is Kwame Dawes. Born in Ghana, Kwame Dawes later moved to Jamaica and spent most of his childhood and early adult life there. In addition to poetry, Kwame also writes fiction, nonfiction and plays. Read about this multitalented artist here:
Additional resources about Kwame Dawes:
Poets.Org: http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/2118, http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/22007
Poetry Archive: http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoet.do?poetId=17247
Poetry Foundation: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/kwame-dawes
PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/poetryeverywhere/uwm/dawes.html, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/poet-kwame-dawes-remembers-uncle-kofi-awoonor-with-reading-of-the-weaver-bird/
Calabash Interview: http://www.nyu.edu/calabash/vol5no1/0501115.pdf
Kickstarts Fund for African Poetry: http://www.dailynebraskan.com/arts_and_entertainment/article_db86abbe-0b67-11e2-88e2-001a4bcf6878.html
YouTube Interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puv51J7RBXo When Disaster Strikes (Haiti): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DsSpTUQuSg, Poetry reading: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx5Vohf5rW0
The CamaraIfe Maktaba 