Here is GBN’s Daily Drop for Friday, February 4th on John Henrik Clarke, professor and advocate of Pan African Studies.
You can also follow or subscribe to the Good Black News Daily Drop Podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, rss.com or create your own RSS Feed. Or just check it out every day here on the main website (transcript below):
SHOW TRANSCRIPT:
Hey, this Lori Lakin Hutcherson, founder and editor in chief of GoodBlackNews.org, here to share with you a daily drop of Good Black News for Friday, February 4th, 2022, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar” published by Workman Publishing.
Here is GBN’s Daily Drop for Wednesday, February 2nd on Carter G. Woodson, “The Father of Black History” (transcript below):
SHOW TRANSCRIPT:
Hey, this Lori Lakin Hutcherson, founder and editor in chief of GoodBlackNews.org, here to share with you a daily drop of Good Black News based on the “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day Calendar published by Workman Publishing. This is Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022.
Known as “The Father of Black History,” author and historian Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875 to formerly enslaved parents who were never taught to read and write. To make ends meet, Woodson often had to forgo school for farm or mining work, but he was encouraged to learn independently and eventually earned advanced degrees from the University of Chicago and Harvard.
In 1915 he helped found the Journal of Negro History, then in 1926, he began promoting the second week of February as Negro History Week. This holiday led to the month of February officially becoming Black History Month in 1976.
Additionally, Woodson wrote and published The Mis-Education of the Negroin 1933, which is now available for free download in the public domain. This collection of articles and speeches became a classic touchstone for educators, as Woodson advocated for excellence in the education of Black students and demanded that school systems across America eliminate curricula designed deliberately to “mis-educate” Black children and promote the fallacy of white supremacy.
This has been a daily drop of Good Black News, based on the “A Year of Good Black News Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022,” published by Workman Publishing, and available at workman.com, Amazon,Bookshop and other online retailers. Beats provided by freebeats.io and produced by White Hot. For more Good Black News, check out goodblacknews.org or search and follow @goodblacknews anywhere on social.
Follow or subscribe to the Good Black News Daily Drop Podcast through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, rss.com or create your own RSS Feed. Or just check it out every day here on the main website.
Hey, it’s Lori, GBN’s Editor-in-Chief, with this week’s Music Monday share. Although it’s one day early, I offer a list to set the vibe for what February signifies to many in these United States: Black History Month!
Today’s playlist, “Black and Proud: Songs About Being Black” features songs that examine, express, critique and celebrate differing iterations of what it means to be Black in America.
The gamut of human emotions are present in this collection, as African Americans have been creating genres like Jazz, Blues, Soul and Hip Hop and transforming others from the 1600s on.
Artists such as Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Esperanza Spalding, india.arie, Prince, Janet Jackson, Mickey Guyton, Nas, Jay Z, Common and Kendrick Lamar all have their takes on Blackness and the perceptions of it by themselves, lovers, strangers, authorities and oppressors.
I’ve also included several versions of “Young, Gifted and Black” by Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Big Daddy Kane who each in their own way interpret the phrase popularized by playwright Lorraine Hansberry to great effect.
I hope you enjoy this compilation and that it gets you into the mood, groove and spirit of Black History Month.
Hey, it’s Lori, GBN’s Editor-in-Chief, stepping in with this week’s Music Monday share. As this past Saturday was what would have been Sam Cooke’s 91st birthday, and since Marlon Westcrafted such a lovely tribute playlist to the “King of Soul” in honor of his 90th last year, I thought it fitting to share it once again in case anyone missed it:
What I’d like to add this time around — you can read Marlon’s words about Cooke and his indelible contributions to music and the genre of Soul here — is a couple of great podcasts I heard about Cooke’s musical journey in the past year.
The first is the “Don’t Know Much About History” episode of Chris Molanphy‘s Hit Parade podcast, which covers the chart history and influence of Sam Cooke’s singing and songwriting on American popular music:
The second is an in-depth look at “You Send Me” as one of the pivotal songs in the long term development and metamorphosis of the genre called Rock music (which has its roots in jazz, blues, R&B, country and soul) in Andrew Hickey‘s A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs:
There may be even more in depth looks at Cooke and his music in the podcast verse, but these are two that I’ve heard and can assure you are worth your time.
The two documentaries available on Amazon Prime, I gotta admit, not as much. Worth it if you want to know more about the parts of Cooke’s life and his untimely death that sometimes overshadow his contributions to music. I’ve watched them both, and the archival footage of Cooke’s performances in Legend makes it the superior choice.
Lastly, as one of the inaugural members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, it should be no surprise that Cooke’s music has been sampled and covered for decades by artists as diverse as Beyoncé, The Game, Amy Winehouse, Terence Trent D’Arby, Bruce Springsteen and Beenie Man. To check out the entire list, go here: https://www.whosampled.com/Sam-Cooke/
I hope you enjoy all the Sam Cooke options available, and that you, as Marlon says, stay safe, sane and kind!
Hello on this MLK Day Monday! Hope this missive finds you all well. I put together this collection of tracks to celebrate this day. I’ve included songs that speak directly to the struggle for Civil Rights.
Some of these tracks were favorite songs of Dr. King’s and other leaders of the movement. While other tracks both classic and new are inspired by their efforts and sacrifice.
I have also included a few excerpts for the great man’s speeches as well. Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke, Gil Scott-Heron, and Nina Simone are all present. Though so are Common, Steel Pulse, Killer Mike, and others that came in their wake.
Hope you enjoy the collection of soul, jazz, gospel, reggae, and hip-hop track to celebrate the King Holiday.
As always, stay safe sane, and kind. “See” ya soon!
by Lori Lakin Hutcherson, Good Black News Editor-in-Chief
Thank you to everyone who so far has purchased, gifted and supported GBN’s A Year of Good Black News, the Page-A-Day Calendar for 2022 we’ve done with Workman Publishing. Your appreciation has made it more than worth it.
Even though 2022 has officially started, if you or someone you know is still looking to get A Year of Good Black News, it is now available for 35% off at workman.comwith Code: CAL35 until January 31st!
I’m also excited to share that we’ve broadened the calendar’s accessibility recently by launching Good Black News: The Daily Drop.
Good Black News: The Daily Drop is a podcast based on the calendar that offers an audio version of each entry that is posted daily, in addition to one new bonus episode every weekend (Saturdays and Sundays of the physical calendar share an entry). Check out the trailer here:
Happy first Monday of 2022! Hope this young year has been treating you well so far.
Well, this collection is definitely a group effort. Last week I asked the readers of Good Black News and other friends and family to offer songs that have helped sustain them during these mercurial Covid times. Folks did not disappoint.
I have assembled a playlist of old and new music of many genres to enjoy during this fourth wave of The Vid.
I’M STILL HERE takes its title from a track by the immortal Sharon Jones. It was created for the documentary, Miss Sharon Jones!, about her tenacious battle with cancer. This collection contains songs offered by stalwart GBN music contributor, Jeff Meier, our Editor-in-Chief, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, and many readers and pals from all over.
Eighty-one year old Jazz legend Pharaoh Sanders is in the house with a record released during 2021. There are songs by folks like the emerging artist Yola too.
There are tracks considered by most as enduring classics, and others that will be well worth putting in the effort to “get to know.” Do enjoy more than 9 hours of music to fill your heart and soul. I hope this short missive finds you all safe and well.
Thanks for pitching in and enjoy. And as always, stay safe, sane, and kind. See ya soon.
First and foremost, Happy New Year 2022! Congratulations on the perseverance it has taken to make it to another year during such challenging times.
Secondly, we’d like to congratulate the January winners of our “A Year of Good Black News” Page-A-Day® Calendar for 2022! As a thank you for your readership and support, GBN has selected not one, not two, but five winners for December!
Congratulations to Sheila Collins, Fenesha Hubbard, William Walters, Charlotte White and Carla Brown! We will be contacting you each shortly via email to arrange delivery of your free calendars.
Thank you to everyone who entered the GBN Page-A-Day® calendar giveaway, and we hope our upcoming giveaways in the coming months will inspire you to do so again.
A Year of Good Black News for 2022 is filled with facts, history, bios, quotes, jokes and trivia in easy-to-read entries delivered on the daily, and if you still want to buy it for yourself, your family, children, friends, teachers or loved ones, use code: YAY21 at Workman.comto receive 25% OFF until January 3.
Or, if you prefer, you can also order from the retailers below:
Because interest in the calendar was high but not all who want it can win or by it, GBN is offering it in audio form day by day as Good Black News: The Daily Drop:
Good Black News: The Daily Drop is on Spotify, Apple Podcasts,Amazon Music, Soundcloud, Google Podcasts and rss.com. Or you can subscribe by the rss feedvia any platform you like.
Onward and upward… and thank you for your support!
Happy Last Monday of 2021! Hope you all have had a safe and pleasant holiday season, so far. This Covid era ain’t going away easy. So I was planning on my first GBN playlist of 2022 to be a collection songs that I found sustaining in the last nearly two years. Though I thought it would be nice to hear from some of you.
What songs have you played during ‘20 and ‘21 that helped keep your chin up? Were they tracks from back in the day that have always been your go to? It there a cut that that gained new meaning and poignance during lockdown? Have you discovered new music that has brightened these taxing times?
Let me/us know about ‘em in the comments. Help a brotha create a communal playlist of hope and tenacity.
Happy Holiday Season, you all! I am thrilled to offer this “afroclectic” of music to round out 2021’s Christmastime. With more that a little help from my friends I’ve assembled another freewheeling collection.
There are tracks from fellow contributor, Jeff Meier’s ULTIMATE SOUL OF THE SEASON SOUNDTRACK, and our fearless leader, Lori Lakin Hutcherson’s A MERRY MOTOWN playlist, plus dozens of favorites and recent discoveries of my own.
Of course, Donny Hathaway, Sharon Jones, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye and other Christmas standard-bearers are present. Though there are 2021 holiday releases by Bill Will, Nao, Mandisa, José James, Shaggy and others as well. Here’s over thirteen hours of soul, jazz, reggae, gospel, hip hop, and more to for a Christmas musical journey.
Whether you are staying put, or travel far, please do have a wonderful, peaceful, and safe holiday season. It has been a pleasure and honor share music with you all here on Good Black News for another year.
Stay safe, sane, and kind. And I’ll see ya back here in the ‘22!