- Date:
- 2014-11-10
- Main contributors:
- Williams-Forson, Psyche A., Cooper, Tyron, Jones, Alisha Lola, Burnim, Mellonee V. (Mellonee Victoria), 1950-
- Summary:
- A lecture and panel discussion exploring the intersections between sacred and secular African American music genres (funk, soul and gospel, in particular) and the ritual preparation and sharing of foods in promoting and sustaining African American communities, organized as part of Indiana University's Themester 2014 "Eat, Drink, Think: Food from Art to Science." After an introduction by Dr. Mellonee Burnim (Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology), featured guest speaker, Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson (Department of American Studies, University of Maryland College Park) provides a general introduction to the significance of food traditions as a signifier of African American life and culture (approximately 30 minutes). Following are shorter presentations by Dr. Alisha Lola Jones (Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology) and Dr. Tyron Cooper (Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies), who explore unifying linkages between sacred and secular music and traditional African American foodways, signifying the complementary roles these cultural practices play in demarcating various aspects of African American identity. At the conclusion is a brief question and answer session. The panel was held on October 27, 2014, from 4:30-6:00 p.m., in the Grand Hall, Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, at Indiana University, Bloomington. Presented by the Archives of African American Music and Culture; sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences—Themester; Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies; Department of Anthropology; Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology; Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center; Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs; and the Asian American Studies Program.