Count Basie

Khamisi July 21, 2024

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William James “Count” Basie (August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an African-American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two “split” tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams.

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Categories: Biographies, Music

“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Frederick Douglass

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass was invited to address the citizens of his hometown, Rochester, New York. Whatever the expectations of his audience on that 76th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Douglass used the occasion not to celebrate the nation’s triumphs but to remind all of its continuing enslavement of millions of people.

Khamisi July 5, 2020

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Caribbean Proverbs

Our Caribbean Proverbs section includes over 100 proverbs and sayings from Afro-Caribbean ethnic groups, including Jamaican proverbs, Haitian proverbs, proverbs from the Virgin Islands, and more.

Khamisi June 12, 2020

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Duke Ellington

Webster Duke Ellington was the most important composer in the history of jazz as well as being a bandleader who held his large group together…

Khamisi July 27, 2024

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“Where Do We Go From Here” by Martin L. King, Jr.

August 16, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about the achievements of the American Negro, his struggles, triumphs, and place in the then American society and economy; he lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America’s future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education.

Khamisi August 11, 2024

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“Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases” by Ida B. Wells

Wells first published a version this speech on June 25, 1892, in the New York Age. She delivered this speech at Lyric Hall in New York City on October 5, 1892, and published the speech as a pamphlet on Oct. 26, 1892. She delivered a similar speech twice in February 1893, at the Tremont Temple in Boston, Massachusetts, and by invitation of Frederick Douglass at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Washington, D.C.

Khamisi June 21, 2024

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