Sunday, February 26, 2023, 2 – 3 p.m.
Join Prof. Don Harrell of the University of Central Florida’s Africana Studies program for a discussion of the relationship between music and society. Prof. Harrell will explore how both sacred and secular music has served as a source of joy and a means of soothing pain to counter the effects of legal and social oppression and exploitation of Black Americans. He’ll explore this dynamic with a focus on rap and hip-hop culture, its proliferation, and its functional use in worldwide social justice movements.
Don Harrell is an ethnomusicologist, folklorist, musician, storyteller, activist, educator, and an award-winning producer and director. An adjunct professor of Africana Studies at UCF, he is also CEO of African Diasporic Arts and Education Inc. A graduate of Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he was awarded the UNITAS Diversity and Community Award, he has a master of arts in African Studies from UCLA.
The Brechner Speaker Series honors the late Joseph L. Brechner, a longtime journalist, Central Florida community leader, and television pioneer who is also remembered as one of Orlando’s first clear public voices for civil rights.
This Brechner Speaker Series program is free and takes place at the History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando. Parking is available at the Library Garage, 112 E. Central Blvd. Please RSVP.
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