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IN THE NEWS: ARETHA FRANKLIN’S GRANDDAUGHTER SHARES RARE VIDEO
8 years ago

IN THE NEWS: ARETHA FRANKLIN’S GRANDDAUGHTER SHARES RARE VIDEO

Aretha Franklin’s granddaughter Victorie Franklin shared a video of her grandmother singing Nessun Dorma, which translates as “None shall sleep.”  In 1998, at the 40th Grammys, Aretha sang this aria from the …
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IN THE NEWS: RACHEL PITTMAN FRANKLIN- ARETHA FRANKLIN’S BIG MAMA
8 years ago

IN THE NEWS: RACHEL PITTMAN FRANKLIN- ARETHA FRANKLIN’S BIG MAMA

Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942-August 16, 2018) was born to C.L. (Clarence LaVaughn) Franklin and Barbara Siggers.  C.L. and Barbara married in 1936. C.L. adopted her infant son, Vaughn …
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IN THE ARTS: BETTER DAYS
8 years ago

IN THE ARTS: BETTER DAYS

Silver gray hair neatly combed in place. There were four generations of love on her face. She was so wise, no surprise passed her eyes, She’d seen it all.

I …
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IN THE ARTS: ALICE COLTRANE: THE GRANDMOTHER OF SPIRITUAL JAZZ
8 years ago

IN THE ARTS: ALICE COLTRANE: THE GRANDMOTHER OF SPIRITUAL JAZZ

To those aware of the spiritual jazz genre/movement, the name that usually comes to mind is John Coltrane. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, jazz music was at …
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IN THE NEWS: ERIN GREEN
8 years ago

IN THE NEWS: ERIN GREEN

Black grandmothers are vastly underrepresented in all types of media whether in the news, social media, movies, or television shows. It is rare to hear any comments regarding the perspectives …
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IN THE ARTS: VERLINDA’S SPAGHETTI PIE
8 years ago

IN THE ARTS: VERLINDA’S SPAGHETTI PIE

It’s very rare that the Caldwell, Brown, and Blount family will have a gathering for a celebration and Verlinda is not on cooking duty. Whether it be a birthday, Sunday …
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IN THE ARTS: AMERICAN GOTHIC
8 years ago

IN THE ARTS: AMERICAN GOTHIC

This picture was taken by Gordon Parks in Washington D.C in 1942. It appears in Parks’ word-and-picture poem book Moments without Proper Names, showcasing the tragedies of American poverty in hopes …
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IN THE ARTS: WILL SMITH
8 years ago

IN THE ARTS: WILL SMITH

In 1968, Will Smith was born into a middle-class family in Philadelphia. Starting with rapping and then quickly transitioning into acting, his career skyrocketed into his current Hollywood stardom. His …
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In the Arts: American Gothic’s Ella Watson
8 years ago

In the Arts: American Gothic’s Ella Watson

American Gothic is Gordon Parks’s most recognizable portrait. It was photographed in Washington, D.C. in 1942 during the photographer’s fellowship with the Farm Security Administration (FSA). Instructed to go out …
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IN THE ARTS: ELLA WATSON
8 years ago

IN THE ARTS: ELLA WATSON

“Washington, D.C. Mrs. Ella Watson, a government charwoman, receiving annointment from Reverend Clara Smith during the “flower bowl demonstration,” a service held once a year at the St. Martin’s Spiritual …
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