Eugene Redmond

Coming out of the call for “Black Power” in the 1960s by Malcolm X and others, historian and playwright Larry Neal describes a new breed of Black artist taking on the contradictions of the Black person’s experience in the racist West and developing a “black aesthetic.” For this "Poetry--What Is It Good For?" episode, we talked with one of the lead architects of Black Arts Movement [BAM] poetry, Eugene B. Redmond -- the longtime poet laureate of East St. Louis -- and with poet and Redmond colleague Darlene Roy who has run the Eugene B. Redmond Writer's Club of E. St. Louis for several decades. The conversation ranged from the beginnings of BAM within the Black Power era of the 1960s -- to the important poets of the period -- to the changes that were happening in this country as "negro / colored" turned to "Black." Ms. Roy read from her book "Afrosynthesis: A feast of Poetry and Folklore." See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eugene Redmond is a poet, professor, educator, and legendary luminarie who has told the story of East St Louis for decades. Laninya Cason served as an associate judge on the Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois from 2003 to 2015. Dhati Kennedy's family fled the East St Louis Race War, crossing the Mississippi aboard a homemade raft. Kennedy is a percussionist, activist, and educator. His voice and beats serve as the soundtrack to Tangazo. Your host, Hank Thompson, has spent more than 35 years on the air in the St Louis region, covering sports, politics, race, and religion, discussing current events and ensuring that the area's history is shared with the next generation. Here's a look at how the conversation went: Part 1: "Race War", not "Race Riots." Get to know the guests and learn about circumstances that lead to this horrible period in our region's history. (0:00-16:00) Part 2: Phoenix rising. Out of the ashes of this race war, new communities and artists emerged. (16:15-27:30) Part 3: "Black people have been called lazy ever since we stopped working for free." To understand the Race War, you've got to understand how and why African-Americans migrated north in the decades following the Civil War. (27:45-36:00) Part 4: More than talk, "I just want some  action." 100 years after these riots and 150 years after the end of slavery, these scars still shape our society - what's next? (36:00-47:00) Helpful tip: According to Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, "A kwansaba is seven lines of seven words, with each word containing not more than seven letters." Andy Heaslet is the show's engineer.

To kick off Emory's King Week Celebration, poet Eugene Redmond read in honor of the 20th anniversary of his publication Drumvoices Revue and the 25th anniversary of the EBR Writers Club. The reading followed a conversation moderated by Richard A. Long, Emory University professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies. Attendees learned about Redmond's lifelong dedication to preserving the artistic legacies of performers, poets, and musicians such as Katherine Dunham, Henry Dumas, and Miles Davis. Through his journal, Redmond has helped shape the literary cannon of a generation.

To kick off Emory's King Week Celebration, poet Eugene Redmond read in honor of the 20th anniversary of his publication Drumvoices Revue and the 25th anniversary of the EBR Writers Club. The reading followed a conversation moderated by Richard A. Long, Emory University professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies. Attendees learned about Redmond's lifelong dedication to preserving the artistic legacies of performers, poets, and musicians such as Katherine Dunham, Henry Dumas, and Miles Davis. Through his journal, Redmond has helped shape the literary cannon of a generation.