Erik's Picks

Erik's Picks are a section of our Quarter Notes monthly newsletter highlighting African American-focused media that our Executive Director would like to share each month. This gives our community the opportunity to learn more about the people, history, struggle, and culture that created this music that we all enjoy. Click the titles below to watch each selection.

 

The Black Church

"An intimate four-hour series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song will explore the 400-year-old story of the black church in America, the changing nature of worship spaces, and the men and women who shepherded them from the pulpit, the choir loft, and church pews."

Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity

A cinematic ode to jazz legend, Wayne Shorter. The viewer watches through prolific periods of Shorter's life and how he grew to greatness, shattered the limitations of jazz, and became one of the most influential musicians and composers in American music.

 

13th - Ava DuVernay

13th is a 2016 American documentary film directed by Ava DuVernay. It explores the prison-industrial complex, and the "intersection of race, justice, and mass incarceration in the United States".

 

Brother Outsider - The Life of Bayard Rustin

In light of June being Pride month and the celebration of Juneteenth on the 19th, this month's pick from Erik is a documentary about Bayard Rustin, an often forgotten queer civil rights activist. 

 

A Duke Named Ellington

Hear from the sources in this insightful Black-directed tribute to Duke Elllington's remarkable fifty-year musical journey. The two-part documentary showcases his pivotal contributions to modern music. 

 

Driving While Black

A revealing documentary recalling the history and personal experiences of African Americans from the invention of the automobile to the societal changes of the 1960s. 

 

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

"The life and music of legendary jazz drummer, composer and activist Max Roach. Tracing his creative peaks, personal struggles and reinventions from the Jim Crow to civil rights eras."