Lord Help Me Be: Alice Coltrane and the Quest for Freedom in Black Power Era America with Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance (DFMA) is teaming up with Inwood Library to bring you a free, in-person community livestream and discussion of both Talking About Race Matters lectures this March. Talking About Race Matters (TARM) is a two-part virtual lecture series where notable scholars share their groundbreaking work on cultural history and social justice.

This month, TARM lectures will explore the cultural and political contributions of Black women musicians in America. This is “The Song of Our Freedom: Black Music in America” in celebration of Women’s History Month and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The first TARM lecture features Dr. Tammy L. Kernodle, the Park Creative Arts Endowed Professor and University Distinguished Professor of Music at Miami University (OH),. She teaches in the areas of African American music, gender studies in music, and race and American popular culture.

She will explore pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane’s role in pushing forward the avant-garde jazz aesthetic during the years immediately following the death of her husband and collaborator John Coltrane. This lecture will examine the symbiotic relationship between the music from her early solo albums and the broader idea of freedom that fueled the rise of the Black Power and Black Nationalist Movements.

*After the livestream, in-person attendees will participate in a guided discussion and explore supplementary reading curated by Library staff and TARM lecturers. Small snacks will be provided.*

Adults 18+

Date: Wednesday, March 18th

Time: 4:30pm-5:30pm virtually OR 4:30PM-6PM for those attending in-person

Cost: FREE

Registration Required? Yes, register via Zoom or NYPL events page 

Location: Virtual via Zoom or 2nd floor Community Room at Inwood Library