On October 2nd, 2013, jazz historian, radio show host and UIP author Chuck Haddix kicked off the release of his book Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker in style at […]
Category: black studies
Hear Our Truths: the music video
To promote Ruth Nicole Brown’s forthcoming book Hear Our Truths: The Creative Potential of Black Girlhood, the UIP staff decided to get creative ourselves. The result is our first-ever self produced […]
ASCAP honors ‘Beautiful Music’
Congratulations to author Stephen Wade, who has gained another award for The Beautiful Music All Around Us: Field Recordings and the American Experience. The book was recently honored with a Deems Taylor […]
New books debut at ASALH
Illinois Press staff and authors had a great time at the 98th Annual Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) Convention held from October 2-6, 2013 […]
Woodson Library event for The Negro in Illinois taped for BookTV
On Saturday, September 28, the Carter G. Woodson Regional branch of The Chicago Public Library was the site of a celebration of the publication of The Negro in Illinois. The event included a […]
Q&A with Creolization of American Culture author Christopher J. Smith
Christopher J. Smith is an associate professor and chair of musicology/ethnomusicology and the director of the Vernacular Music Center at the Texas Tech University School of Music. A working musician, […]
The Negro in Illinois celebrated at Chicago Public Library event
On Saturday, September 28, The Chicago Public Library will host a celebration of the University of Illinois Press publication of The Negro in Illinois at the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, […]
Happy birthday to Southern Soul-Bluesman Latimore
Singer, songwriter and pianist Benjamin “Benny” Latimore was born on September 7, 1939. Latimore is profiled by author David Whiteis in Southern Soul-Blues, an overview of the genre that mixes blues, […]
Citizens in the Present editor reflects on civil rights legacy
As the work of civil rights leaders was celebrated during the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, many—including President Obama—reflected on the differences between youth activists today and those in […]
Writing ‘I Have a Dream’
On August 28, 1963, in front of an estimated 250,000 people in the Washington D.C. mall, Martin Luther King Jr. gave what would become the most famous speech in civil […]
Q&A with The Negro in Illinois: The WPA Papers editor Brian Dolinar
Brian Dolinar is a scholar of African American literature and culture from the Depression era. He is the editor of The Negro in Illinois: The WPA Papers. We asked him […]
Shining a spotlight on women in the civil rights movement
During the historic March on Washington in late August of 1963, hundreds of thousands filled the National Mall and many powerful voices of the civil rights movement took to the podium. Few […]