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Conferences > 1998-1999
Rhapsodies
In Blax: The Blaxploitation Movement and the Harlem Renaissance,
October 9-10, 1998
 In
conjunction with the highly-acclaimed show, "Rhapsodies
in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance, " the UCLA
Cultural Studies in the African Diaspora Project hosted a two day
conference entitled, "Rhapsodies in Blax: Blaxploitation and
the Harlem Renaissance." The conference expanded
prevailing notions of both Blaxploitation and the Harlem Renaissance
by exploring how the earlier movement forged the ground of the later
period; how the Blaxploitation movement in cinema impinged upon
other visual arts, literature, music and fashion; and how the '70s
movement continues to be echoed in the work of black American
artists today. The conference began with a panel on
re-inventing histories on the afternoon of October 9, followed by a
keynote panel and reception that evening. On October 10,
three panels were held: one on passing and transgression, one on
gangsterism and one on redefining genres.
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The
Art of The Harlem Rens: Black Basketball & Performance
 The
Harlem Renaissance, the Renaissance Big Five, the New York
Renaissance, or simply, "The Rens," were the first
black-owned and operated professional basketball team in the United
States. They and the all-white Original Celtics were the two
dominant professional teams of the 1920s and 1930s.
Although many sources, including the Encyclopedia of Sport,
calls the Rens the best basketball team of its time, regardless of
race, their significance largely has gone unrecorded.
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 The
CSADP hosted Power Moves
A two-day conference on hip hop culture dedicated to promoting
meaningful dialogue between critical theorists, ethnomusicologists,
executives in the music industry, performers, students and
academics, among others. The conference addressed
a number of issues raised by critics and artists alike including
feminism, the diasporic expansion of the medium, the role of
capitalism within the culture, and visual representation. We
considered how rap music, aerosol art and b-boying (breakdancing)
created new methods of communication for youth around the world.
Furthermore, we gained an understanding that Hip Hop is a
cultural movement and that it is one of the few means that continue
to provide young people with a political voice.
In
addition to panel discussions, POWER MOVES reflected the
varied cultural manifestations of the genre. For instance, we
presented a running series of hip hop films and documentaries that
included Style Wars, Wild Style and Bombing LA.
We organized a photography exhibit that will feature the work of
several journalists who have been documenting the culture, including
emceeing, deejaying, dancing and writing graffiti. Finally,
our website will feature more photographs, have Real Audio and
contain an extensive timeline and bibliography of academic essays
and books on Hip Hop culture. Our goal was to provide the
audience with a multi-dimensional, multi-media Hip Hop experience.
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