How Has Hollywood Shaped the Presidency?
"Acting presidential" can mean fulfilling expectations that have been shaped by TV and the movies.
The Amazing Story of Phil Moore, Hollywood Star Maker
As the first salaried Black musician at a major studio, he was a leader in shaping the sound of movies—though he was often uncredited.
The Conservative Christian War on Rock and Roll
Tracing an early front in the culture wars to a trio of evangelical opponents of rock music in the 1950s and '60s.
How Civil Rights Groups Used Photography for Change
As one activist said, “If our story is to be told, we will have to write it and photograph it and disseminate it ourselves.”
How Rock against Racism Fought the Right
A rising tide of violence and bigotry in the 1970s infected the British music scene. A group of musicians organized to resist.
The New Negro and the Dawn of the Harlem Renaissance
In 1925, an anthology of Black creative work heralded the arrival of a movement that had been years in the making.
When Mambo Was King, Its Creators Were Stereotyped
As a style of Afro-Cuban music and dance, mambo was considered "primitive." And not just by white North Americans.
The Folk Song That Fought against Fare Hikes
"M.T.A." is a humorous ditty about a never-ending subway ride. But it began in Boston's progressive political circles.
You, Too, Can Screen an Experimental Film
In the 1960s and '70s, where and how a film was shown was often as important as the work itself.
How Black-Owned Record Stores Helped Create Community
What was it like for Black American music lovers during the age of segregation to find a place they could call their own?