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Praxis Center » Art, Music, & Pop Culture » Commentaries and Posts

Art, Music, & Pop Culture

The role of artists in society has always been important. Artists raise awareness about social issues and are often the register of the times. They can reinforce the status quo or they can serve as a catalyst for change. Popular Culture often illuminates where we are all are as a people and a species. We invite critical essays and thinking on art of all types today in the US and abroad.

“I Was Served Lemons but I Made Lemonade”: Notes from a Teenage Fan

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by Stephanie Shonekan, Art and Pop Culture, Contributing Editor

I am willing to wager that my 16-year-old daughter, Ojurere, is Beyoncé’s biggest fan. She has been a devoted fan since the Destiny’s Child days. When Beyoncé coughed at a concert a few weeks ago, Ojurere was delighted. She explained that this very small act of spontaneity added to Beyoncé’s profile as a superstar who was willing to be vulnerable. “It makes her human, Mom,” Ojurere explained when I chuckled. Ojurere is used to my reaction to her “beyhive” behavior, so she plays it up a bit, but underneath our mutual amusement, there is a serious thread of which we are both aware.  (more…)

A Storied Neighborhood, Wrapped in Contradiction

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By Bill Ayers and Claire van den Heever Writer, educator, activist and long-time resident of Chicago’s Hyde Park community, Bill Ayers recently recorded a one-hour audio walking tour of his neighborhood for the mobile application VoiceMap. “I had a lot … Continue reading →

The Healing Powers of American Roots Music

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By Stephanie Shonekan, Art, Music, and Pop Culture Contributing Editor During this year’s Grammy Awards Stevie Wonder reminded viewers to appreciate the “healing powers” of music. This lovely sentiment, as well as the well-loved adage that “music is a universal … Continue reading →

Lioness of Lisabi: A Black Girl Power Story

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by Stephanie Shonekan, Art, Music, and Pop Culture, Contributing Editor Reverberations of the assertion that Black Lives Matter have been heard and felt across the nation, on our street corners and in our communities, on college campuses, and in media … Continue reading →

Sarah: Caretaker of the People’s Camera

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By Mariame Kaba Editor’s note: Praxis Center is thrilled to feature the photographs of Sarah Jane Rhee on our home page for the month of February. If you are at a protest or action in Chicago, you can’t miss her. … Continue reading →

Why Selma Matters: A Mother’s Perspective

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By Stephanie Shonekan, Art, Music, and Pop Culture On MLK day, I took our three teenage children to watch Selma. I worried about the film’s effect on them because I knew it would provide another heavy layer of heart-wrenching historical … Continue reading →

Bodies for Bullets

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By Denise Miller Author’s note: I wrote this poem to highlight the continued and deadly disregard for female bodies and brown bodies. The italicized sections however have been taken directly from the Declaration of Independence. Please feel free to add … Continue reading →

Hip-hop and Ferguson: Black Rage, Don’t Shoot, Be Free

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By Stephanie Shonekan In recent years, there has been a growing fear among some black music scholars, critics, practitioners, and partakers that its power as a significant expressive outlet for the community has been eroded. Commercialization, globalization, capitalism, media mania, … Continue reading →

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