Celebrate Black History Month through Podcasts

To kick off Black History Month, we’ve compiled a list of some of the African-American artists featured in our Art Works podcast series. These artists come from a variety of fields—literature, media arts, visual arts—and each has a unique tale to tell. Listen to their journeys by clicking on the artist’s name. From Pericles to Tupac Shakur, Wayne Carr embodies fully-realized characters on the stage. Tazewell Thompson wowed critics with his direction of the opera Appomattox, and he’s an equally brilliant theater director and playwright. Richard Hunt talks about creating large pieces of abstract art for public spaces and reflects on his time on the NEA’s National Council of the Arts. We explore the writing of NEA Big Read author Edwidge Danticat’s powerful memoir, Brother, I’m Dying. Three generations of Paschalls—2012 NEA Heritage Fellows—have brought beautiful harmonies to their community. Deborah Bond sings like a dream, has three CDs, and tours internationally—but she still needs a day job to pay the bills. Filmmaker Sam Pollard talks about his documentary August Wilson: The Ground on which I Stand. Writer, director, and actor Thomas Jones II makes sense of the world through theater. NEA Heritage Fellow Carolyn Mazloomi shines a powerful light on the African-American community through narrative quilts and through her advocacy. Louisiana Swamp blues singer, composer, and pianist Carol Fran—an NEA National Heritage Fellow—looks back at her 60-year career. It's a music-filled podcast with New Orleans composer, producer, and pianist Allen Toussaint who combined elegance with funk. Daniel Beaty's play and bravura performance in The Tallest Tree in the Forest brought to light the artistry and activism of Paul Robeson. Tope Folarin was the first writer born outside of Africa to win the Caine Prize with his short story set in an evangelical Nigerian church in Texas. Playwright Tarell McCraney shares his exuberant passion for live performance and his determination to bring theater to underserved kids in Miami. To browse through our complete list of podcasts, click here.