Building on Tradition » american

VideoBooks Series: Open Mike: African Oral tradition, critical thinking, embracing diversity

admin — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:38:15 +0000

Discussing a collaboration with painter Savi Sawakar. Michael Eric Dyson on the remix!

Duration : 0:9:11

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African American Gospel Tradition, Bishop JBoyce1

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:37:29 +0000

Comments With Dr. James Haney Presents*African American Gospel Tradition, with Bishop JBoyce, who talks about the origin of the African American Gospel Tradition in slavery and how it expanded in its present manifestation to one of the best expression of the pain and suffring faced by African during various parts of their stay in the United States, Part 1

Duration : 0:6:6

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History and traditions of Kwanzaa

admin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:17:50 +0000

University of Minnesota professor Keith Mayes discusses the holiday tradition, Kwanzaa, a seven-day cultural holiday starting December 26 and ending January 1. Mayes, a professor of African American and African studies, explains that the African-American tradition has now been celebrated for more than 40 years and gives great details on the origin of the word Kwanzaa, which is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.

This video is part of the Expert Perspectives series at the University of Minnesota.

Duration : 0:2:58

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Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs : Kwanzaa Gifts and Feast Celebration

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:33:18 +0000

Gifts are exchanged on last day of Kwanzaa. Learn about Kwanzaa in this free holiday celebration video from an authority on African-American culture.

Expert: Masequa Myers
Bio: Masequa Myers is the founder and CEO of Masequa Myers & Associates, a full service production and consultation company specializing in the arts and multimedia.
Filmmaker: Pemon Rami

Duration : 0:2:3

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Maine Boat Builders Hope for Smoother Seas After the Recession

admin — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 05:33:09 +0000

The state of Maine has a long boat-building tradition. Ralph Stanley has spent most of his eighty years designing and buildings boats in the town of Southwest Harbor, Maine.

RALPH STANLEY: “Takes a lot of skill to work with wood, to build a boat out of wood. Those skills are something that have been acquired over thousands of years and passed on to people. And, if somebody doesnt keep on building out of wood, it will be lost.”

Stanley is retired from boat-building. But he worries that many builders are using materials like fiberglass to make copies of the boats hull, or body of a boat.

RALPH STANLEY: “Fiberglass came along and I thought about going into fiberglass. But if I did, I would have to have a mold and I could never change that mold. And every boat Ive built I see something I would like to change on the next one.”

Stanleys son Richard also builds boats. Richard Stanley says wood is able to take up the full energy of shocks. He says fiberglass is thicker and beats back the shocks.

Kerri Russell is head of Maine-Built Boats. The group provides support for the states boat building industry. She says many boat-builders have good reasons for using use fiberglass.

Russell worked for a company that makes boats with fiberglass. She says it strengthened the hulls, weighed less than wood, and required fewer repairs.

CUYLER MORRIS: “This boat sails away for three hundred eighty-five thousand dollars.”

Cuyler Morris is head of Morris Yachts, an award-winning builder of sail boats. Those boats sell for up to one million four hundred thousand dollars.

Morris says his company is always looking for the best materials and using them with the best design. He says usefulness is an important quality. Morris father started the company thirty-eight years ago. Morris Yachts now uses electrically-operated parts instead of hand-powered ones.

CUYLER MORRIS: “There are all sorts of things that have made boating easier, like this little jiffy sail cover here.”

A machine-powered sail cover protects the sail until it is needed.

Morris says the device is better than hand-powered winches. A winch is the name of a device used to open and close the sail. Kerri Russell says many boats are equipped with new technology because boat-builders want to increase sales among busy families.

Russell says technology is helpful for people who might not have time for traditional boats.

Cuyler Morris says something is special about boats built in Maine. He says Maine is all about quality — whether you want a small wooden rowboat or a super sailing yacht. People just do it the right way.

The recession has deeply affected Maines boat industry. But Morris is hopeful about the future.

CUYLER MORRIS: “Seventy-two percent of the world is covered with water. People are always going to boat. There is always going to be a demand for boats built in Maine because of quality, so Im really optimistic.”

The future is less clear for builders of wooden boats. Ralph Stanley now spends a lot of his time playing a fiddle made from the wood he long used to build boats. I’m Shirley Griffith.

Duration : 0:4:11

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Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs : Kwanzaa History

admin — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:13:07 +0000

A holiday to celebrate African-American cultural heritage. Learn how this holiday got started in this free holiday history video.

Duration : 0:1:10

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Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs : Kwanzaa Libations

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:32:17 +0000

Kwanzaa ritual drinks or libations are shared among participants. Learn about the principles of Kwanzaa in this free holiday celebration video from an authority on African-American culture.

Duration : 0:2:47

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Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs : Seven Principles of Kwanzaa: Kuumba

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:26:20 +0000

The Kwanzaa principle of Kuumba focuses on creativity. Learn about the principles of Kwanzaa in this free holiday celebration video from an authority on African-American culture.

Duration : 0:0:54

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Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs : Kwanzaa Plants, Books and Gifts

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:37:42 +0000

Celebrate the African-American community with these cultural symbols. Learn how to select plants, books and gifts for Kwanzaa in this free holiday history video.

Duration : 0:2:13

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Kwanzaa Traditions & Customs : Harambe Chant for Kwanzaa

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:00:33 +0000

This chant is one of the most popular activities for Kwanzaa. Learn about the traditions of Kwanzaa in this free holiday celebration video from an authority on African-American culture.

Duration : 0:1:15

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