Mark Lomax II, critically acclaimed composer, recording artist, drummer, activist and educator, presents "Writing Ourselves into the Future: An Overview of 400: An Afrikan Epic" via Zoom. This event is co-sponsored by the EMIC Graduate Student Interest Group for Expressive Culture and The Ohio State University Libraries.
CLOSED. Registered participants will receive an email with the Zoom meeting link.
If you require an accommodation to participate in this meeting, please email the event host, Dr. Danielle Fosler-Lussier (fosler-lussier.2@osu.edu). Requests made two weeks before an event will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet all requests.
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In 1619, the White Lion, a Dutch slave ship, landed at Point Comfort, Virginia with the first “20 and odd” Negroes who would become the first enslaved Afrikans to be brought and sold on the shores of what would become the United States of America. For many, this is the beginning of African American history. With "Writing Ourselves Into The Future: An Overview of 400: An Afrikan Epic," Dr. Lomax discusses his epic composition charting the story of the Afrikan diaspora from pre-colonial Afrika, though the Ma’afa (1619–the present), and into an Afro-futuristic vision of what global Afrikan peoples could become in the next 400 years as a healthy, happy and united community.
Dr. Mark Lomax II, a sought-after lecturer, specializes in the socio-political and spiritual aspects of African-American art music, race, and using the arts to build community. Lomax released 400: An Afrikan Epic in January 2019. This magnum opus ambitiously tells the story of the Afrikan diaspora over the course of a 12-album cycle. Divided into thirds, the cycle explores thousands of years of the history that is pre-colonial Afrika, the Ma’afa (400 years between 1619 and 2019), and Afro-futurism expressing a vision of what Blacks in America will heal toward in the next 400 years. Lomax is currently presenting virtual performances and lectures with his ensemble, and works in philanthropy.
