Black Rock Coalition

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The Black Rock Coalition is a U.S.-based artists' collective and non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of black musicians.

The BRC was founded in 1985 in New York City by Vernon Reid (guitarist of the heavy metal band Living Colour), Greg Tate (journalist for the Village Voice), and Konda Mason (producer),[1] but today has members from around the world. The BRC's mission is to maximize the development, exposure, and acceptance of black rock musicians, and encourage artists who refuse to cater to "the creative straitjacket the industry has designed."

Among other activities, the BRC actively seeks performance venues, recording opportunities, and equitable distribution opportunities for black artists. They work to archive performance footage of cultural events related to their oeuvre, and to provide or publicize various educational opportunities (e.g. lectures, workshops, seminars, research, library and audio-visual resources, public forums/discussions, etc). BRC also solicits funding for projects and provides networking opportunities.

The BRC is governed by an executive board and an advisory board; board members have included Me'shell Ndegeocello, Bernie Worrell, 24-7 Spyz, the members of Living Colour, Bill Stephney, Craig Street, Sekou Sundiata, Chocolate Genius, Don Byron and Nona Hendryx. Artists who have participated in BRC activities include Doug Pinnick (frontman and bassist of the progressive metal band King's X), Spacey T, Keziah Jones, Tamar-kali, Suffrajett, Graph Nobel, Imani Coppola, David Ryan Harris, Jeffrey Gaines, Sophia Ramos, FunkFace, Pillow Theory, Apollo Heights, Avery Brooks, DK Dyson, Carl Hancock Rux, Caron Wheeler, and DJ Reborn.

BRC had an active radio show in the 1980s. Today it maintains a website, http://www.blackrockcoalition.org, as well as an email list and a regular mailing list, an internet radio station (BRC Radio @ Soul-Patrol.Net), and a MySpace page.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Daphne Brooks, "Burnt Sugar: Post-Soul Satire and Rock Memory", p. 103–116 in Eric Weisbard, ed., This is Pop, Harvard University Press, 2004. ISBN 0-674-01321-2 (cloth), ISBN 0-674-01344-1 (paper). p. 109.

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