Presentations & Panels
2021 ~ “I Am Not Your Negro” Discussion with James McCalman (California College of the Arts) Rolf Hermann (Swiss Literature Institute Biel)and Consul General Benedikt Wechsler for the Swiss Film and Talk Series.
2020 ~ “Music as Social Activism” Panel and Discussion with Dr. Waldo Martin (UC Berkeley) and Dr. Anthony Brown (UC Berkeley, California Jazz conservatory) for 400 Years of Slavery and Injustice, UC Berkeley Student Learning Center Conference.
2020 ~ “Dancing Towards An Inclusive Community & Global Social Justice” Panel, Discussion and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee with Dr. Andaiye Qaasim (University of Pennsylvania):PhD in Ethnomusicology, Diversity & Anti-Racism Trainer; Aisha Qassim (Boalt School of Law): Civil Rights Attorney; Ryan Francois: Broadway, TV and film dancer and choreographer.
2017 ~ “Harlem Renaissance: Acting Free: Assertive Performance in African American History and Cultural Expression” with Professor Aleta Hayes and Professor Clay Carson at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.
2016 ~ “Race, Class, and Culture through the Lens of Jazz;” Performance and Panel Discussion with Dean Tyler Stovall (UC Santa Cruz) and Dr. Eric Porter (UC Santa Cruz) at Kuumbwa in Santa Cruz, sponsored by UC Santa Cruz Humanities Division.
2016 ~ “The Real Ambassadors: Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck and Musical Protest at Monterey Jazz;” Guest Scholar Lecture and moderator for discussion on protest and Black American Music (BAM) with musicians Gerald Clayton and Nicholas Payton, Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley.
2015 ~ “Rethinking Billie Holiday on her Centennial;” Guest Scholar Lecture and Question & Answer, Zellerbach Hall, Cal Performances, UC Berkeley.
2015 ~ “Rethinking Billie Holiday on her Centennial;” Guest Scholar Lecture for Google in Mountain View and Talks with Google, available at https://talksat.withgoogle.com/talk/rethinking-billie-holiday-on-her- centennial
2014 ~ “Protest and Music: Panel and Discussion” with Professor Waldo Martin (UC Berkeley); Mavis Staples, Singer; Chris Strachwitz, Founder and President, Arhoolie Records; Professor Mark Peterson (UC Berkeley), for the “50th Anniversary of the Free Speech Movement,” Berkeley History Department.
2014 ~ “Songs of Freedom: History of Black Musical Protest;” Performance and Lecture, California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley CA
2013 ~ “50th Anniversary of the March of Washington Memorial;” Music director and curator; sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA with Professor Clay Carson (Stanford).
2012 ~ “The Black Struggle: Songs of Freedom;” Performance and Lecture, Martin Luther King Institute, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA.
2011 ~ “I, Too, Sing America: Democracy and Freedom in Jazz” Keynote Performance and Lecture for AISNA Democracy and Difference Conference; University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
2011 ~ “Losing its Grease: Black Cultural Politics in the Globalization of Jazz” published paper, AISNA Democracy & Difference, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
2011 ~ “Teaching Jazz as Cultural History“ Presentation and Lecture for Teaching American History Grant, UC Berkeley.